"Sorry Noel, I just need to find my picnic blanket!" Marin apologized and the younger boy groaned down the stairs awaiting his babysitter. He opened the trunk within his bedroom, silently relieved, but as he picked it up something fell down on the ground. He froze in place as he looked down at a silver pocket watch, one that was identical to Alix's in every way possible.
"Marin let's go!" Noel cried out in frustration on the verge of a tantrum as popped his head through the hatch leading to his room. He then frowned further as Marin didn't respond at first, believing that he was being ignored. "Fine! I'll just go on by myself!"
"Oh- Noel! You're not allowed to cross the street by yourself!" Marin called out, snapping out of his daze as he heard the threats from his friend's little brother. Reflexively, he grabbed the pocket watch, shoving it into his bag, and then raced after Noel who was already at the front door. "Dad! We're going to the park!" He called out into the bakery, not waiting for an answer as he grabbed Noel's hand just as the younger boy looked at him in annoyance for his tardiness.
The two met up with Alya and her sisters. The kids played soccer while Marin sat next to Alya who was showing him a new app that she downloaded.
"Alya's on the line, I rise and shine, When I pick up the mic like this game is mine. Fake MC's can't catch my flow, 'cause I whip up the beat with each word I throw!" She then handed her phone to Marin who immediately started panicking.
" Eh– The name's Marinus, I bake chouquettes, I love drawing and play games, and I like- uh..." He couldn't think of a follow-up phrase and the app beeped, then began laughing at him.
"You flow so low, you need a shovel to dig it!"
"...I am not good at this." Marin said, not appreciating a piece of technology laughing at him while Alya laughed. He then was surprised as Noel sat down next to him with a pout while Alya's sister continued to play with the ball.
"What's up? You don't want to play with my sisters anymore?" Alya asked.
"I don't want to play baby games anymore, can I play Freestyle Clash II with you?" He asked looking up at Marin who patted the younger boy's head with an understanding smile. He too wasn't that great at sports, especially compared to Alya's two bundles of pure energy.
"Sure, you'll probably end up being better than I am..." Marin said handing the phone over but his words trailed off as he sensed the faint presence of an Akuma. Looking around he saw a large group of pigeons flying in the sky. He grimaced as he recognized the very specific powers of a very specific person who was becoming more Akumatized recently.
"Al, I would you mind watching the kids for a bit, I'll be back in a while." He said, with a hint of embarrassment, feeling bad about leaving her to babysit alone again.
"You feeling okay?" Alya asked, now growing concerned.
"Yeah, yeah- It's just some stomach issues. Sorry, I'll-"
"No need to explain, cutie pie." Alya said with a smirk. "I know how ya get."
Marin's expression softened as he smiled gratefully at his friend. Thanking her as he ran off, but then turned into an alleyway. As soon as he was out of sight he sighed heavily as Tikki flew out of his messenger bag.
"What is with this guy? It's like the fifth time he's gotten Akumatized!"
"Look on the bright side." Tikki said with a smile. "Because of you and Chat Noir it looks like Hawkmoth is having a harder time akumatizing people."
"...Huh, I never thought of that." Marin said, realizing that what his Kwami said rang true. "Alright, guess we'll have to keep up the good work. Tikki, spots on!"
Chat Noir grimaced as he stood outside of the Louvre, looking up at Mr. Pigeon a good distance away to avoid having his allergies triggered.
" Ladybug, Chat Noir, if you don't give me your Miraculous, this pigeon-iron will crash down on the Louvre pyramid and give all the tourists inside it perfectly flat socks! Pigeons have a right to culture, too!" exclaimed as the pigeons formed a giant fist hovering before the museum.
" Isn't that animal abuse?! I thought you liked Pigeons!" Chat Noir yelled out as he was growing tired of seeing the villain so often. "This guy uses pigeons for his own gain!"
"Wha- I do not! These birds are my friends!"
"Yeah! Because you control them with your powers!" Chat Noir shot back as the two started bickering back and forth until Mr. Pigeon had enough.
"Ugh- Enough of this! My friends, take them out-" Mr Pigeon was about to say but then his Akumatized item was broken, transforming him back to normal. Just before he fell a familiar yo-yo wrapped around his waist, securing his safety as Ladybug arrived on the scene.
Chat Noir caught the adult man in his arms, placing him safely on the ground.
"My Lady." Chat Noir greeted, feeling butterflies flutter in his stomach as he saw Ladybug walked up to them, retracting his yo-yo and releasing the newly purified Akuma without even needed to use his powers. These days neither of them needed to use their powers to take out the enemy even negating the use of Ladybug's lucky charm due to their efficiency.
Mr. Ramier looked between the two in confusion. "Huh? Huh? Please don't tell me it happened again." He asked, looking downtrodden.
"It's okay, Mr. Ramier, we'll always be here to bring you back to the good side." Ladybug said reassuringly to the older man.
"Still, I'm sorry I've been causing you both so much trouble." Mr. Ramier said, and then his eyes lit up as he saw a nearby food stand. "I know, how about I buy you both ice cream to make up for it?"
"You don't have to-" Ladybug started to say before he was interrupted.
"Please, I insist!" The older man said as the two heroes exchanged a look between them.
Chat Noir shrugged his shoulders. "Why not, it's not like we have anywhere else to be."
Ladybug eventually conceded as the three ended up on a bench within Jardin des Tuileries.
"I'm really sorry, I just can't help it. Whenever something happens to my beloved pigeons it breaks my heart and—"
"Hawkmoth akumatises you." Chat Noir said, uninterested as he bit into his ice cream cone.
"If you feel so passionately about this then maybe it would help if you talked to someone about this." Ladybug recommended to the older man. "Are your pigeon friends the only one you talk to?"
"Yes, I find that they're very good listeners."
"Maybe it's time to start talking to someone who can actually listen to what you have to say." Ladybug said as the older man nodded in understanding.
Hawkmoth closed his eyes as he felt his Akuma being purified. Clutching his staff he began to feel the desperation creep in.
With each passing week, the number of people who gave into their negative emotions lessened greatly, so much so that he was resorting to Akumatizing the same person over and over again. He had many plans already set in place to help ensure future victories, however, none that could be used when he needed a strong villain to weaken the two heroes.
The villain gritted his teeth in frustration, turning around to go back to work, "Nooroo, dark wings-" He was about to say before he then felt a powerful energy. Lifting his head up he could feel the presence of an Akuma. Obviously, it wasn't one of his own, but even he couldn't deny that it was a powerful force that he had never encountered before.
The two heroes waved to Mr. Raimer as they walked away, having to leave. But even so Chat Noir sighed heavily, placing his hands on his hips as the two stood before the museum. "How many more times are we going to have to deal with this?" Chat Noir sighed as he looked back at the former Akumatized villain talking to a pigeon. However, he was surprised as Ladybug spoke up with a sincere tone.
"It's the duty for Heroes to protect the peace, to help out anyone who needs it. Despite how...often, it's been happening, the people aren't to blame when they're being taken advantage of like this." Ladybug said sincerely.
Chat Noir stared at his partner, probably for too long without speaking, and then ruffled his hair trying to remove the feeling of giddiness from his chest that he always got just from standing next to Ladybug. "Ugh, it almost grosses me out how much sense you make. For once, could you maybe just be irresponsible or something?" Chat Noir joked with a twinkle in his eye and a bemused grin.
Ladybug returned his smile, raising his fist for his partner to bump but before Chat Noir could return the gesture he noticed Ladybug's eyes widened as then he covered his mouth looking like he was going to be sick. Immediately Chat Noir ears perked up as he steadied his partner who looked like he was about to fall over. "Are you okay?"
"Ugh-" Ladybug rasped out as looked nauseous. "Something..." Before he could finish his words before them appeared a portal and someone jumping out of it.
"Yo-yo! I'm Timetagger from the future, man! I criss-cross time with a spraypaint like your time's up at last, 'cause I'm gonna send you way back to the past!" The new villain announced first using his gun to spraypaint the ground beneath his feet and then shooting Mr. Ramier into a portal, replacing the man with a giant statue of himself.
"What the-" Chat Noir said as Ladybug grasped his arm, his face turning paler.
"He's got an akuma in him!" Ladybug warned as Timetagger pointed the gun at them. Chat Noir reacted quickly, picking up his partner and then jumping out of the way of the blast. He ducked for cover behind the statue, placing his partner down while Timetagger started shooting at civilians.
Chat Noir turned his head towards the inscription on the statue, reading it aloud. "Lord Ramier Featherbottom, knight of the king? Founder of the order of The Great Pigeon?" He looked at Ladybug who was still holding his head. "Talk to me, what's going on?" Chat Noir prompted.
"I don't know." Ladybug admitted. "I can sense the akuma, but at the same time...it feels different. It feels..." His words trailed off as he shook his head, unable to explain the sensation of overwhelming emotion he was feeling. "Ugh- I think I'm adjusting, just give me a second." Ladybug said but Chat Noir was inclined to disagree as he saw Timetagger was tagging the whole area. But then he saw the villain blinking out of sight.
"Baby-bug seems to be out of the fight, time for Kitty Noir to follow his plight!" Timetagger remarked as he appeared next before them out of nowhere.
Chat Noir immediately tried to wack him away using his staff but Timetagger disappeared again, appearing further away as he taunted them more.
"Only one person gets to call me kitty!" Chat Noir shot back in annoyance.
" Baby-bug and Kitty Noir, now you're stuck. If you wanna catch me, then, ha, good luck!" The villain taunted as he disappeared again.
"...So this is happening." Chat Noir remarked as he lifted his partner to his feet, who was more steady.
"This guy keeps disappearing and reappearing, he's making my head spin." Ladybug said as he tried to focus on where Timetagger may pop up next.
Chat Noir scoffed. "Doesn't he know that's my job?"
"...what?" Ladybug aksed not hearing what his partner said.
"NOTHING!" Chat Noir said, as his face turned red, once again grateful that most of his face was covered up by a mask.
"...Right." Ladybug nodded as was hit with another bout of dizziness, just before Chat Noir disappeared, then reappeared as he was thrown against the Louvre, then landing face-first on the ground, thrown across space by Timetagger.
" All I have to do is go back in time to escape with a laugh and a rap and a rhyme!" Timetagger spit out as he disappeared again.
"I could be wrong here." Chat Noir said rubbing his nose as Ladybug helped his partner. "But I think he may be a teleporter."
Ladybug narrowed his eyes as his eyes darted to the villain continuing to tag the area. "He's traveling through time!"
"How can you be so sure?" Chat Noir asked.
"Context clues. C'mon." Ladybug said as he pulled his partner into the Louvre for cover.
"Hahaha! Superhero babies need a little rest? Well, take your time. I have eternity ahead of me!" Timetagger called out laughing victorious as he continued to tag the area.
As they ran down the stairs of the museum Chat Noir looked at his partner with a confused expression. "Is this part of your plan? Because I really want to wack that dude as soon as possible."
"It's part of it." Ladybug said, "The first part is getting as far from him as possible so I can think straight."
"So are you doing to tell me how you can tell he's a time traveler or-" Chat Noir prompted.
"When he first appeared that guy was sending off negativity in waves. His akuma is way too powerful and due its nature to distort time it messes up my senses and makes me nauseated whenever he pops up. If we have any hope of beating him we have to-" He said as they turned the corner, but then were knocked down again Ladybug looked up at a familiar face that had crashed into him.
"Crazy! So the message was for real!" The young said with an excited look on her face as Chat Noir pulled her to her feet.
"What are you doing here Alix?" Chat Noir asked.
"I used my dad's key to sneak in. I just had to come here today!" She said looking like she was about to erupt with joy as she looked between the two heroes.
"Message? What message?" Ladybug asked, but then felt a terrible sense of foreboding as she took out her pocket watch from her back pocket.
"This watch has been in my family since forever. It's never chimed, until today! And there was a message for you, Ladybug."
The hero was hesitant to take the watch at first, but eventually did. As he opened it up, a blue mist arose from the watch face materializing into a blue hologram of a woman holding a clock.
"Nice work, Minibug, you're right on time. Now, dig as deep as you can into the past and you will find the rabbit's burrow." Ladybug could feel a wave of nausea overtake him as he recognized the voice.
"Dig deep into the past? What, like the Egyptian collection on display?" Chat Noir asked, noticing his partner's reaction.
"Of course! My old man says some of it dates back more than five thousand years!" Alix said eagerly, taking her watch back and leading the way towards the exhibits followed by the two heroes.
"It's this one." Ladybug said as he pointed out the only obelisk in the display that had the hieroglyphics of the rabbit Miraculous on it. He then stepped aside as Chat Noir activated his power.
"Cataclysm!" He exclaimed pressing his hand to the statue. As it was destroyed and the dust cleared up, all three saw a hero standing before them in a white rabbit suit. She yawned and then stretched her arms over her head before jumping off of the stand and grinning at them victoriously.
"Minibug, Kitty, I knew you'd solve my riddle. But first things first, nature calls." She said, running off to the restroom while the three were stunned for a moment. Alix and Chat Noir exchanged an excited expression as they had just come across an adult Miraculous holder. Alix rolled off after the hero, but while Chat Noir was about to do the same, he noticed that Ladybug was still standing in the same spot gripping his arm, his entire body trembling with an unreadable expression on his face.
Chat Noir's eyes widened as he felt worry start to bubble up, however as he tried to place a hand on his partner's shoulder to grab his attention his hand was slapped away on reflex.
The two heroes stood there stunned for a second as Chat Noir could see Ladybug's eyes began to register what he just did and immediately the black-spotted hero averted his gaze, gripping his arm tighter.
"Sorry." He said briefly, unable to meet his partner's eyes.
Chat Noir didn't care about that, instead, as he reached for his partner again, but he hesitated to make contact with his partner. "You okay?" He asked as Ladybug took a deep breath.
"Yeah, it's nothing to worry about." Ladybug said, walking past his partner while Chat Noir's ears flattened, not believing his friend's words.
Hawkmoth narrowed his eyes as experienced the same emotions that this, Timetagger, was and how he was a far more powerful force than any of the Miraculous holders of the present could handle.
"Greetings Hawk-dude of the past." Timetagger said from the other side. It was of the rare times that one of his villains had taken advantage of the power, meaning that whoever this villain was; he already had a brief understanding of the Butterfly Miraculous. "I come from the future, a future 10 years from now when both Ladybug and Chat Noir are adults."
The future?
"My name's Bunnyx. And in the future, I'm a member of Ladybug and Chat Noir's team of superheroes. Well, the Ladybug and Chat Noir you're going to become." Bunnyx explained as she walked out of the restroom. Chat Noir and Alix stood before her while Ladybug was leaned against the wall adjacent to them with his arms crossed.
"Within the team, I am the hero of the last chance. I'm called upon when everyone else has failed, that includes you two."
Ladybug gripped his arm tighter at her words, at the implication it held but Chat Noir didn't seem phased at all.
"Failed? Psh- no way that could happen if my Lady and I were on the scene." Chat Noir remarked with some confidence, to which Bunnyx chuckled at sheepishly.
"Actually, it was more your fault than anything." Bunnyx said as Chat Noir's ears flattened in disbelief for a moment.
"What?! No way!"
"It's true. You stole my Miraculous from Ladybug behind his back, and when we were fighting Timetagger you slipped up and accidentally damaged my Miraculous, allowing Timetagger to send me to the past with no means of returning to the future."
"...Ah. Sorry about that." Chat Noir apologized, scratching the back of his head sheepishly but then realized. "Wait a sec! I would never steal a Miraculous from my partner!"
Bunnyx shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know the whole story, but future you only told me that future Ladybug was fully against giving me my Miraculous for the fight, but justified that since he was your better half then he had the final say on the matter." Bunnyx said, as Chat Noir refused to even look at Ladybug, internally yelling at his future self for being so cocky.
"Anyhow, my mission is to bring Timetagger back to the future, so he can be defeated by your future counterparts. It's simple enough, but with things as they are right now, I might need your help. " Bunnyx said with a confident smile, none of them noticing Ladybug's growing negativity.
"...So is that good or-" Chat Noir asked but could see that he wasn't going to get a proper answer since Bunnyx was unclear of the details herself.
"One thing I remember for sure is Alix has to be there when I defeat Timetagger. If she's still in my memory, she must play a vital role."
"Good! I wasn't planning on sitting on the bench this time!" Alix cheered.
"Just leave the fighting to me." Bunnyx said reassuringly.
"Just one more thing." Chat Noir said, taking a step closer to Bunnyx just as his Miraculous began to beep. "Give it to me straight, are Ladybug and I..." He prompted shyly at first before shaping his hands into a heart, obscured from the view of his partner.
Bunnyx laughed. "That's a loaded question. You two are definitely like..." She waved her hands around ending up in an explosion gesture.
Chat Noir sighed heavily. "Alright, just tell us what to do-" Chat Noir was about to say, but then was cut off as he heard his partner speak up.
"No." Ladybug said sternly not moving from his place. "This isn't our fight anymore."
Chat Noir's eyes widened as his ears twitched, hearing a tone from Ladybug that he had never heard before, one that made him feel nervous. "What are you talking about? There's an Akuma flying around, and when there's an Akuma it's our job to help." Chat Noir pointed out.
"The Akuma isn't the issue. It's her." Ladybug said now facing them but still retaining his distance. "We can't trust her or anything she says.
Chat Noir looked between his partner and the hero from the future as he and Alix were effectively between a rock and a hard place. He noticed that Bunnyx was looking at the hero in surprise as well but it was broken as she spoke up again.
"I think there's been some confusion." Bunnyx tried to explain. "I'm-"
"I know who you are Alix." Ladybug said sternly with a dark expression on his face, clutching his fist as he glared at the hero from the future.
"WOAH! You're me from the future?!" Alix asked, getting confirmation as Bunnyx nodded, however, she drew a confused expression on her face.
"Wait but how? You shouldn't know-"
"You've told us your story, but that doesn't mean that you're trustworthy." Ladybug said not backing down.
"Hold on now-" Chat Noir said, trying to get ahead of a situation. "If she's Alix from the future then we can trust her, Alix is our friend."
"That doesn't matter. Even if she is Alix, she's one from ten years in the future, she could say anything, would say anything so long as it would collaborate with her own goals, and none of us would be the wiser. For all we know she could be working alongside Timetagger herself to get our Miraculous."
"That's ridiculous! I would never- Your future self was the one who gave me this Miraculous in the first place! Even if Chat Noir who gave me my Miraculous this time around that doesn't change the fact that both of you still trusted me with one of the most power Miraculous." Bunnyx pointed out but Ladybug was deterred.
"That doesn't matter. Miraculous have been stolen before, and there's already a decade of time separating us. Plus, we don't even know if we're the same Ladybug and Chat Noir from your future." Ladybug said. "Even if you could tell us, your Miraculous if the one of Recollection you could learn anything you needed to in order to make your case."
Chat Noir looked between the two again but then groaned in annoyance as his Miraculous beeped for the final time. He quickly ran into the restroom to feed Plagg but he didn't feel secure straying from his partner's side.
Just as he closed the door behind him he detransformed, catching Plagg in his hands and then feeding him a piece of cheese, much to the small Kwami's delight.
"Plagg, do you konw what's going on?" Adrien asked as he watched Plagg consume his snack.
"Best not to try and follow anything involving the rabbit Miraculous, you'll get a headache just trying to follow." Plagg advised, but it was something that Adrien couldn't follow.
"I can't do that, you saw how Ladybug acted back there..." Adrien said, his voice drifting away as he couldn't shake the image of his partner's expression out of his head.
"You're Chat Noir aren't you?" Plagg asked as he stuffed the rest of his cheese in his mouth, now hovering before Adrien. "Just ask him, and listen if he feels like talking."
Adiren sighed heavily, taking a moment to find some comfort as he petted Plagg, who began to purr at the contact. "You make it sound so easy."
"What was your first mission?" Ladybug asked as he tied to keep his voice calm. If Bunnyx, this Bunnyx, was telling the truth then she wasn't the same one he knew. She was from a different future, a future that didn't end in Paris's destruction, or in Chat Blanc.
"Huh? You should know, you were there, I helped you save the past me from my past akumatized self." Bunnyx said, noticing that Ladybug narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
Bunnyx then sighed heavily, not sure as to why the younger version of her friend was being a pain but knew him well enough to know what he would respond to.
"Alix would you mind giving me our watch?" The hero asked holding out her hand.
"Our watch?" Alix asked in confusion.
"It's a Miraculous that was hidden away in camouflage mode." Ladybug explained as Alix handed over her family's relic.
"Fluff, counterclockwise," Bunnyx said, undoing her transformation and releasing the rabbit Kwami.
"Ladybug!" Fluff exclaimed as she hugged the face of the younger Ladybug, who softened up as he saw the Kwami. But that only lasted for a second as his expression hardened again as Bunnyx spoke up.
"Just ask Fluff if you don't believe me." Future Alix prompted but then took some offense as Ladybug stared at her in disbelief, as though she said something really dumb.
"...How long have you had your Miraculous?" He asked, as the rabbit Kwami continued to cuddle him.
"A few missions. I'm only called on when there is no other option." She reminded. "Fluff would you mind explaining to him-"
"OOOOH- a person!" Fluff exclaimed in excitement as she darted towards Alix who looked at the Kwami in amazement. But it was only for a few seconds as Fluff then began darting around the room wanting to observe everything in the room.
"Fluff!" Future Alix called out, garnering her Kwami's attention for a second. "Could you please explain to Ladybug what our mission was before we were sent back please?"
"What mission?" Fluss asked.
"Wha- the one to track down Timetagger!" Future Alix explained, but Fluff's attention span was drawn towards a treat that Ladybug had placed in the palm of his hand.
"OOOH!" Fluff exclaimed once again, accepting the offering and happily eating the cookie in Ladybug's hand.
"You should already know, or have had it explained that Fluff especially has no sense of time or presence. It's all muddled for her." He explained as the rabbit Kwami continued to eat happily.
"Okay, I'm back what did I-" Chat Noir said as he returned was then cut off again.
"If you really say who you say you are then it shouldn't matter if I believe you or not. One way or another Timetagger has to be dealt with. This is your mission then complete it and go back to where you belong." Ladybug said, lowering his hand as Fluff finished her snack and hovered before them. He then walked away without another word, leaving the three along to ponder what just happened.
"What's his deal?" Younger Alix asked.
"I'll talk to him." Chat Noir said as he ran to catch up with his partner.
"What exactly was up with that back there?" Chat Noir asked as he walked closer to his partner the two of them standing in the main hall of the Louvre. He tilted his head towards his partner, trying to get a better look at this face but saw an expression that resonated with him. Despite wearing a mask that hid his true identity and feeling there were some times when his more powerful emotions slipped through the cracks. Ans the expression on Ladybug's face reminded him of the same expression his father had once his mother...
"I don't trust her. So I'm not going to get involved with her." Ladybug said firmly with his back to his partner.
"That's not what I meant, what's with the hostility to Bunnyx? She just wants to help."
"I told you, I don't trust her." Ladybug repeated. "How can you believe anything she says so easily? You don't even know her."
"Maybe I'm just a good judge of character." Chat Noir said, trying to crack a joke, but could see that Ladybug was not in the mood the laugh. He then turned more serious. "What happened to; It's the duty for Heroes to protect the peace, to help out anyone who needs it?" Chat Noir asked as Ladybug eyes flashed with mixed emotion having his words thrown back at him. "No matter where the Akuma comes from it's our job to make sure that it becomes purified. So we have to help Bunnyx on this, even if it's just making sure Timetagger gets sent back to the future."
"Don't her words bother you?!" Ladybug asked as his voice started to break and his entire body began trembling. "If what she's saying is try then it means that Hawkmoth, or someone else using the Butterfly Miraculous is still going to be around over a decade from now. They're going to be Akumatizing people just like Hawkmoth is doing right now. It means that Paris is still in danger ten years from now, it means that even if it's not our Hawkmoth someone else is using the Butterfly Miraculous for evil, it means..." Ladybug's voice broke as he started to become overwhelmed with emotion.
"So? The future isn't set in stone. There's no telling what could happen." He said wanting to say that they could save Nooroo before then, but then immediately regretted saying it even if it slipped out, as he saw his partner trembling with anger. He had never been on the receiving end of Ladybug's anger, but with the way his partner was looking at him, he may as well have been. He started to panic for a moment, thinking that his partner was about to yell him, but then he froze in place as he saw tears falling down Ladybug's face.
Chat Noir immediately was out of his element as even Ladybug looked surprised at his reaction. The black-spotted hero didn't bother wiping them away as he glared at his partner angrily.
"It means Nooroo will still be under someone else's control for ten more years. Are you telling me you want to keep fighting for ten years just to get nowhere?!"
"Ah-" Was all Chat Noir could muster out before Ladybug immediately became defensive, turning away and taking out his yo-yo.
"Do what you want Jerk Noir!" Ladybug exclaimed angrily as he used his yo-yo to leave out of the skylight.
Chat Noir wanted to call out but ended up watching his partner leave, unable to find the will to chase after him after made the person he loved more than anyone cry. Instead, he knelt down in defeat, grasping his head, wanting to stay in place, wishing that a random meteor could destroy his mistakes.
"It was the future Hawkmoth's slick idea to send me to the past to help you out a bit." Timetagger said and Hawkmoth listened intently, all the while distrusting the villain from the future.
He couldn't help but feel offended by the idea that a possible future version of himself would have become incompetent enough to send a villain to aid him in the past, implying that he would have to wait many years for even the chance to possibly complete his righteous mission. But he could not allow fantasy to cloud his judgment, not when an obvious truth was staring him in the face.
"And tell me. Who is the Hawmoth that Akumatized you 10 years in the future?" He asked, holding back on using his powers to force him to speak.
"Heh, clever as they said." Timetagger remarked. "It's true, my mission is to take the Miraculous of the present Ladybug and Chat Noir for my Hawkmoth, not you." He admitted. "However, the future H-moth also sends a gift."
"A gift?" Hawkmoth questioned suspiciously.
"Soon enough you're going to take a huge step into bringing your plans to fruition. But to do that, there needed to a way to take out one of your two biggest hurdles. See, there's some intel that you're not privy to yet, that is going to help you out in the future, and while I'm not allowed to explain it exactly- I'm supposed to only tell you this." Timetagger said.
"You already know that the most effective way to Akumatize someone is when their negative emotions outweigh reason. But there's another way as well, a way that you've already used before, a way to force someone to become Akumatized without trying to persuade them..."
Chat Noir mentally kicked himself for being so stupid as he sat down with his back to the wall of the main hall. If it were anyone else, trying to lighten the situation might have helped. But he was stupid enough to try and make light of that plight of a Kwami. He of all people knew better than anyone how much Ladybug loved and cared for all the Kwami's. But it wasn't just that, Ladybug had been upset and acted differently ever since Bunnyx showed up, and here he was not being sensitive to his partners' feelings.
"What happened? Where's Ladybug?" Bunnyx said as she walked up to him with Alix rolling up from behind.
Chat Noir didn't really want to answer her question. "We're uh...going through some technical difficulties."
Bunnyx and Alix exchanged a confused glance but then all of their attention was grabbed by the portraits around them changing one by one.
"Well, that can't be good." Alix commented as a few familiar faces popped up within the portraits.
"He's trying to destroy the present by rewriting the past." Bunnyx said sternly, but then noticed Chat Noir's sullen expression, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"...Are...are Ladybug and I really that great of a duo in the future?" Chat Noir asked, feeling the exact opposite was true right now.
Bunnyx's expression softened. "Great is an understatement. No matter what happened you two always stuck together by each other through thick and thin. Whatever you two are going through, I'm sure you'll work it out."
Chat Noir gave her a wry smile, not sure how much weight her words held. But even so, he chose to believe in her. He then staggered a bit as she ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Just don't mess up my Miraculous again." She said with a cheeky grin that he returned, feeling some ease among the guilt and bittersweetness feelings he held.
All of them ran outside of the Louvre outside to see the square is covered in graffiti.
"We've taken too long, he's had enough time to weave a giant time-web around us." Bunnyx said, taking out her umbrella.
"Does that mean he can attack from anywhere?" Chat Noir asked as he looked towards the elder hero, who smirked as Timetagger appeared before them.
"Gimme your Miraculous, don't make me ask. It's pretty clear you're not up to the task! When I bring them to Hawkmoth's door, Ladybug and Chat Noir will be no more..." His words trailed off as he looked around. "Hey! Where's the bug?!"
Chat Noir took a step forward, spinning his staff in hand by Bunnyx pulled him back pushing him behind her. "Stay where you are. I'll deal with him and take him back to the future you and Ladybug. It means nothing must happen to you in the meantime."
"But he can appear from anywhere right?" Chat Noir asked, looking at her in concern. "How can you fight that?"
"More like: from any time, but so can I." She remarked, winking at him before grabbing her past self and placing her next to the ice cream stand.
Chat Noir saw her say something to her before then activating her power. A white glowing portal appeared before her and then promptly disappeared as she jumped through. A second later she appeared next to Timetagger trying to hit him with her umbrella but he was just as fast.
"Missed me!" The villain mocked before teleporting again.
Chat Noir watched in amazement as the two forces clashed, both using their time travel powers to teleport to try and gain the upper hand on their enemy. However, it appeared the two were at a stalemate as they were equals in terms of ability.
Every part of him told him to jump into the fight and take out the Akuma, gripping his staff tighter but his instincts were making it more difficult by the second.
As the fight went on Bunnyx threw her umbrella into the air, jumping off of Timetagger and into one of her portals, appearing a second later to hook his leg on her umbrella, trying to trip him into one of her portals. But Timetagger teleported away just at the last second, then appearing a few yards away.
"Bunnyx, you're lame, you don't get the now you have to start all over a-" Timetagger was cut off as Chat Noir tried to attack him with his staff, unable to hold back any longer.
"What are you doing?!" Bunnyx exclaimed as Chat Noir stayed on his toes, blocking Timetaggers attacks.
"I can't stand watching you two playing cat and mouse like this!" He responded back as his ears perked up. "He can only teleport with these tags around right? Then all we have to do is get rid of them!" Chat Noir said as he raised his arm over his head, activating his power. "Cataclysm!"
"Chat Noir, no!" Bunnyx called out, gripping his arms just before he could touch the ground.
"What?!" He asked, looked back at her in confusion.
"That's exactly how you destroyed my Miraculous in the first place, the shockwave of messing up with time portals isn't something to be messed with!" Bunnyx exclaimed but then was opened her umbrella as Timetagger was about to attack her again, pushing him into one of her portals. "I knew it! I knew you'd do that. Who's the best now, huh?"
Chat Noir stood in place with his power still activated, feeling that this was a little anti-climatic.
"Thanks for your involuntary help, my young friends, now I have to go home and finish off what we started."
Just as Bunnyx walked through the portal she paused for a moment as she recalled one of her childhood memories. One where she saw the future version of herself talking to Ladybug just before she left. Immediately she was on guard as she looked around. "Wait a second, this isn't right-" She said as Chat Noir and Alix looked at her in surprise. Then in a split second later her eyes widened as she saw Timetagger appear behind Chat Noir grabbing him from behind and then disappeared.
"What-" She said in disbelief as Chat Noir was thrown at her, his power disrupting her Miraculous transformation.
"Are you okay?!" Chat Noir asked, as he saw Bunnyx's take out her Miraculous both of their eyes widened as its shape became distorted, flashing between its camouflage and Miraculous mode. Both of them then turned to Timetagger who laughed mockingly, pointing his weapon at them.
"Enjoy your trip to the ice age, fluffytail." Timetagger said with a sinister smile on his face.
Ladybug landed on a building nearby from the Louve, his vision impaired by the water that was welling up in his eyes.
"Crap." He muttered to himself, punching a nearby chimney before falling to his knees as he saw the ground below him turning a darker shade of grey with each tear that fell. "I'm so pathetic." He remarked to himself dryly, feeling ashamed that Chat Noir of all people had to see this side of him. But he couldn't help it, everything that happened today was against him, making him recall the memories and emotions he had repressed for weeks. But now on top of all of that, he had to face the prospect of everything Bunnyx had informed them of.
A future where he was useless in his attempts to recover the butterfly Miraculous.
He took out the pocket watch from his yo-yo, one that was exactly the same as the Rabbit Miraculous at he stood up. For a moment he remembered everything that happened; he remembered a future where the world was destroyed; he remembered a future where he couldn't save his best friend, himself, or the person he had believed to be a comrade. But Ladybug then suppressed those memories, gripping the watch in hand with great frustration causing more tears to fall down his face.
So long as this Bunnyx was around it wasn't his problem to deal with.
"Tikki, spot-" As he tried to transform back, his head started to hurt again. Ladybug writhed in pain, holding his head as he fell to his knees. This time the effect more piercing, indicating that Timetagger was abusing his abilities to the fullest extent.
Ladybug lifted himself up as he started to grow angrier at the fact that this was happening. That his future self could allow this to happen under his watch as Ladybug. If he was supposed to be so great in the future then why couldn't he and Chat Noir just take out the time traveler from the start?
Unless...this was meant to happen.
Ladybug felt another rush of pain in his head. He gripped the watch in his hand now feeling the resolve to finish what his, alleged, future self began.
"Lucky Charm!" He said throwing his yo-yo into the air and from it received a small ring.
"Enjoy your trip to the ice age, fluffytail." Timetagger said with a sinister smile on his face, but then his aim was set off by a familiar yo-yo wrapping around his arm redirecting the blast somewhere else. Timetagger quickly teleported as Ladybug then helped the two heroes up. As he helped Chat Noir his partner's grip lingered, even though he looked lost on what to say Ladybug could see the attempt was there. But he was then snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Ladybug's Miraculous beep.
"You used your Lucky Charm?" Chat Noir asked in concern.
"Chat Noir, think you could distract Timeboy over there?" Ladybug asked changing the topic to try and snap Chat Noir out of his guilt.
The hero blinked and then nodded as he smiled with a playful determination. "Leave it to me." The cat-themed hero dashed off while Ladybug dragged Bunnyx behind the ice cream stand.
"Sorry, Minibug, Looks like I didn't have a solution after all." Bunnyx started to say but Ladybug interrupted her.
"I need you to give me your Miraculous."
Bunnyx stared at him before getting annoyed. "Are you serious?!"
"I realize I don't deserve to ask this, but I need you to trust me on this." The black-spotted hero said sincerely, bowing his head humbly.
Bunnyx's expression softened for a moment as she sighed in exasperation. She'd never admit this out loud but it wasn't like she could ever refuse anything Ladybug asked. "Fluff, counterclockwise." She said detransforming. "But what are you going to do? My Miraculous is broken."
"A Miraculous is meant to be the catalyst for Kwami, so using one while it's damaged is extremely harmful for the user." Ladybug explained. "All I need to do is knock Timetagger into the future for your mission to be complete right?"
"Yes, technically."Bunnyx said as she saw him pull out a pocket watch exactly like hers.
"Are you ready baby bunny?" Ladybug asked as Fluff nodded eagerly.
"Ready for what?" Bunnyx asked as Ladybug then stood up.
"For the plan of course!" Fluff responded as she flew into the Miraculous just as Ladybug jumped back into the fight.
Timetagger scoffed at this with a cocky grin on his face. "So little Baby Cat and Bug think they can actually win?"
"We may be from the same city, but you're on our turf now." Chat Noir said as he rested his staff on his shoulders.
"That's where you're wrong. You're both still wet behind the ears, if your future selves and the fluffy tail couldn't defeat me what makes you think you can?" Timetagger asked as both heroes Miraculous beeped. Chat Noir's ears perked at the sound. "All I have to do is wait 5 minutes and then both of your Miraculous are mine." He said with a cocky grin but it faded slightly as Ladybug smirked.
"Nice to know that even ten years from now villains are still the same as they are now." Ladybug remarked with a smirk as he took out something from his belt.
"Whatever." Timetagger said disappearing with a grin on his face.
He teleported behind Ladybug with his gun aimed at the back of the hero's head, but then was shocked as Chat Noir almost hit him with his staff. Timetagger jumped back, stunned for a second as he saw the two heroes standing back to back. Chat Noir had his staff at the ready while Ladybug was looking down at a pocket watch in his hand, winding it up with a small ladybug printed ring.
"5 on the dot." Ladybug said. For a second Chat Noir glanced back at his partner in confusion but then broke out into a smile as a familiar portal appeared before him.
"No problem." Chat Noir said as a yo-yo appeared from the other portal wrapping around his arm and then dragging him inside, disappearing behind him.
The sight caused Timetagger to become a little annoyed at the confidence of the two heroes; the two heroes that were meant to be far weaker than their counterparts in the future.
"No matter the villain, no matter the Hawkmoth, all of you share one weakness." Ladybug said as he closed the pocket watch with a rare confident smile on his face.
Timetagger gritted his teeth, teleporting again to attack but as he reappeared, about to attack again his eyes widened in shock as Ladybug took on a few form, blocking the attack with a red umbrella. Timetagger was knocked back as the new hero opened up his umbrella, resting it on his shoulder while adjusting his top hat. Timetagger already knew of Ladybug's ability to unify the power of two Miraculous, something that everyone in the future knew about. But it wasn't like this new form was going to save him or his partner.
"Heh." Timetagger smirked in amusement as he jumped back to his feet. "Think having a cottontail is going to help you beat me?"
"I'm called Rabbit foot for a reason." The hero remarked as both enemies attacked each other, however, it was different from before. For each time Timetagger appeared, he was shocked to witness an attack always waiting for him. Even when he tried to attack Rabbit foot's comrades he was deterred from that as well.
"Ugh! You're just a baby-bug!" Timetagger said as he grew more annoyed, and somehow even more so as he saw Ladybug chuckle. "What the heck is so funny?!"
"Nothing. It's nice you see you haven't changed that much Noel."
"Huh?" Timetagger's eyes widened with shock, as he heard the Ladybug from the past saying his name of all things, his true name. "How-" He murmured but then shook it off, teleporting again this time aiming to send the annoying hero into the far distant past but as he reappeared he saw that Rabbit Foot was ready for him, throwing his umbrella directly towards him. Timetagger teleported again, reappearing a few feet away.
"Ha! You missed-" The villain was about to mock, aiming his weapon but then was blinded by a red umbrella that had already invaded his space. Time seemed to slow down as Timetagger saw Rabbit Foor use his umbrella to gatch him off guard, revealing that he was using the umbrella to obscure Timetaggers new from the portal he had created just in time to see Chat Noir being pulled through and destroying his gun with his staff, breaking it as everything went black.
"Ah. I feel bad." Rabbit foot said, capturing the Akuma as Timetagger turned back to normal still passed out. "Poor kid was probably affected by the akuma just as much as I was." He said as he knelt by Noel's side.
"Poor kid? He's basically our age!" Chat Noir pointed out.
"Ladybug, Chat Noir." The future Alix said walking up to them. "Thanks for your help."
Chat Noir's ears immediately flattened as he looked between his partner and the hero from the future, wondering what reaction his partner would have. However, much to his surprise, Ladybug bowed his head respectfully. "I don't apologize for being cautious about a stranger. However, I do see now that I was acting unprofessional and for that I apologize."
"Don't worry about it." The future Alix brushed off. "I can't fault you for actually doing your job. I guess I was just a little taken aback by the bluntness and how you already knew who I was. How did you know, if you don't mind me asking?"
Chat Noir noticed Ladybug gripping his pocket watch Miraculous before he spoke up seemingly trying to hold back his feelings. "Fluff, counter clockwise." Ladybug said catching the rabbit Kwami in his hands and then handing her off to her partner.
The Future Alix saw the pocket watch in his hand. "Thats...is that the Miraculous from the past? The one from the Miracle box?"
Chat Noir was confused by the sight of the Miraculous as well. Ladybug couldn't have gone to Master Fu that quickly could he?
"It's not from the Miracle box that one is still safe." Ladybug said as his Miraculous began to beep for the final time. "Our time is almost up, but if you want the whole story then ask that Future Ladybug of yours. Maybe he'll tell you."
"Hah, you're just as mysterious now as you are in the future minibug." Future Alix chuckled as she transformed back to Bunnyx. Just as she did so Ladybug threw his yo-yo in the air.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" He said turning everything back to normal. Bunnyx looked down at her Miraculous seeing that her original watch and Alix's watch had both been fixed. Meanwhile, Noel came to, looking around in confusion as Ladybug helped him to his feet.
" Ladybug? And Chat Noir? You're so young! Where am I?" He asked.
Bunnyx used her power to create a portal for them. "C'mon, Chris, let's go home."
"Hey, future me, when am I gonna get my Miraculous?" Alix asked rolling up.
"As soon as you're as cool as I am, mini-me." Bunnyx said waving good-bye as she disappeared into the portal along with Noel, disappearing like they were never there.
For a brief moment, Chat Noir felt anxious, afraid even to turn to his partner but that tension was broken with Alix then crying out.
"Okay spill, what's up with you having the exact same watch as me!" Alix demanded standing before the hero.
Chat Noir's ears flicked as he saw the watch that Ladybug was originally holding onto was no longer in his hand. It appeared to have disappeared along with the Miraculous Ladybug.
"That's a story I'll tell you in the future." Ladybug said playfully as he held out his fist. Alix chuckled as she mirrored his gesture, the two of them then looked at Chat Noir, prompting him to do the same.
"Kind of in a hurry here kitty." Ladybug prompted.
Chat Noir bumped his fist against theirs reluctantly, unable to bring himself to say anything as he saw his partner leave again, along the rooftops.
"Nooroo, dark wings fall." Hawkmoth said as he turned back into his civilian identity.
"Master, I—" His Kwami said but was immediately silenced by a single glance from his owner. Gabriel left his lair and sat down on a chair within his study, resting his head in his hands. He didn't even react as Nathalie walked up with a series of reference books that he had asked for.
Without a single word needing to be said she wrapped her arms around him supportively as he found some comfort in her presence.
At Pont des Arts. Ladybug, Chat Noir were eating ice cream with Mr. Raimer, having defeated him once again after he was Akumatized.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened." Mr. Raimer apologized. "But I am trying, I've being trying to talk to more people."
"Don't worry Mr. Raimer, we're always here to help out. Helping yourself can take time." Ladybug said as Chat Noir finished off his ice cream.
"The problem with Pigeons in Paris is that they have it too hard here. Maybe you should move to the suburbs, or try to make friends with some other type of animal. A goldfish for example."Chat Noir said half-heartedly but then felt another rush of anxiety as he saw Mr. Raimer actually considering his suggestion and Ladybug slapping his forehead at his partner's words. It had been a few days since their paths crossed with Bunnyx, and since then Ladybug hadn't said a word about their...argument.
It was basically driving him crazy, as Chat Noir was partially afraid of his partner snapping again. He wasn't sure as to why, but it felt instinctive that he had to always be wary of those around him.
"Another type of animal? That might be a good idea, Chat Noir. I'll think about it." The older man said as the two heroes then left having finished their ice cream. Has the sun began to set and they ran across the rooftops Ladybug stopped all of a sudden.
"This is where we part, see y-"
"Wait!" Chat Noir yelled out reflexively as he felt shame heat up his face looking at Ladybug's confused face. "I...What I mean to say is..." Chat Noir stammered as he tried to come up with the words as nothing sounded like the right thing to say.
Ladybug's expression softened into a sad frown as he jumped down from the chimney he was standing on and standing before his partner. "It's alright. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I shouldn't have raised my voice. Must have really weirded you out."
Chat Noir felt his heart begin to crack seeing Ladybug trying to comfort him. He found some courage in the shame he felt and blurted out the first words he thought of.
"Why were you being so...defensive about Bunnyx? Even though she was trying to help us..." Chat Noir faltered for a moment, but this time didn't let his fear hold him back. "I've never seen you act that way before."
Neither of them said a word as only the sounds of Paris filled the silence.
"You won't be able to unhear what I have to say." Ladybug warned with sincerity but could see that Chat Noir wasn't deterred at all.
Eventually, Ladybug turned his head away, unable to look his partner in the eye as he faced the Eiffle Tower before them in the distance. "I know, this may sound unreasonable to you, the Kwami's may be over thousands of years old but they're still young in mind. Nooroo is the youngest of all the Miraculous and he won't be saved for over ten more years."
"Was that why you couldn't trust Bunnyx, or any hero from the future? Because they didn't save Nooroo?" Chat Noir asked feeling guilty about even asking his partner about this.
"...It's not just that." Ladybug said with a heavy tone, hanging his head as he tensed up. He could feel that something happened, something bad. And if he knew his partner it was something that would hurt to say aloud. Ladybug shut his eyes tightly, wincing at a memory that Chat Noir couldn't even begin to guess, but then was shaken as Chat Noir grasped his hand.
"You don't have to talk about it. I'm here for you, not just as your incredibly handsome and Charismatic partner but also your friend." Chat Noir said as his expression softened. "Is it something you can't tell me? Like when you couldn't tell me about the Master?"
"It's kind of hard to explain." Ladybug admitted. "If it were yesterday, or even a few days earlier I could've better explained it. But..." Ladybug's voice faltered as he took a deep breath, finding each word harder to speak aloud. "You don't want to know what I think."
"I really do though." Chat Noir insisted.
"...Every time we fight an Akuma I'm glad that we're able to free someone from Hawkmoth's control, but every battle we fight is small victory. We don't gain any ground in defeating Hawkmoth."
"Right but he doesn't gain any ground in defeating us either."
"That's not the point." Ladybug said shaking his head. "The longer it takes us to track him down the longer Nooroo remains in his grasp, and I don't even want to think about Durusu."
"Their Kwami's?"
Ladybug nodded. "Nooroo is the youngest of the Kwami's and as far as I know something bad happened to Dursu's Miraculous, it shouldn't be broken like that.
"The last time I trusted a wielder of the Rabbit Miraculous I was stupid. I trusted her on a whim and because of that I didn't see her betraying me until it was too late."
Chat Noir gripped his partner's hand tighter as he heard his painful words. "Were you two close?" He asked hesitantly, not wanting to step on a bombshell by accident.
"She was someone I considered a friend, a comrade..." Ladybug then chuckled as he covered his eyes in his hand, only showing his pathetic smile. "But thinking like that just made me an easier target. A real idiot."
Chat Noir didn't know what to say.
"Bunnyx reminded me of her a lot, and I guess that it brought up some unpleasant memories." Ladybug said darkly, his tone hinting that he was hiding more than he was letting on.
"How did it happen, if you don't mind me asking." Chat Noir asked as the street lights began to light up. He could see his partner being to tremble, pushing himself to speak. Ladybug looked at him with an unreadable expression, saying nothing as he sat down on the rooftop, watching as the city began to light up as night fell.
"The Rabbit Miraculous gives the user the power of Recollection, the ability to look, and traverse through the past. You're not supposed to change anything at risk of you disappearing. But she never wanted to be the kind of hero that would just let her friend sacrifice himself for the sake of everyone else." Ladybug said mournfully as he repeated the words that pained him to say aloud as he grew angrier. "I trusted her, I believed her when she said that she needed help. But in the end...she just used me with no regard for what she was leaving behind. "Ladybug shook his head as he tried to push away the memories. "She sacrificed everything, knowing the risks...and her Miraculous destroyed her. I kept replaying our final moments in my head over and over again. Believing that there had to be another way, some other way where no one had to go that far. But I realize now that was just me being stupid; I actually believed someone who told me she had my best interests in mind." He said with a laugh, finding it even more ridiculous as he said it aloud to himself. "I was okay, I was so close to moving on, but then..." Ladybug gritted his teeth together, hilding his head in frustration as he tried to suppress the fury of emotion that threatened to overtake him again. He couldn't bring himself to say the words.
Chat Noir was stunned as he had never heard such anger coming from his partner before, not even during their worst fights together. Ladybug was the one who always kept a calm head, but Chat Noir never once thought at what cost.
"You can laugh if you want." Ladybug said, hoping that he would be chided, scolded for falling to such an emotional low. If he had done his job properly then he wouldn't have felt this way, if he had just done more-
But he was pulled from those thoughts as he felt Chat Noir hug him tightly.
"You're not dumb for trusting in adults. If she hurt you this much, no matter what her intentions were, then it's something you don't have to feel responsible for." Chat Noir said.
"...It wasn't just that." Ladybug said unable to look him in the eye. "She took me to a future where we both failed, where the entire world was destroyed. Where..." The image of Chat Blanc flashed in his mind as he reflexively touched his neck with a shaken expression.
Where I couldn't save your life.
"No matter what happened in that future, it wasn't your fault."
"I know." Ladybug said lamely.
"No- you're not listening." Chat Noir said more seriously, trying to bridge the gap between them. "It's not your fault." He said Ladybug felt his back hit a wall, looking down at his partner while Chat Noir held his face in his face, making him look at his earnest face. "It's not your fault. You're not responsible for every bad thing that happens to Paris."
Ladybug gritted his teeth as the overwhelming emotions tried to escape.
"You don't need to always be strong for my sake." Chat Noir said honestly, never wanting his partner to duffer on his own.
But I do. Because every time she showed up I lost you, different versions of you. Those other times may have disappeared, but I remember. I've always remembered every mistake I've made.
Ladybug couldn't bring himself to say those words, never wanting to burden his best friend with the same horrible truth he was.
" I may not know exactly what happened, but this person isn't the same one who betrayed you. She wants to help. So if you can't trust her, then trust me, I won't let anything bad happen, I promise."
"Chat-"
"I mean it. Just let your best pal make unreasonable promises just this once."
"Which is why I need to ask you something." Ladybug said honestly.
"If something bad happens and I can't keep my emotions in check, I want you to-"
"Got it." Chat Noir nodded in affirmation.
"Huh?" Ladybug looked up in surprise at his partner. "I need you to-"
"Yeah, I heard you. You're not going to lose me. So long as we have each other then, we'll keep each other safe. If anything bad happens to you I guess I'll just have to save you like the charming knight I am." Chat Noir said with a proud smile, hugging him. "That's what a Chat Noir is supposed to do right? Keep you grounded and to support you." He felt some pride as he heard Ladybug laugh out of genuine surprise, smiling gratefully while his eyes still held sadness. Chat Noir pulled his partner close, allowing him to rest on his shoulder as they felt some peace looking at the city light up before their eyes when night fell.
Notes:
-Keeping' things vague cuz I do not know anything past season 3
- Sorry this chapter took so long to come out but it had many weeks of work going into it due to the foreshadowing it has to set up
- All of the fluff from the earlier chapters is now balanced out
- Ladybug and Chat Noir's relationship is one of my favorite parts to write. And I feel some pride when comparing them to when they first started out...would be a shame if anything happened to it
- Chat Noir cannot keep promises imma say that now
- Rabbit foot was originally going to be called black rabbit, but I wanted to keep in the theme of lucky charms.
- Concept art link on the re-posted Archive site. Because for some reason the link keeps getting omitted.