A/N: Anyone catch that I based Chat's regular outfit in the previous chapter off of Claw Noir's chosen one at the end of the Paris special?
Short chapter ahead, but I think it's rather... impactful. I'll have the next chapter out Sunday :) there's also art for this chapter, you can find it on my Instagram (ao3_ladynoir_fan)!
Marinette slept at Alya's apartment that evening, trying to stay prepared for whatever might happen. The timing of her plan was the only thing she wished she could change — she wasn't privy yet to the new location of the Guardian after he'd last been forced to change hideouts due to a close call with one of the recent substitute akumas.
It didn't matter; she could handle this alone. She finally had Chat Blanc on her side.
When the Blanc alert went out early the next morning, Marinette transformed and raced for it, coming upon a scene not far from the Agreste mansion.
Chat Blanc dropped down from the building, where he'd apparently been busting the glass out of windows — a loud, but mostly harmless bit of destruction.
He glared at her as he neared. "Well, are we doing this, or what?"
His eyes remained electric blue.
Ladybug began twirling her yo-yo. "Let's get this over with, Blanc. I've got plans." She flung out her weapon, and they began to fight.
Due to a dodge that came slower than usual, Ladybug was able to fling Chat Blanc out and across the area, taking their less-intense-than-usual fight closer to their target.
Apparently Hawk Moth was not pleased, as the butterfly symbol began to appear more often over Blanc's face and she could hear him arguing in between blows.
When she sent him flying over the gates of his property, things seemed to grow more tense between the two.
Ladybug chanced a closer combat, able to pick out bits and pieces of Hawk Moth's angry instructions.
"You haven't given up control yet, Chat Blanc. Why are you holding back?"
When a deflected cataclysm opened up the side of the mansion, things escalated even more.
"Shut up!" Blanc yelled, though Ladybug knew he wasn't aiming it at her.
Come on, she thought, willing him to read her mind. They needed to keep up the act just a bit more, otherwise Hawk Moth would escape before they could get to him.
"You are far too weak like this. Let your anger take over and FINISH HER!"
When the fight spilled into the mansion, Hawk Moth's voice became easier to hear.
"Let go, NOW, or I will finish what you started and kill the girl."
Blanc growled, blocking a snap of her yo-yo. "You won't lay another fucking finger on her. I'm doing what you want."
"You've been worthless from the beginning. A failure of an ally, and a failure to your family."
Ladybug caught it then, in between dodging attacks: the white starting to streak across his eyes.
"Blanc!" She yelled, trying to keep him focused. They were so close.
"What makes you think you deserve to bring someone else into your life when you can't even protect those you have?"
"I said, SHUT UP!"
He leapt at Ladybug in the entryway, his baton coming down in a loud echoing crash. She dodged and twisted around, holding her breath as he remained crouched after landing.
When his head turned around, his eyes were white.
Ladybug cursed, hesitating as she tried to figure out where this left her.
"That's more like it. Take her miraculous and you can wish yourself the life you've always wanted."
Blanc launched himself at her, his blows no longer held back.
Damn it!
Ladybug moved the fight further into the mansion as she attempted to find the office. She had to go for Hawk Moth now, regardless of Chat's status.
Fighting Blanc inside a building was unfortunately a much harder task than fighting him outside.
Every cataclysm brought walls and supports crashing down, clogging the air with soot and debris, making it more difficult for her to maneuver. Her split priorities worked against her, her attempts to make it further into the mansion causing her to ignore taking the advantages she usually had.
Finally, she recognized the room they had just crashed into. She called for her lucky charm, but her momentary distraction was all it took for Blanc to barrel into her, knocking them both across the floor. Then his hand was suddenly above her, white destructive power spilling from his palm as it dropped towards her.
Ladybug's eyes widened in panic. "Chaton, wait—"
She was too late.
Agony rocked through her chest, black lines darting out from the spot where his palm had landed.
His hand left her chest, hovering in the air. "...What did you say?"
The pain was shifting, a numb feeling beginning to spread through her. Still, it was slow enough that she was able to look up into Chat's eyes as the blue suddenly flooded back in, his anger fading into shock.
She didn't have much time. Ladybug reached a shaky hand up to her ears, removing her earrings before they were destroyed. Her hand fell limply to the side as she lost feeling in it, the tinkling sound of the jewelry hitting the floor somehow still reaching her ears through the ringing that was slowly getting louder.
"No…"
Her transformation fell away.
"Marinette— NO!"
Somehow, she had missed when Chat Blanc had lifted her into his arms as they huddled together on the floor.
She didn't miss the devastation in his eyes as he stared down at her in horror.
Marinette tried to lift her hand to comfort him, but nothing happened.
She smiled up at him through the pain. "It's alright, Chaton. You can bring me back. I know you'll do the right thing. I lo–"
The world faded into darkness, one that swallowed up her words and the anguished howl that followed.