Never Forget (Male Reader X Miraculous Ladybug)

Not Today. Nice Try Though

In the center of Paris sits one of the best gyms in all of France. It was the Paris branch in a long chain of international Gyms/Sports center owned by the L/N Corps Company.

This building was nearing it's closing time but the exercise equipment were running at full capacity. These were the last minute people, either finishing their workouts or starting new ones. Yet the sounds of a punching bag being assaulted overshadowed all other noise.

Some passerbys stopped to stare at the teen hitting it, the heir to it all. The bag had long deformed and was reaching it's bursting point. Sand, bits and pieces from five previous bags were scattered around Y/n, proof of how long he had been here. Plus the five sparing partners currently bandaging their wound while swearing to never join him in the ring.

His punching intensity increased as did the sound but that couldn't stop the memories playing on loop in his head.

The ride to the hospital. The calls to her family and watching them struggle with the emotions they had to deal with. Rose, her best friend, was hit just as hard. She cried her eyes out until she fell asleep leaning on y/n. He punched harder and harder. The doctors that did nothing to help. The steady beeping of the life monitor, the only thing that proved she was alive.

He remembered when Ladybug came by the next day to say that Juleka being controlled by Hawkmoth had put a huge strain on her body.

In fact she made it clear that if she had kept on resisting his control, her condition would have been worse. He thought she said that to make him feel better but it didn't.

'Don't worry, she isn't in any danger and should wake up in a week or so.'
Her final words before she left the hospital.

THAT WAS MORE THAN A MONTH AGO. Y/n knocked the punching bag clear across the gym. He breathed in rapidly sweat dripping down onto the mat. His hands shook when he began removing the boxing tape he wore.

"Hey how about a round, kid"
He glanced over his shoulder to see his Dad walking to him. He was wearing a black tracksuit and a neck scarf. He took off the jacket and scarf and tosses them aside. His hands were already wrapped.

"What do you say, kid? Maybe that will help you blow off some steam."

Y/n really doubted that would be true. He had been trained in various forms of personal combat since he was three and was practically a prodigy, besting those who had been fighting far longer than he had. But never, not even once had he beaten his own father.

The old man always got in his head and soon y/n would be making rookie mistakes that led to the same end; An ass whooping he didn't want.

"Come on, son. I promise to go easy on you unless.... you're too scared of a weak old man."

Y/n scoffed but re-wrapped the tape.

"Oh, it's on. I won't lose this time."

"If you say so." His dad put up his fists and waited. "Remember come at me with everything or die."

I grinned and ran forward, arms raised. Dad jabbed when I got close. I ducked under the punch, countering with a kick to the head. Dad grabbed my leg and tossed me clear across the gym.

I flipped over midair planted my feet on the wall and jumped down. I looked up to see Dad landing with a punch. I quickly rolled away as dad punched straight through the floor.

I breathed hard as Dad straightened himself and gave a sideways glance. I gulp slightly but prepared to defend. Dad came at me with swift leg kicks and attacks but I blocked, jumped away from them and countered with my own combo of punches and kicks. Dad easily deflected them then slapping my attempted punch to the side, put me in a headlock.

"Get you're head on straight. You're being sloppy." His hold tightened even as I tried to get free. I tried to elbow him in the ribs but he kicked the back of my knee, knocking me off balance.

"What happened wasn't your fault." I stopped when he said that.

"But it was. If I hadn't been late, if I hadn't overslept if I had tried harder, if-"

"That's a lot of IF's, kid. But they ain't gonna change what happened. She got hurt and you did nothing."

I clenched my jaw in anger and hit him with the back of my head. He let go, clutching his nose. I followed with a right hook, double blows to the gut and kick to the knee. He dropped to a knee and I tried to kick him again but he blocked me.

"Not bad, kid. But you can do better." He said with a grin. He hit me with an uppercut and dropkicked me when I was in the air. I skidded face first a few feet, my bell soundly rung.
I raised myself on my arms my head still buzzing from the punch.

Dad pounced on me while I was down. He flipped us over and put me in a headlock again. He locked my legs and arm, my other hand scratching at his around my neck.

"So she got hurt. That's already happened. That's the past. Would dwelling on it you feel better?" I groaned and grumbled in response. "I don't remember raising you to be selfish. We've lived here for what, a year, and you chose to do nothing about the fighting."

I stopped struggling, too out of breath to fight back. His hold loosened when he felt me relax. "You ignored the innocent people being exploited by Hawkmoth. And what, because someone you care about got hurt, you suddenly realize how dangerous the world is? Why didn't you do something?

"But *cough* the heroes-" he tightened again, cutting me off. I grabbed his arm to get some air.

"And so what? Did you ever need anyone to protect you? You have always been the strongest, smartest person I've ever known. Standing up for those who can't." He recaptured my legs in a hold when I tried to get ground

"Now look at you. rather than confronting the problem, you would rather hide here like a coward pretending there's nothing you can do. What happened to that strength? why have you given up? Or are you too tired to fight for yourself?"

I planted my feet and began to stand up with Dad still on my back. It hurt like hell I but still did it. "No. I've still got some fight left!" I jumped backwards slamming us onto the floor. He let go then.

"Good." He groaned out when I stood up.
I grinned in satisfaction. I finally did it, I won. I looked at him when he sat up.

"So what are you going to do?" He asked while stretching his spine.

"End it. Take down hawkmoth. Once and for all."

"I see. That's an interesting goal. It'll be fun to see how you go about achieving it." He stood up and cracked his knuckles. "However, you seemed to have forgotten our rule."

Realization dawned on me slowly as he got closer. The one rule that has brought me so much pain and misery. "The fight ain't over till one says uncle or goes to sleep" I recited backing away from him.

"Uh huh. Now where were we? Oh yeah." I turned to run but he tackled me.

The gym patrons who had silently been watching the fight winced and some even looked away from the beatdown I was being given.