mind over mask

forty-two

Marinette's POV

Paris was back to normal. Back to before all the terrible things that had happened to it. This city had suffered over the centuries that it had existed, but it had always pulled through.

Paris would never have to worry about Hawkmoth ever again.

Thanks to the help of Nightwing and Robin, life settled back to what it had been before Hawkmoth, before Ladybug and Chat Noir.

There were no more akumas, no more bullying, and no more liars.

After 4 long years of struggle, the terrorist of Paris had been imprisoned. The reign of Hawkmoth, was over.

I just couldn't believe it was Adrien's father of all people, after all we had been through. My heart ached for him, but how his father treated him throughout his life could only be described as villainous.

The Agreste fashion empire fell within a matter of hours after Mayor Bourgeois would announced Hawkmoth's identity, the day after he had been taken to prison.

And Adrien would be known as Hawkmoth's son. Not the son of a fashion designer, not a model, not a hero. Never a hero again.

The one good thing that Hawkmoth had done, was expose Lila as one of his henchmen.

Thanks to Princess Honey, Lila did not escape prison or lie her way out with her tears. She had been exposed, sentenced with terrorism, slander, vandalism, and many other crimes. She had a 50 year sentence, and had to pay millions in reparations.

She had also been exposed as Lily Ross, not Lila Rossi.

Lila, or rather, Lily had gotten the karma she deserved.

The night after the Final Battle for Paris, Chloe and I had slept over my house, crying ourselves to sleep. Out of shock, out of exhaustion, and out of loss.

Chloe had felt so guilty erasing Adrien's memories that she tried to give back her miraculous, but I convinced her to keep it until we graduated. For me. For Pollen. For Paris.

Nightwing and Robin returned to Gotham City, and I thanked them for their help. I told them that if they ever needed a helping hand, or even the Justice League, I would return the favor.

Nightwing said that he wished to see us in the future, but not under grim circumstances. Robin finally gave us the respect we deserved, and treated us like equals.

I wondered how long that would last.

Snow fells in heaps this year, as the holiday break for school finally arrived.

I thought that Christmas and New Years would be celebrated like no other, and for other people, it was the largest celebration the streets of Paris had ever experienced.

I didn't feel like celebrating.

I stayed at home, cooped up in my room. Had all the things we'd suffered worth it to save Paris, the Miraculous, from Hawkmoth?

Undoubtedly yes.

But that didn't mean that our victory came without prices and vices.

A few knocks came from my trapdoor, and I yelled, "Maman, please leave me alone."

The door opens, and it's Chloe. "I'm not your mom."

"I don't want to see anybody," I said, digging further into my blankets.

I was alone, and I liked it that way.

I had taken off the earrings, I didn't want to hear Tikki's apologies. I missed her, but I didn't want her to see me like this.