The Wolves in the Woods

Trust and Have Faith

None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have faith.

— Paulo Coehlo

***

Marinette struggles with the reveal of Chat Noir's identity.

***

            Marinette stared at the television with a dull and lifeless face. Her hands were folded neatly on her lap. Her posture was rigid and upright. Even her feet were placed perfectly apart from one another while she sat in the living room watching today's news broadcast. Today, Nadja brought in the sculptor Théo to talk about how Chat Noir had caused his akumatization as Copycat. By lying to him, no less. About their nonexistent relationship.

Marinette remembered that day all too well. How she tried to erase a dumb voicemail sent to her then-crush and ended up missing the statue unveiling. Then she was told as Ladybug that Théo was akumatized because she didn't show up to the ceremony. By Chat Noir. The real reason they had to face Copycat that day. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to scream. She wanted to smash his face into the concrete again like Morrighan had. Or better yet, sic the Wolf on him. There were so many emotions fighting one another in her heart. Which made this all the more difficult to swallow.

Chat Noir was Adrien.

Chat Noir had lied to her.

Adrien caused an innocent person to be akumatized.

Adrien threatened a civilian's safety for an ill-conceived joke.

Chat Noir refused to help her against the bullying by her classmates.

Adrien had no problem forcing his feelings on her for his own sake.

Her dim eyes trailed down to her hands, no longer interested in the broadcast exposing Chat Noir's misdeeds and misbehavior. In a sense, after meeting the Iberian Holders, she should have seen this coming. And yet, there was so much she didn't know.

How did she not see it? How was she so blind to the signs that were right in front of her? How did it take her this long to realize Adrien and Chat Noir weren't who she thought they were? Why just... why?...

"Marinette?" Tikki asked, poking her head out of her purse. "Are you okay?"

Marinette's eyes trailed over to Tikki. "... I don't know..." she said. She had a feeling in her gut that something was going on. That there was something her partner hadn't been telling her. She figured it had something to do with identity shenanigans again. Like it had been since their battle against Stoneheart. And sure, he was a joker with bad timing and puns. But she never thought it would be this bad.

When did Chat Noir threaten that civilian? Had it been when she wasn't looking? If that was the case, then she was even more blind than she thought.

"How did I not see this..." Marinette uttered. "I thought it was just lighthearted fun, but then he did that..." She felt gross. She felt like she wanted to scrub off all those attempted kisses and flirtation attempts. Her heart twisted and churned with everything the tipster had leaked about her supposed partner. Every exposed secret felt like a knife being stabbed into her heart. Mercilessly and relentlessly. And she asked herself again. How did she not see it?

Tikki flew up to her Holder. "Please don't blame yourself, Marinette," the Kwami pleaded. "You couldn't have known."

Right... because Chat Noir didn't see fit to tell her he went and got innocent lives endangered through a temper tantrum over secrets that weren't hers to tell. As the survivors of the Syren attack had all so clearly laid out. Marinette sighed.