IF ONLY. marichat | ✔️

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Chapter Twelve: Et tu, Brute?

Adrien is Chat Noir. 

Chat Noir is Adrien.

They're the same fucking person.

How could Ladybug not see that? Those same dreamy green eyes. Stupid, stupid. She's so mad it hurts to breathe. The tears won't stop coming, but it's hardly time to address that of all things. If Ladybug doesn't defeat Hawkmoth today, her job will only get harder. Granted, she could find a new Chat Noir but he's the best for the role and training someone new isn't in the itinerary.

God, how could she not see this? 

Why would he do this to her? Why couldn't Adrien just approach her as is. Why run around as Chat Noir, playing her a fool? 

Why?

Ladybug exerts all her anger onto Hawkmoth. He's not as impressive up close. His moves are a pattern she's determined to out maneuver. She will beat him. Because she needs to. Because she has to. Right when she thought she had him cornered she feels a weight pulling her back. She turns and, my god, it's Chat Noir.

Out of all the ways this could get worse, she didn't expect her partner to attack her.

"Chat, what are you doing?" 

She tries to break free, but he's pawing at her ears.

He wants her miraculous. But why?

Why is the million dollar question it seems.

"Hawkmoth is my father, bugaboo. Give me your earrings and I can save my mom."

"Good boy," Hawkmoth calls.

This keeps getting crazier. Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth. Is she in some type of horror movie she was unaware of, because this can't be real. She's fighting a father-son duo, one of which she's fallen in love with twice, and lost her partner all in one breath. This was becoming too much.

Ladybug zips out of there. She runs into a sewer to detransform. Tikki stares back at her with wide eyes. Marinette cries out into the empty water system, wondering how her life had turned this way. Everything was so complicated now and she didn't know how to deal with it all. 

Apart of her was hoping to hear the comforting It'll will get easier speech from her kwami, but it doesn't come. Taking down Hawkmoth was a cake walk until Chat Noir stabbed her in the back and dropped a bunch of bombs on her. 

She cried till her throat went raw. She cried till her eyes burned red. She cried till her nose ran out of snot. Her sobs took over her whole body, hurting her stomach. This pain hurt worse than Adrien and Kagami's relationship. It's like a triple decker shit sandwich. Problem on top of problem. Heartbreak, betrayal, shame. 

Tikki gave her a hug and it reminded Marinette that now wasn't the time to break down. There was balcony time for a reason and Paris needed her. She needed to devise a plan and stop this. Now, more than ever, Hawkmoth would be after her. She possessed the last miraculous he needed. 

Marinette would have to be smarter. Chat Noir was on Hawkmoth's side now and he knew all her strategies, all their meeting points for patrol. Her only advantage's that her identity was still concealed. They didn't know her battlegrounds and the fucking miraculous holder. She won't go back to the Eiffel Tower, but she'll be ready the next time they want to play. 

:. *₊ ° . ° .•

"You all may be wondering where Chat Noir is, or better yet, where he's been. Well, turns out Chat Noir and Hawkmoth are related and are now working together to get my miraculous. I won't be disclosing any information about either of their identities so don't ask. Anyways, you all are here for one reason- save Paris."

All the superheroes cheer.

Ladybug offers a small, forced and to appease her crowd. "Thank you. We know Hawkmoth won't stop till he has me and that opens up the possibility that I'll be captured and in that event it's necessary you do all you can to rescue me. I'm the only one who can reverse any damage that takes place and, besides Hawkmoth, get rid of the akumas. Any questions?"

Carapace raises his hand. "Can we hold onto our miraculouses, like you and Chat Noir?"

"You are to return them to Rena Rouge at the end of each training session and all missions, understood?"

Everyone nods.

"Wait, how will we get them each time?" Viperion asks.

"Rena Rouge knows all of your identities. She'll appear outside your room or something."

With that, class begins. Ladybug teaches the superhero various hand to hand fighting moves, explaining the importance of proper hand placement. She lead a side meeting on each vigilantes set abilities and their special set, similar to her Lucky Charm. When the sun lowered, the orange sprinkled with purple, hazing on the horizon, she said her goodbyes. Rena Rouge began collecting the miraculouses. Ladybug would do it, but in case of an emergency capture, she needs a system in place that works without her. 

Too much falls purely in her hands and without her partner, Chat Noir, to fall back on. She has to make this work on her own. There's no other way. 

Despite what her identity could risk, in the heat of the moment, Marinette told Alya. She needed someone else in her corner after the sharp betrayal Adrien-Chat Noir brought upon her. Marinette then proceeded to tell her best friend all the horrible things that happened after that, swearing her to secrecy. Her diary couldn't handle the secrets that she had to share. She needed advice, guidance, a fresh perspective.

And that she got. Alya told her to forget about Adrien-Chat Noir and focus on kicking Hawkmoth's ass. 

Marinette agreed that ass kicking needed to be done.