IF ONLY. marichat | ✔️

quinze

A/N: comment if you want an epilogue, vote if it's swaggy

-barcelony

Chapter Fifteen: I'll Protect You, M'lady

Hair drenched from water, Chat Noir says: "Take me to Father."

"Follow me." Nathalie instructed him.

He didn't think twice about it. Trap or not, he'd do everything within his power to save her. Chat Noir wanted to bring the team of superheroes but he knew his father wouldn't let them in. Not that they could be much help, anyways, when they're all busy fighting off threats, he'd been apart of starting. 

Nathalie leads him up a secret elevator, located inside Father's office, taking him to an attic. Chat has trouble picturing this being in his home the whole time. All of those random work calls are starting to make sense. No wonder he never left the house; he's too busy akumatizing everyone. 

"Have you known the whole time?" 

Nathalie stares at him for a moment. "You know the answer."

The elevator door slides open, Chat Noir slips through surveying his surroundings. No one, absolutely no one except...bingo! Ladybug is tied up against the wall. He runs to her. Father won't hurt him, he's sure of that, so the worst that can happen is he'll have his miraculous but he can prevent him having the other. 

"No!" Ladybug cries out. "He'll...kill me," a sob escapes her.

That's when he sees him.

Copycat smirks, staring him down. They circle each other a few times. Each deciding how they'd beat someone with the same move set. It all comes down to skill, something Chat had more of through experience. Check mate, wannabe bitch. 

Copycat, his hands dripping in Cataclysm, launches towards him. He paws at him, hoping to land a hand on him. Quickening his pace, Chat got more creative in how he dodged. They went in circles once again. Chat exceeded his offensive, yet unable to attack too busy defending. He needed to switch things up. Make it harder. He searched the room for an object. A thick book laid nearby. 

Chat did a mid-air somersault, then swoon dived for the book. With each attack he dodged, he held the book out as a shield, making it easier to also land jabs at Copycat. 

Hawkmoth materialized seeing the seen beforehand. "Stop!"

Neither listen. Copycat swipes at Chat's stomach and he uses the book to block, turning it to ashes. The Cataclysm no longer an issue, Chat goes full-power hitting him with a special move that punctures his body in two places at once. Copycat falls to the ground.

Hawkmoth looks down at the book. "I needed that. How am I supposed to make my wish now?" Anger bulges in his forehead, creeping into his pupils. 

Chat Noir was starting to wonder if he still believed if his father wouldn't cause him bodily harm.

He shakes the notion off, catacylsming Ladybug's restraints. She drops to her feet, immediately calling upon her Lucky Charm; she got honey. She assesses the room, her plan already in motion. Chat watches her, ready to do whatever's required. Hawkmoth presses a trigger on his cane, revealing a sword stick. He points it between the two of them.

"If you don't surrender your miraculous," his eyes like nothing he's ever seen,"this will not end well."

"I'll protect you, m'lady!" Chat shakes his head. "I know, I abandoned you before but never again. I promise."

Ladybug shakes her head, full of understanding. Turning back to Hawkmoth. "Give it your best shot."

"Have it your way," he says before aiming his sword out towards Ladybug.

She leaps above him, running towards the window. Ladybug uses the honey, squeezing all over the glass. She stands there, taunting his father. Obviously, he needed to land on that window. Is she sure this is safe? Father is launching toward her with laser eyes. His gut twisted; this felt off.

He ran after Father. Hawkmoth runs straight for the window, Ladybug straight in center, his sword pointed at her. No! He launches his entire body in front of Ladybug; she uses her yoyo to get out of the way at the last moment. 

The sword sliced into his chest, his flesh spilling out of him. Father and Chat Noir lock eyes as their combined pressure sends them out the window. In free fall, he feels himself slowing slipping away. Blood pours out of him from all sides of him. Glass debris from the window was cutting at everything. His chest swells in pain, the red flowing out with each breath. Gravity pushes him to the ground at an accelerated pace. His heart screams at him as his life dissipates before him. 

He lands on his Father. Bones crush beneath him. Chat can't even move; detransforms  automatically. He lays there, anything he cared for fading away. He coughs up his insides, crimson mucus falling down the sides of his lips. His ribs are pressing against him, slitting his sides.

Ladybug comes into view, the rain slicking her hair in her eyes. She comes to his side, yelling for help. He sputters, trying to tell her not to worry, but he's too weak now. She cradles him in her arms, his head resting in her lap. Tears fly onto his face as she watches him steadily grow worse.

"Adrien, don't go."

He breaths out, wanting to tell her he's trying. 

He doesn't want to go either.

"Please, I'm supposed to be mad at you. I can't be mad at you if you're dead," she laughs through her tears in a way that's never been sadder.

"We were supposed to get a hamster, get a house together with a white picket fence, and grow old together telling everyone to get off our lawn," a choked sob comes out. "Adrien...I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

He coughs out more blood,"But I...don't...know you."

As if on cue, Ladybug's time runs out, her suit disappearing. 

Marinette?

"Yes, yes, you do."

His body sputters, stomach caving in. "Mar..in..nette," he manages.

"Yes?"

"I'm so...scared," a single tear falls down his face, the reality of this situation kicking in.

Marinette sniffles. "It's okay, it's okay. Just stay with me."

Adrien didn't think he could. It all hurt too much.

"I love you...even more...now," he says with his last ounce of strength.

He closes his eyes.