Running from the Night (A Ladybug and Chat Noir Fanfic)

Chapter 39

"My Lady," Adrien's timid voice called to Bug Noir. She was on the floor in front of him, her hands shaking and eyes wide staring past him. He felt the sharp edges of the butterfly miraculous digging into his palm as he clutched it. He had reformed into a singular version of himself the moment he had gotten ahold of it and torn it from his fathers chest. By the time he was his normal size Bug Noir's hands were already on Gabriel, turning him to ash.

Adrien pushed the disturbing truth of what had happened in the last 24 hours as far away as he could. He saw that horror reflected in Bug Noir's, Marinette's, eyes. The energy that arched between her finger tips crackled faintly in the silence that had swept over the room.

"Marinette," Adrien's voice cracked. He fell to his knees and crawled over to her. Avoiding her hands he cupped her face in his own gloved hand. She stared past him where he knew his father remained. He gently tilted her head towards him.

"We're okay," he breathed.

"I-I.." She choked.

"It's okay," he soothed. He desperately fought the overwhelming need to cry, to let out everything he had been holding in. He wasn't in danger of being turned into a monster anymore. Was he already a monster for being relieved that his father was gone?

She looked back at her hands, "I'm still dangerous."

"No, your not dangerous, you did what needed to-"

"Get away from me," the demand came out of her more like a sob, "I can't control it, I don't understand, I-I-"

Adrien wrapped his arms around her and held her closer. He squeezed her with all the love he held for her in an attempt to prove he would never go anywhere. Time felt like it had slowed to a stop while they sat there. She sobbed into his chest while holding her hands as far from him as she could. He couldn't help but let silent tears drip onto the floor.

"Can... can you de-transform?" Adrien asked, pulling away from her. He hesitated at the thought of what the un-ending cataclysm meant, what else they didn't know about the miraculous.

"Tiki, Plagg, Divide," she rushed as if she hadn't even considered the option. In a flash Ladybug took Bug Noir's place and Plagg appeared beside her. She looked at her hands turning them over. There was no sign of the cataclysm she had summoned. A rose gold ring sat dormant on her finger. She sighed a breath of relief.

"Whoa pigtails," Plagg eyes wide stared at Ladybug. She looked at him with surprise. Adrien watched his kwami carefully for any sign of change.

"What happened Plagg?" Adrien asked before Ladybug could. The kwami's eyes barely flickered over to Adrien before returning to Ladybug.

"That was powerful, too powerful," Plagg's eyes shifted from awe to concern, "I need to see sugar cube."

Adrien felt his stomach churn in unease. Ladybug opened her mouth.

"Wait!" Nathalie's voice surprised all three of them. Adrien looked back to the woman who had structured his life and taken care of him in his mother's, and his father's, absence. She held out the odd almost melted looking lucky charm that Ladybug had summoned earlier. Nathalie looked at her with almost a pleading expression.

Ladybug stood up on shaky legs, and took the lucky charm turning it around in her fingers. Adrien recognized the look in her eyes. She was thinking through her strategy, her mind whirring in the unique and brilliant way only Ladybug's could. For the first time since he had met her he wasn't sure he wanted to see that look. He held his breath. He wasn't sure what he wanted but the idea of his father being gone forever made his stomach clench in an emotion he couldn't pinpoint.