Cat-nipped Goals

Alone

Marinette stared down at the miraculous in her hand, unsure of what to think of the events that had led to her acquiring it. Her eyes were too tired to cry anymore, and accidentally waking the other three residents of the household and causing them trouble would only worsen her mood. A lavender bow tie glowed brightly in the moonlight that entered through the tall windows of her room. All was quiet, all was still.

Her room felt cold. The mansion itself seemed to emanate no warmth, sitting like an ornate and polished furnace that would no longer run, existing only for show.

Decoration. Face.

That's what the house was. A front. A lie.
She had realized that as soon as she had entered it, and how he had managed to live there so long without... breaking, for lack of a better word, truly amazed her, and somewhat saddened her.
She had been alone but five months.
He had been alone five years.

Flashback-

Hawkmoth had made an Akuma just a few hours before, but not to retrieve both miraculous as usual. This akuma came with a message, that Hawkmoth would surrender his miraculous, on the condition his identity would never be discovered or revealed by either of the heroes. Ladybug and Chat Noir had been close, very close, to exploiting his identity in the past few weeks. Although this was unknown to them, he had become anxious.

For even greater reasons unknown, he no longer had a purpose for his miraculous, or, seemingly, theirs.

Reluctantly, both heroines had agreed, seeing it as a way to end his terrorization of Paris, even if it meant never truly bringing him to justice. He would meet with them face to face for the first time ever, and the last. One of many shady alleys on the streets of Paris was the set rendezvous. The akuma bearing this message had collapsed, the akumatized butterfly cleansing itself. There had been no fight.

Ladybug and Chat Noir crept into the alleyway quietly, unsure it would not be a trap. Trash littered the narrow cobblestone pavement and a dim street lamp barely managed to give light to the sketchy crevice. Ladybug and Chat let their eyes wander warily, not speaking a word. The moon shone brightly, casting down deep dark shadows from the tall buildings that hovered over them.

"Glad you could make it Ladybug, Chat Noir," a deep, sultry voice from behind them greeted.

Both the teens gasped and whirled around. Hawkmoth stood solemnly in the shadow of a shoe salon, not yet daring to look up.

"Papillón," Ladybug returned uneasily, her voice icy and her stare just as cold.

Hawkmoth, with his broad-shouldered, six foot tall frame, stepped menacingly out into the dark light, walking with near perfect posture as he made his way towards them, cane in hand. Ladybug, instinctually, took a step back and Chat Noir readied his claws, his eyes glowing a sickening green. Hawkmoth looked unsteadily at them for a second before hardening his expressionless glare once again.

He stopped walking.

As the heroes watched, slowly, he reached for the lavender bow tie that decorated the neck of his suit. The familiar de-transformation sound associated with a miraculous rang through the air. An array of glowing butterflies and light whipped around Hawkmoth and, when it stopped, all that was left was a regularly dressed business man. His identity remained concealed behind a silky purple mask that covered his eyes and a fancy hat that hid the majority of his hair, both matching the dark gray suit and purple necktie he was attired in. Chat might've even complimented his fashion sense had the situation not been so tense. The now ex-villain, despite having the mask and hat, still kept his eyes adverted and his head cast slightly downward, shielding his face even more so from their view. This man wasn't taking any chances.