Holding On

Chapter 3

I don't know what you're going through, but there's so much life ahead of you.
And it won't slow down, no matter what you do.
So you just gotta hold on.
All we can do is hold on.

Shawn Mendes, Hold On.

***

They were standing so close to each other, the space between them practically nonexistent, that Chat Noir could easily see each tear falling from Marinette's blue eyes. He could see the despair, the confusion and the pain in her gaze as she was staring at him. He took a deep breath and said;

"What about me, M'Lady?"

The dam broke and Marinette collapsed on the ground, screaming and crying. Chat immediately followed the movement and ended up on his knees by her side, holding her as she completely shattered in his arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tikki push further away the sword that now laid forgotten on the ground. He thanked her with a nod. After all, Princess Justice might have been harmless right now, but he knew that Hawk Moth still had control over her. He could still say something that would bring back all of her rages.

Tikki went to stand behind her chosen, careful so Princess Justice, and therefore Hawk Moth, didn't see her. Of course, Chat Noir and her didn't know that the man was far too occupied screaming at the girl to notice anything else.

"What are you doing, Princess Justice! Attack! You are absolutely useless!"

Princess Justice started crying harder, much to Chat and Tikki's despair. "Please, please, stop, I can't, I can't, I can't, it's too much, please, just stop!"

With each word, with each plea, it seemed to Adrien that his heart was breaking a little bit more. He didn't know what to do, what to say. How could he help her? How could he ease her pain?

"Hey, Marinette. Marinette, look at me."

"You are useless, Princess Justice! That girl was right, don't you think? Miss Rosi was right. You are nothing, nothing! You're just pitiful. What a shame, truly."

Marinette screamed and it seemed to came from the very depths of her being as the dark butterfly on her face darkened. It was a cry filled with anger, pain, resentment, rage and most of all, sadness. A cry of distress. A scream that Adrien knew would haunt him in his nightmares for all of his life. It was at this moment that he realized that, years from now, when someone would ask him what was the most horrible fight he had ever been in, akuma or not, Adrien would immediately answer this one without a second of hesitation.

"He's gonna get her back!" Tikki hissed, just as shaken as him.

"No, he won't!"

He pulled her closer to him, forcing her to practically sit on his laps. She screamed and yelled and cried, but didn't fight him. Her fight was with the man who was telling her so many horrible things. It was with the little voice in the back of her mind that always whispered the same thing at night when she was alone.

Gently, still holding her close to him, Chat Noir put his clawed hand on her cheek and forced Princess Justice, who previously had had her head bowed, to face him.

"Don't listen to him, Marinette. I don't know what he's telling you, but it's not the truth, okay? Open your eyes and look at me."

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Adrien wasn't entirely sure, but it seemed to him that the butterfly on her face had slightly paled when he had spoken to her.

"He's just lying to you. Listen to me, everything's going to be fine, I promise. I'm not leaving you. You're not alone. Never again. You can breathe now, Marinette."