Tethered Souls | A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

The Decision

Chat Noir pulled Ladybug close to him. He wept over her until he heard her detransform. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sob. He didn't want to open his eyes and see her. He didn't want to see Marinette cold and lifeless. He didn't want to see the girl who had brought so much light into the world limp in his arms. He'd already watched his partner die right before his eyes, he couldn't bear to see the girl he'd fallen in love with dead too. He didn't want to accept that they were the same person. Why didn't she tell him sooner? Why had she waited until her dying breath to reveal her identity? More importantly, why had he kept his identity a secret from her? Why had he never allowed her to see the real him behind the mask. It all seemed so pointless now. Marinette was dead. She would never know that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste. She would never know that she'd been so close to him in every aspect of his life. She would never know the  huge impact she had made, both as Marinette and Ladybug. She'd never be able to finish her red sundress, she'd never be able to graduate high school, or get that hamster she was always going on about. And it was all his fault.

No, he thought, whipping his head around to face the murderer a few feet away from him, This was his fault. He placed Marinette down gently before getting up and walking over to the man regaining consciousness from their last battle. Chat Noir's eyes flickered with fiery rage as he gripped the man's suit. "Cataclysm," He said without emotion. He held his hand up to Hawk Moth's face. "Now, I happen to know exactly what will happen to you if I touch you right now, Hawk Moth," Chat Noir said, his words pure ice, "But I don't think you want to know what will happen if I do. So, tell me how to fix this. Now." He said moving aside so Hawk Moth could see Marinette laying alone on the ground, just steps away from them.

Hawk Moth glanced at the girl momentarily before meeting Chat's eyes again, "Let me guess how you're feeling right now Chat Noir. The pain inside of you feels like it might swallow you whole, you're desperate for a solution. You would do anything to save her," He paused, " Now maybe you can understand why I-"

"I. don't. care!" Chat Noir yelled, annunciating every word threateningly, "I'll ask you one more time, Hawk Moth. How do I fix this," The man's dark eyes locked with Chat's green ones, which were wild with pain and grief. He didn't answer at first so Chat pulled his hand closer, the black power he held within swirled dangerously in Hawk Moth's eyes. Chat detected a spark of fear within Hawk Moth before his enemy answered, "Use the miraculous,"

"What?" 

"Use the miraculous," Hawk Moth said louder, "Weren't you listening? You can use them to grant any wish. Wish to bring her back,"

"Weren't you listening bird-brain," Chat Noir spat, "I can't use it. There will be a terrible price to pay if I do,"

"Then I guess you'll have to decide if she's worth it, hero," Hawk Moth jabbed.

Chat Noir reached up and curled his hand into a fist but slowly lowered it. He loosened his grip on Hawk Moth and threw him back to the ground. Then he crouched down to use his cataclysm safely on the ropes Marinette had been tied in. He turned towards Marinette, her kwami Tikki was sitting facing away from her, with the ladybug miraculous in hand.

"Chat Noir, you can't do this. It's not what Ladybug would have wanted,"

He reached down and grabbed the earrings from the kwami and held them in his hand. He stared down at them, considering the decision he was about to make. He wanted to listen to Tikki but Hawk Moth's words rang in his ears, "you'll have to decide if she's worth it". He clenched his hand into a fist with the earrings in it. Of course she was worth it. Marinette was the most trusting, compassionate, generous person he'd ever met. She didn't deserve to have her life cut short. Especially not in place of his own. Whatever the price was, he'd pay it.