Miraculous: Tales of Ms. Ladybug and Tom Cat

Part 39- The Fall

The cold Paris wind blew through Lila's hair as she stared down in fear.

"I don't suppose you remember this place?" Cat Blanc said. "This is where Chat Noir and Ladybug de-evilized you the first time. This was where you declared that you hated Ladybug."

Despite being up so high, Cat Blanc was very relaxed as he hopped from one beam to the next, casually disregarding the hundreds of meters between him and the ground. Lila on the other hand was desperately trying to hold on through the rope restraints Cat Blanc had tied her with.

"In the future, you can actually pay to jump off the Eiffel Tower. It's very popular with tourists and the like. You just jump right off and fall for hundreds of meters to land in a protective net set up at the bottom"

He then jumped off his ramp so that he was less than a meter away from her, his face uncomfortably close to hers.

"Unfortunately for you, they don't install the net until 2035. But at least you don't have to pay!"

Lila had an expression of horror on her face as she realized what he was going to do. And the worst part was her greatest weapon, her words, were rendered useless by the gag tied around her mouth. She was utterly helpless.

"I would ask for last words, but they'd probably be lies. So let's get a move on shall we?"

He held her over the edge. All he had to do was let go, and that would be it.

"I hope you know this is nothing personal." Cat Blanc said. "But I need to do this. You're an enemy of Ladybug and Chat Noir. By taking care of you now, I can prove to the world that I'm the greatest Miraculous holder. The strongest and the one most worthy of being a hero!" he then put his hand over the rope supporting her. "So, this is goodbye, Lila Rossi. I would say see you later, but it doesn't look like there's going to be a later."

"THOMAS STOP!"

Cat Blanc turned to find Micromouse, holding her hands out towards him. "Thomas, this isn't you. The Thomas I know would never do something like this! He would never kill someone!"
"I'm not Thomas anymore, Emilie," he said. "Thomas was weak and couldn't meet the expectations of his mentors. But Chat Blanc can!" his expression was optimistic as if the torture and murder of people was an exciting opportunity for him. "I can finally do all the things that they wanted me to do! I can prove that I'm the strongest Miraculous holder alive!"

"Thomas, listen to me," she barely managed to dodge the white ball of destructive energy that he fired from his hand. "My name's not Thomas! I'm Chat Blanc. You need to respect that." he then looked at his hands and got a beautifully wicked idea. "Perhaps a demonstration of the power that I hold is necessary!"

He formed a large energy ball in his hands and slammed it into the tower. "Mega-Cataclysm!" he shouted. Just like the building, the whole tower began to shake as it crumbled to the ground. Micromouse was just barely able to swing and grab Lila before she fell to her death. With a deafening crunching, the great tower that had stood for over a century collapsed, releasing a shockwave that destroyed the park surrounding it, leaving nothing but ruins and rubble for up to a kilometer.

As the dust settled, Micromouse was able to survey the catastrophe before her. People were running in fear from the ruins as Cat Blanc emerged from the wreckage, unscathed. Luckily, her Miraculous powers had kept her safe from any permanent harm.

Lila! She thought as she came to her senses. I need to find Lila! She's probably badly injured after the destruction. I need to get her to a doctor...

Cat Blanc walked over to where Emilie was, on top of the piece of rubble currently crushing her ankles. Were it not for her Miraculous powers, she'd have lost them a long time ago.

"I'm sorry, Emilie," he said. "But I can't have you stopping me. Not when I'm closer than I've ever been to achieving my goals." he began to walk away.

"You really think Mom and Dad would be proud of what you've done?!" she called. "Or Aunt Alya?! Uncle Nino?! You really think they'd want you to be a murderer?!"

He walked back over to her. "You wouldn't understand. You left for boarding school and didn't see what being heroes did to them. Every day a new threat would emerge and every day they'd go and deal with it. Then they'd come home as if nothing had happened. But there was always a voice in my head. A little voice of doubt. It always said to me, "What if they don't come back today?" "What if this Akuma would be their last?" Every day. They'd put their lives on the line and for what?! In the end, there'd just be another villain to fight, and eventually, they'd lose and leave me all alone. Just like Louis did. Just like you did."

Emilie could see that he was beginning to cry. "But I can fix it. I can stop all of their enemies now! I'm more powerful than a fully grown Chat Noir. Probably even a fully grown Ladybug. If I can stop all of their enemies now, then I can change the future! I can make it better for our parents! And for us! I can help us to be safe! I can help our family to be complete again!"

Emilie pondered on his words. They shook her to her core. She'd never known Thomas had felt this way. How despite having all the love and attention he could ever want from their parents, he'd felt the fear of being abandoned.

"You're right, Thomas," she said. "I have been distant. I went off to boarding school and I left you and our parents because I thought they would never understand me. But that doesn't mean I can't fix it! That doesn't mean that we can't fix it!"

She adjusted herself so she could better look at Thomas. "You ask why Mom and Dad put themselves on the line? Why do they put themselves in danger every day? It's for you Thomas! And me! And Louis! And every other citizen of Paris! They do it so that they can be safe. And continue living happy lives!"

"What does it matter if they do it for others?! What happens when they face a threat too great for them to handle?! What happens when they eventually lose?!"

"Then I'll be there for you." She was able to pull one of her feet free. "I may have left before, but I'm not going to leave you again. I promise!"

Cat Blanc cried as he contemplated her words.

A purple aura suddenly appeared around his eyes as he heard a voice in his head.

It's too late now Chat Blanc. Hawk Moth said. You've made your decision and have committed to this path. Now, find Lila Rossi and make sure she's dead. Or I'll remove your powers and you'll never save your parents from themselves!

He looked over at his sister. Despite being trapped under rubble and being covered in dirt and scratches, she still had a smile on her face. In the end, she had what Thomas had thought he'd lost when he'd lost the Bee Miraculous. The thing that had kept him going every day of his life.

Hope.

He walked over to her and sat down next to her. "Save me," he said

Now is the time for you to pay your debt, Chat Blanc! Hawk Moth said. Take her Miraculous and destroy it! You know she can't be trusted. She was the one who got your Miraculous taken away! She was the one who left when you needed her the most! She doesn't deserve her Miraculous, so take it from her and disintegrate it!

Cat Blanc just stood there, ball of energy ready to destroy her necklace, but froze as he was caught between Hawk Moth's command and his sister's words.

As he stood there, hesitating, he felt the full force of the purple cane that hit him in the back, knocking him over and causing him to disintegrate some nearby rubble. Hawk Moth then placed his cane firmly on Cat Blanc's chest.

"Hugo!" the original Hawk Moth proclaimed. "You've held out on me for too long! Now give me the Ladybug and Cat Noir Miraculous or I'll break your little Akuma victim!"