My Kitty

8| Confrontations And Further Complications

Broken.

Completely and utterly, broken.

It's been a week, and Chat Noir has barely started warming up to Ladybug again. Only for Nino to drop a ticking time-bomb upon his head. Which, with so much aggression, exploded within his chest, tearing his heart apart.

Before Nino had gotten akumatized into Rocketear, he had let out one of the biggest secrets he's ever heard. The least he's expected.

Rena Rouge was Alya. Nino was Carapace. That much, didn't affect him. What stabbed him hard, was the fact that they each knew their identities. And Ladybug was even the one who had given them their miraculous at the same time, disregarding her stupid rule.

Three days since he's found out, and he hasn't said a word. He didn't want to upset her. When fighting off recent attacks, he never brought it up. Because he cared. But she clearly didn't. Probably didn't even notice any change in his mood, or worse. Maybe she was just relieved that he'd stopped joking around and making puns.

So many questions imprisoned his unfocused mind. But there was a specific one that left him miserable. If she trusted them so blindly, why couldn't she trust him? Her one true partner.

They were supposed to be a duo. Yet she went and wiped all of what was left intact of them away.

Plagg kept telling him she was the guardian, that she had every right to do whatever she pleased. But that only had Adrien feel far lonelier.

He couldn't take it anymore. Every good thing in his life crumbled. Even the best side to him has slowly begun to perish.

Ladybug had called him and asked him to meet up for patrol in the afternoon. But no matter how hard he forced himself to fake a smile, his heart sank a little lower the more he remembered what she'd done, and has been doing all along.

He slouched on a random rooftop among the city, absently waiting for her to make appearance. His chest heaved with sobs he forcefully tried to keep down, but the second he heard her set foot beside him, Chat Noir tore apart. Piece by piece. His claws dug mercilessly into both his arms as he hugged himself tight. "Why?"

"Huh? Why what?" No response. "Kitty, is everything okay?" She knelt down to cup his cheek. He pushed her hand away.

"Why do you keep doing this to me? Am I not good enough for you? Have I never gained your trust? Not even once?" His tone wavered, the severe pain brewing within, evident on his face.

"Chat Noir!" She scowled, shaking her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I know everything, Ladybug. I know who Rena is. Carapace too. I also know they share their identities, and that you were the one who allowed it."

Shock overshadowed her features, and she felt as if the coldest of waters have been dumped upon her. "I didn't have a choice. I really needed them by our side quick, I didn't have time-"

"Oh please, cut the excuses," he hissed, anger replacing all the devastation he'd sensed. "Every damn time, you manage to make up a lie and be good at it. What's it gonna be next? Someone knows your true identity? Come on." He nodded his head once, defiant. His staff rested across his shoulders, light against them compared to the pain he felt. "Surprise me. Because lately, I have been really falling for your surprises, m'lady." A sardonic chuckle passed his lips, mocking her.

Ladybug backed away, and got to her feet. She was unable to recognize who the person in front of her truly was. But he thought the same. He couldn't believe that this was who he fell in love with. A liar who never deserved his trust in the first place. Her own hurt morphed into indignation. "If we're gonna go down that road, then newsflash, Noir." She's never been so harsh on him, but his whirling emotions fueled hers, and her words came out spat. "Rena Rouge already knows who I am." She crossed her arms; defensive.

He sucked in a soundless breath and froze. "She... what?" He couldn't put together a coherent sentence. All that came out of his mouth were shallow breaths. "How... dare you?" His gaze held repulsion, and for the first time, he despised her. Chat stumbled to stand, forgetting how to breathe.

"You left me no choice," she growled.

"The nerves on you." His disappointment was unexplainable. This wasn't his lady. "You have the audacity to blame me? What did I do, huh? I mean, compared to you, the most I did was mess around. But what about you, Bugaboo?"

"It's to keep us safe, Chat Noir."

"Shut up," he groaned, his frown deepening. "You don't care about Rena enough to keep her safe too?" He laughed, taunting her. Her logic made no sense. It was all lies built on lies. "Or is it only me? Let me guess, you care soooo much about me and that's why you want to keep me safe? Oh no, wait! Chat Blanc, meow." He growled, clawing the air.

"Down with the sarcasm, Chat," she said through gritted teeth.

"What are you gonna do? Lie some more? Well, guess what, Ladybug. I can smell your lies from a mile away. Nothing you could ever say would make me go back to trusting you."

At this, her defense disintegrated. Vanished with the wind. And despair crept in. "We could work this out." Her voice softened, her gaze along with it. Never in a million years did she think she was ever going to lose Chat Noir. Maybe she got ahead of herself. She got so used to him being devoted to her that she forgot he, too, can slip away. She took him, and his love, for granted.

"You work it out on your own. You don't concern me anymore." He fell silent. For a moment, all they did was stare at each other. Chat overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions, and Ladybug hopeless. Then, he let escape words that slashed through her, and chained her heart. "Know what, Ladybug? I'm so over you. I'm so over us with our stupid, unbalanced team. Enjoy Rena and Carapace all you want. Maybe even Queen Bee. But I... don't want to be part of your life anymore."

With that, Chat Noir departed, leaving a shivering lady in his wake. She sank to her knees, holding herself tight, sobs escaped her, and a fluttering butterfly pierced her yo-yo.

"Lady Misfortune... I am Shadowmoth."