My Kitty

10| Lady Misfortune P.2

His whole demeanor morphed into one of shock. "You know where the miracle box is?" He scowled. It pained him to no end realizing that he knew nothing about Ladybug. Nothing at all. Yet Rena Rouge was right by his side, living the scenario of his dreams.

"Ladybug entrusted me with it in case any moment she couldn't do it herself," she tried to explain, sensing his hurt.

"You both really do believe your lame excuses, huh?" he hissed, patting his hand atop the miraculous. It all simmered down to the same point. His main point all along. If Ladybug wanted someone to back her up, why not him? If she needed comfort, why not seek it from him? If she was overwhelmed with her role as a guardian, why didn't she lean onto him? Why Rena? Why not him? When he's been her partner the longest.

Rena was unable to form words. She couldn't take away his pain, because she knew, this was a thing to be settled between him and her best friend.

Chat's fingers wrapped around a bracelet, and he pulled it out.

She gasped. "This isn't..."

"What? It's your lover's?" He rolled his eyes beneath the leather of his belt. Securing the bracelet around his wrist, he clenched his fists. "Wayzz, Plagg, unify."

A green aura erupted around him, causing Rena to squint and back away while he transformed. When the light died down, Chat Noir stood in all his glory, clad in an upgraded costume. His bell, and staff remained. Even his entire suit was still as black as ever, with only a few scratches of green running along each side like tiger stripes. But to add onto it, his bangs lightly peaked out from underneath his loosened hood, which was over his head just behind his cat ears. And a turtle shield occupied his arm. "Time to go."

Rena nodded, though he couldn't see her, and led him out of Marinette's room, away from the bakery so he wouldn't suspect a thing. When they jumped into another alley, he ripped off his belt, connecting its tip to his lower back where it originally belonged. "I'll let you take it from here." They nodded. "Good luck, Chat Noir." She watched him run further into the city, where the source of chaos was, and she held a hand over her heart. Without him, Paris would be lost.

"Hey, Bugaboo," he called out, smirking, his staff in one hand, newer weapon in the other. "Want my miraculous? Come and get it."

"Giving yourself up, kitty, I see." She advanced towards him, a challenging glint behind her darkened eyes.

The second she stepped within his circle, "Shield!" And trapped the two of them beneath his shell. Ladybug came to a halt and gazed around, her eyes enlarged. She scowled, regaining her senses. "No where to go now. Just you and me, m'lady."

"Give me that ring!" She sprinted in his direction.

"Never." He elongated his staff and launched himself over to the other side. "I could play cat and mouse all day."

Ladybug grumbled, turning to face him. She mustered up all her strength, as did he, and began the game.

They were like bulls in an arena. Each one almighty and invincible, fighting to live. Except, while she fought for her life and only hers, Chat fought for the entirety of Paris.

He didn't want to hurt her but she'd left him no choice. Either that, or he'd lose her forever.

She lept forward, tackling him to the ground. The two rolled over each other, and he whimpered in pain. They fought to get the upper hand, resistance met with another, before she was the one who became on top, straddling his hips. His stick reeled across the street, completely out of his reach. Ladybug grasped his hand in an attempt to pull off his ring.

"No!" Chat Noir lifted his shield higher, using most of his force to push her back and off of him. When he successfully slipped from beneath her and was able to get on one of his knees, he slammed the weapon into her, flinging her all the way till her back collided with the shell. A drumbeat echoed throughout the place, and he already felt the need to apologize.

Ladybug stumbled to her feet. "Lucky charm!" A dotted saw fell into her hand. She fiddled with it, a sly smile overtaking her features. "Let's see how you'll get out of this one, kitty cat."

"Damn it," he whispered underneath his ragged breath. Guilt chocked him, and in a moment of remorse, Chat threw away his last weapon. He's had enough of this child's play. He wanted her back. Checking her up and down, he noticed the akumatized object could only be one thing. The thing that caused all evil. Her yo-yo. And he needed to get to it. "If you're mad because I betrayed you," he escaped one of her strikes, "then what about me? How do you think I feel?"

He knew he wasn't making this any better. But he also knew that both of them were wronged and now it was up to him to fix it. Just like it was up to her to retrace her previous mistakes. And apologize for not deeming him trustworthy.

Leaping over his stick, he firmly captured it just in time to block yet another direct blow. They struggled against one another, their arms shaking in return.

The two slid apart, groaning.

Ladybug screamed as she hurried his way, her saw raised above her head.

Chat's eyes went wide.

"Cataclysm!" He called up his power. With that, he too, sprinted in her direction. But before she could bring her weapon down upon him, he slid onto his knees, just below her yo-yo. And as he did, his fingers lightly grazed the akumatized object. It soon turned to rust and the butterfly emerged.

It tried breaking through his shell only to falter, and remain flapping its wings inside.

Chat Noir lost balance and fell onto his chest, barely able to hold himself up. He watched as Ladybug broke free from Shadowmoth's reign. "M'lady..." His voice wavered. "Capture the akuma."

No longer under the influence of their worst enemy, she knew she had to act fast, even if she had no clue what had happened. She grabbed the saw, and hurled it in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug." And as her magical insects fixed all the damage, including her yo-yo, she swung it towards the butterfly before it dared to fly away the second the shell vanished. "Gotcha."