deja vu~ miraculous

16| devastation

Marinette
She had been so. Close.

SO. FREAKING. CLOSE.

Then of COURSE something haddddd to happen.

There was a crash, and bang, and his door flew open, shards flying everywhere. Her Ladybug instincts kicked in and she immediately grabbed the nearest item to shield Adrien from harm. She grabbed his hand and ran to this bathroom, gently closing the door. "You stay here." She said firmly. "I'll get help."

She rushed out of the room, found the nearest place to transform, and leaped into action. One of the reasons she loved being Ladybug, was because of how fearless her alter-ego made her feel. Ladybug could have told Adrien how she felt months ago.

Too bad Adrien didn't like her for Ladybug. Or most likely even Marinette for that matter.

She dialed Chat and was relieved when he answered. "Me-ow M'Lady. You're always right on my tail."

"Right on your tail what do you-" she was about to finish her sentence when she crashed into Chat, who was standing at the top of the staircase waiting for her. He caught her, and for a split second she felt a rush of deja vu- falling into another boy's arms and meeting his green eyes as paper scattered around them.

He smiled at her blush, and she stood up quickly, blood rushing to her cheeks. "Let's kiss! I mean- miss! The next hot! I mean shot!" She slapped her forehead and he shrugged, following her as she sprinted down the long hall.

She pressed her ear to the wall, listening for any voices or sounds that could potentially lead her to wherever the danger was. "Over here." Chat Noir said, gently touching a solemn picture of Adrien and his father. Ladybug gasped as she looked at the giant painting, it was so serious and sad, portraying a lost son and father sitting still solely for a man to capture their expressions on paper.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked, resting her hand on his gently at his sudden silence.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Let's get this over with. Cataclysm!" The painting crumbled to dust, a tunnel visible behind it. Ladybug gasped, but Chat Noir merely looked away from the dust as he stepped into the darkness.

"Come on M'Lady. Let's end this."

* * *

The tunnel was long, they ran and ran, only stopping once so Chat could recharge his kwami. They continued down the long corridor, until they entered a dimly lit room, butterflies fluttering up and around them, everywhere. Ladybug's head was spinning. Butterflies? In a mansion housing only a lonely man and his son?

"Chat Noir... I think that Gabriel Agreste is-"

"I know," he said darkly.

"You- what?"

"I've known for almost two weeks. It's why I haven't been myself. Haven't been happy. Haven't been Chat Noir."

Her heart was pounding as he turned to face her, tears burning his eyes. "I couldn't bear to see the look on your face as day after day went by where I knew. You don't understand why I feel this way. And you can't understand."

"A troubled cat with too many emotions? I can help you."

"Chat Noir please! Please resist it please!" Ladybug wrapped her arms around his chest, tears streaming down her face. "Please Chat Noir I need you. I can't do this, not again!" He looked down at her, his eyes filled with regret and pain.

"I'm sorry M'Lady."

She gasped as his whole body was engulfed in white, her head and body strained with the overwhelming deja vu. Chat Blanc stood in front of her, his eyes blue with pain.

Ladybug couldn't take it. Couldn't handle the nostalgia, the memories. She ran, pushing past the empty halls in search of the man behind it all. She ran into room after room, knowing she was being chased but not having the courage to face her greatest fear, not yet.

She heard a muffled shriek, and ran to its origination. She yanked down a picture of Emilie Agreste, broken at its hinges and gasped at what she saw. The shelves were broken, as if someone had grabbed everything inside in a hurry and left it at that. And at the bottom...

"Nathalie?" Ladybug gasped, helping her out of her tied feet, hands, and covered mouth.

"What happened?"

She looked away, saying nothing.

"Nathalie please. Adrien Agreste is in danger."

"We were abducted," she rasped. "Couldn't protect ourselves against them."

"Protect yourselves from who?"

"I don't know. Gabriel wasn't here by the time I was attacked. They got him before they got me."

Ladybug nodded. "Please Nathalie, is there anything else you can tell me? If Gabriel was attacked, it was most likely because they wanted the Miraculous. Was there anyone in close contact with him that could have found out?"

"I- "

Before she could answer, the whole room vibrated, pieces of the ceiling crumbling down. Ladybug wrapped her arm around Nathalies waist, and swung her yo-yo through one of the open windows, bringing her to safety. She ran to go back into the house, but before she could Nathalie grabbed her wrist. "You'll get crushed if you go back in there."

"But Adrien is still there!" Ladybug gasped, breaking free from her grip and running back into the crumbling house. She swung up to his room, checking under every pillow and crevice for him, but he wasn't there.

I have to find him. She thought determinedly. Him and Gabriel Agreste. If she were to be completely honest, she didn't want to save Gabriel. He had caused so much pain and suffering in an innocent city, all for what?

"M'Lady!" Her eyes widened at his voice. "Chat Noir!" Forgetting all else she ran to him, jumping over each obstacle and dodging pieces of the fallen ceiling.

"I'M COMING!" she screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She ran and ran, stopping at the statue of Emilie, empty and sad. Perched in front of her figure was Chat Blanc.

"Lucky Charm," she whispered, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine. She looked down at the object in her palm, a small but strong string. She forced herself to sit next to him, her heart breaking with each breath she took.

"You will never understand my pain Ladybug," he whispered, a tear falling down his cheek. "Everybody leaves me. In time you will too."

"Chat Noir," she said, turning towards him. "You are everything to me. Everything and more. You're the one who's there for me when I'm falling apart, the one who makes me laugh when I'm at my worst, the one who makes me want to keep going." She met his light blue eyes, trying to keep going without breaking herself. She tied the string from his pinky to hers, talking enough so that she could distract him.

"You're the one who listens to me when no one else does, who loves me despite my flaws." She took his hands touching her forehead to his, the string binding them together so that even if he had wanted to run away, he couldn't.

"Chat Noir, I love you."

Her heart pounded and she pulled him into a tight hug, refusing to let go. "You're my best friend Chat Noir. Please come back to me."

Moments passed, two pounding hearts beating as one. Every moment that passed was another moment she held on to every memory she had with him and stored them in her mind.

"I love you. I really do. I don't know how- I have other feelings but... everything's so jumbled and confusing. All I know now is that I can't live without you. Please. Please come back to me Kitty Cat."