He Can't Forget | ✓

19 | the willingness to lose

A hand broke through the rubble, and Chat Noir gasped for a desperate breath of air as he climbed over it. His suit had been slightly torn in a few areas, revealing a bit of skin underneath. His entire body felt like it was on fire, and he was sure a few bruises were already forming across his skin. His limbs ached, and his middle was screaming in pain, but he forced himself to stand to his feet. Then, his ring beeped, reminding him that he had called out his cataclysm and was pressed for time.

He was panting heavily as he surveyed the damage. A part of the ceiling had caved in from a bomb that Hawkmoth had placed. Somehow, his entire childhood home above was untouched by the massive explosion. However, part of his father's underground labyrinth sat right below his mother's gardens. Because of that, the last bit of his mother's touch had been destroyed when the ground caved in. Now, in its stead was a giant gaping hole, allowing sunlight in.

Chat Noir felt his blood boiling in a matter of seconds. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. This only proved that his father had no interest in saving his mother, and if he had at one point in the past, it was no longer a priority. His father had just destroyed one of the most precious gifts his mother had left behind—and for what? Power? God-like power?

Was that really more important to him than his own family?

Perhaps he couldn't be the judge of that. He once thought building a music school was more important than the love of his life—his family. The situations were entirely different, but the motives behind them were the same. They were both selfish.

Adrien was going to kill his father. There was no doubt in his mind now that his father would never change. His father would never become the dad he always wanted, and his father would never become the grandfather Emma deserved. Instead, his father chose power over love, and for that, Chat Noir hated him.

A series of coughs suddenly sounded, forcing him to snap out of his reverie of revenge. His worried eyes scanned the debris, finding Alya and Nino. Alya was coughing into her hands and Nino was patting her back, worriedly trying to search her eyes. It was then when Adrien realized that although Alya was still dawned in her magical suit, Nino was not.

Chat Noir instantly rushed towards them. He skidded on his knees, halting at their level. "Are you guys okay?" He placed a hand on each of their shoulders, his eyes specifically fixed on Nino as he then asked, "Why aren't you transformed?"

Wordlessly, Nino slowly pulled out something from his pocket. Chat Noir gasped when he realized what it was.

In the center of his palm laid the broken turtle miraculous.

"Oh no..." Chat Noir wasn't sure what else to say. A miraculous had never been completely broken before and he wasn't sure if it could be fixed. And what did that mean for the kwami? The only one who could have those answers would be the guardian—

Chat Noir suddenly lifted his head with a gasp. Where was Ladybug?

"Ladybug?!" Desperately, Chat Noir called out her name as he stood to his feet and rushed towards the untouched rubble. He couldn't even see his father's life machines anymore, which held his mother and daughter. He could only hope the machines had protected them like his father said they would.

But nothing had been there to protect his lady when that ceiling fell.

Clawing at the debris, he started flinging stone and concrete. Somewhere underneath all of this mess, Ladybug was trapped.

His ring beeped again, but he ignored it.

He was panting heavily as he dug. His back ached and his hands felt like they were on fire despite the protection his suit granted him. He felt tears slowly cascade down his cheeks as he remained relentless, his teary eyes even blinding him slightly.