Miraculous Ladybug: Season Six | Part One

Chapter Thirty: Predator Noir

    "You need to hide; he's after you. I'll grab you if we need you," Pegasus demands, holding open the portal. Ladybug shook her head, "No, this is my battle, and I'm not abandoning you guys again." She sternly looks down at the previous rooftop she was just on with Chat Noir. His appearance is the same aside from his color scheme; his green was now a deep purple, and it was almost black on black. "Ohhhhh, Ladybug!" He smirked before making direct eye contact with her. She gasps before swinging onto another rooftop, "Ladybug, his senses have been enhanced; he can find you anywhere you go." Vesperia states through the headset. Ladybug continues to swing from building to building as she receives more information with Predator Noir not behind her trail.
    Purple Tigress looks up as he follows her and looks back at Pigella, "Stay here." She demands before pouncing towards Chat Noir. "CLOUT," She calls her power before punching him into a nearby building. She falls into an alley before being saved by a swinging monkey and is laid back onto another building. "We need to distract him," King Monkey whispers, watching him bounce right back out of the damaged building in the direction of Ladybug. Tigress nods in agreement, "Alya, we need you to cast an illusion to distract him." She states through the headset, watching him fall out of her eyesight. "Got it," She responds, casting a striking image of Ladybug in swinging in an opposite direction than what the actual Ladybug was going.
    Chat Noir notices Ladybug changing directions and follows her as Vesperia and Caprikid watch from another rooftop. "Laddddddybug!" He sings, following her passing right by Vesperia; she looks back at Caprikid and nods. She jumps out, tackling him, "Ven-" she was cut off once he kicked her off of him and landed right back on the rooftop she was just on. "VESPERIA!" Caprikid shouts, running over to her, "I-I'm okay; he apparently has super strength, too." She mutters, rubbing her forehead, which began to bleed. He nods, "Venom failed; he's going to lose interest once he gets the scent of the illusion." He mentions quietly through the headset.

    Ladybug makes it to the Eiffel Tower, nearly out of breath. She watches Predator Noir chase down the illusion from miles away in the clear sky. "King Monkey, you need to strip him of his senses," She orders, looking around. "Lucky Charm!" She shouts as a pair of earrings fall from the sky, nearly identical to hers. "Pigella, I need you to distract him with a gift; you must follow my lead." She whispers, watching Predator Noir stop and turn towards the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug inhales sharply as he begins to vault closer. Pigella makes her way to the Eiffel Tower before Predator Noir arrives, "L-Ladybug-" Ladybug shoved the earrings in her hands, "Gift." She states sternly as she runs behind the pillars. Pigella inhales at the plan as Predator Noir climbs up the tower. "Wh-where is she." He growls as Pigella extends her arms, "G-gift!" She exclaims as he snatches the identical earrings. He cackles, "DO YOU REALLY THINK I'M THAT INCOMPENTENT?" He laughs, throwing them to the ground. She gasps, squatting down with her arms over her head. He turns to all of Paris, who is now watching via helicopter footage. "Oh, so you all believe I'm the bad guy, HUH?" He shouts, looking directly at one of the cameras. He vaults up, "She lied to all of you. Gabriel Agreste was Monarch." He hisses before King Monkey throws his banana at him, causing him to lose his super scent. He looks down at him and lunges towards him before Argos once again tackles him from the side.
    "Chat Noir, what happened to you... and what do you mean-" A blue-haired girl states quietly next to Ladybug. He looks up from his pinned state, and his jaw drops to see a bruised Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He shoves Argos off of him to turn to her, "W-what happened- to you?" He gasped, scanning her and seeing all of her freshly made injuries. "Y-you're creating chaos... why?" She sobs, looking up at Ladybug. "Chat Noir, you're hurting Parisians. Is this the future you want with your wish?" Ladybug hisses as he looks at Marinette with teary eyes. He bites his lip, "I-I only wanted people to know the truth." he whispers, looking down at his hand. Marinette runs off as Ladybug squats down next to him, "You know I wouldn't have lied to you if I didn't have to, Chat." She whispered as the rest of the miraculous holders surrounded them. He blinks away his tears, continuing to look down at his hand, "CATACLYSM!" He shouts before swinging his arm towards Ladybug. Ladybug looked at him with wide eyes before fading into an orange fog. "An- Illusion?" He whispered, bringing his hands over his eyes. The real Ladybug walks over while he can't see and, rips his bell off of his collar and smashes it under her foot. "Chat Noir..." She whispered as the Akuma flew out of the bell. She swings her yo-yo and captures the pesky butterfly. She grabs the lucky charm he had thrown to the ground of the Eiffel Tower, "Miraculous Ladybug!" She shouts as the butterflies begin to repair everything.
    Chat Noir lays in the grass as his suit becomes normal, "L-ladybug, I'm so sorry." He sobs as she stares at him from above, along with everyone else. "Chat- you just... told all of Paris... and tried to kill Ladybug," Carapace whispers, extending his hand to grab his. Chat lays his hands down his sides, "W-we need to go." He whispers, standing up alone, pointing towards the reporters and rioting Parisians. Ladybug watches them all rush over, "T-they know I lied." She stammered, backing away as Chat grabbed her hand and vaulted her up into the sky.

Ladybug wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her in a cradle position. "I don't know if you'll ever forgive me," He whispers, looking down at her as she looks down at Paris. "No, Chat Noir, I do. I should've told you; I should've hit send the moment I found out in the Agreste Mansion." She whispers, pulling herself closer to him. "Y-you were going to tell me immediately?" He stammers as a single tear strolls down his cheek. She nods, "I just didn't know how to tell you since you were gone for so long after the battle; I had already told all of Paris that he was a hero... I didn't want you to..." He looks at her struggle, "I understand, Ladybug." He concludes, holding her closer. "Is Marinette okay... Do you know?" He trembles in fear he may have hurt her the same way he hurt his father. "Yeah, she's fine. Makeup goes a long way, you know." She chuckles through her tears. "H-how did you know she would distract me?" He croaks quietly, looking back at her. "S-she was the first civilian I knew you also knew and cared about," She lied, laying her head on his shoulder. He nods, leaning his staff to head down to the ground.
Ladybug looks around as they fall gracefully; Paris was abnormally loud and active for ten at night. They land on a rooftop and observe the Parisians marching down the street. She winces and pulls her head out of the way, "It looks like we have a bigger problem than... what was their name.." She whispers, looking back at Chat Noir, who is still looking over the edge of the building. "Her name... is Chrysalis." He responds hushedly, pulling his head back out of view. Her eyes widened as she felt her body tremble, "I-I'm sure Paris wouldn't want to see us..." She whispered, looking for a place to detransform. He nods in agreement, "We need to stay hidden," He whispers, crawling over to to a gap between the current building they are on and another beside of them. "Don't look." He winked, sliding down the wall.