NUMB. zoenette | ✔️

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Chapter One: New Villain In Town

Skies rain in flames, a red and orange haze taints the city of Paris. Hawkmoth may be no more, but a new villain has taken his place.

Plagued with nightmares and bottled up trauma, Alya as Rena Rouge had stepped in on official superhero duties. At the time, Marinette thought it wise to continue patrolling, to be of aid with petty crimes that the police may miss. Her best friend took control, dealing out miraculouses to those entrusted. It was a well established system until Alya confided in Nino about her heroine alter ego. He was pissed and in an angry rage, he spilled her secret during combat with the other superheroes. The heroes broke out into jealous rants on why they should be able to keep their miraculous. It was then that things were beyond repair. When the heroes reluctantly turned their miraculouses in, Carapace continued his screaming match with Rena Rouge.

How did this lead to a burning city?

Well, Lila was lurking in the alley way when she overheard their conversation, realizing that Rena Rouge would have all the miraculouses and did not hesitate to swing a punch that sent Rena Rouge into an unconscious state. All the miraculouses were stolen that Rena Rouge had on hand, the one she'd been wearing included.

"I think it's time, " Alya comes behind Marinette who's looking at the horror from her balcony.

Marinette looks down at the ring on her finger, tears stinging her eyes.

"No, no, there has to be another way."

"Girl, this is too much for you to do on your own."

She takes her earrings off and watches Alya transform into Scarabella then with much pain in her heart, hand her the miraculous of destruction. As Scarabella swings from building to building to find the miraculous that once went on the hands of her true love, the memory of his death appears fresh in her head. His skin ghoulish in tone and cold in touch, lips dry, and blood pooling from his chest.

Shutting her eyes tight, she reminds herself that she won't have to go through this again. Marinette specifically requested that the new Chat Noir be a girl to avoid a heartbreak repeat, but god it still hurt. No one should be using that miraculous, no version of him would cure her heart, but this wasn't about her. This was about what Paris needed.

Lila had the butterfly miraculous and Marinette had a hard time wrapping her mind around how that was possible when she'd safeguarded that, never allowing that in circulation with Alya, but akumas were still appearing left and right as if Hawkmoth had never left.

Scarabella came back with a wry grin on her face.

"What...wait, you found someone?"

She nods.

"That quick?"

Marinette's heart is racing as she watches her best friend detransform and hand the earrings back to her. It was crucial she didn't know who this new Chat Noir was to, once again, mitigate the chances of both their miraculouses being acquired. That's another reason Marinette had to give Chat Noir's ring up; it wasn't safe for her to have both on her.

"Yup. Look, I think it would be good if you meet her soon, so you two can develop a game plan."

Black fumes arise in the air, reminding her that her job is never done. She transforms into Ladybug. "What about right now?"

"Hi, I'm Kitty Noire," the black cat heroine's neon lips turn to a grin.

"Ladybug, as you know."

"Well, it's nice to meet you officially."

Ladybug looks at this off brand Chat Noir, their kindness so sweet, so sincere; it was sickening. She didn't see that mask, that she'd come to wear so well. Walmart Chat looked genuinely happy to meet her. Ladybug shakes the feeling off like it's a pesky insect.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll meet here around this time at...," she looks around and spots the rooftop Chat Noir had confessed his love, "that rooftop," her finger lands on the one opposite of it. "You got that?"

"Yes, my little bug."

"The hell did you just say?"

Kitty Noire scratches the back of her neck. "I'm trying out nicknames, so we can bond better. What do you think?"

"I think you need to shut the fuck up."

Sunlight trickles over the water in calm waves. Ladybug watches the ripples in the ocean, hoping to get lost in a hypnotic trance. To be taken to a land where her mind didn't constantly replay her worst traumas, to a land where she didn't feel miserable every second of the day for breathing, guilty that she was here and he wasn't, mad that she turned him away when he came to her rooftop to explain what she'd already heard. Nothing can be fixed, but it all could've been different. So many should've but only one did.

If only we had a real chance.

The silly wish to have a house with a white picket fence and a dotting hamster is now sad. All her hopes and dreams were at the precipice of being real, but now it's all gone. Now her dream has been taken away in a way she didn't think possible. He came back to save her and died in her arms. She can't even tell her parents about it, not without sugarcoating every detail until it's so diluted it's not even true anymore.

Sometimes she sees Adrien at night on her balcony in his superhero costume. Body leaned against the railing, giving her a smug grin. Green, dazzling eyes lock on hers and he tells her everything she hears in her dreams.

I love you so much. None of this was ever your fault. I'm the dumb one for not falling in love with you sooner.

You can never lose me, princess. I'm right here.

Ladybug nearly cries a storm when she remembers him putting his finger to his heart.

How can he be in her heart if it's empty?