"the moth's apprentice" chat noir x y/n

Consequences Be Damned

It was always going to end like this. At least, that is what I told myself. Perhaps in lieu of morality and doing 'good' in the face of evil, I could consider myself heroic in the sense that I helped reunite Adrien with his mother, Gabriel with his wife, and erase myself from the story entirely. Maybe I was only ever meant to be the villain. 

The second the Miraculous left my fingers, something shifted.

Hawkmoth's expression was triumphant, and for the first time, it wasn't tinged with hesitation. Felix stepped back, watching as his master clutched the Miraculous tightly. Chat Noir's breathing was shallow beside me, his green eyes locked onto mine in betrayal, but I forced myself to look away. 

There was no going back now.

Ladybug stirred, groaning softly, but she was too weak to fight. She was barely conscious, and with Chat Noir powerless, there was no one left to stop what was coming.

Hawkmoth wasted no time. He pressed the Miraculous together, and the world crackled with energy. Light erupted around him, enveloping his frail form, his breath coming in sharp gasps. For a moment, I thought he might collapse under the strain—but then, the transformation solidified. The power settled.

And then, the wish was made.

The air in the room grew heavy, thick with something ancient, something beyond comprehension. A ripple of force spread outward, warping the walls, the furniture, even the people standing within it. My ears rang, my vision blurred, and for a terrifying moment, I thought I might black out.

And then—

Silence.

When the world settled again, I opened my eyes. The air was still charged, humming with the remnants of something impossibly powerful. And standing in the center of it all, where the blinding energy had once been, was a woman.

Emilie Agreste.

She was alive.

Gabriel—no, Hawkmoth—staggered forward, his breath hitching. "Emilie..." His voice cracked, reverence and disbelief warring within it. His cane clattered to the floor, forgotten.

She blinked, taking in the room, the people, the devastation left in the wake of her resurrection. Her gaze landed on Adrien—her son—who was too stunned to speak. Tears welled in his eyes, but his expression was conflicted. He had lost so much, only to have something returned to him at a cost he hadn't been willing to pay.

Felix shifted uncomfortably, his stance tense. Ladybug was still unconscious. And I—I stood frozen in place, watching the consequences of my choice unfold before me.

"You did it," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

Hawkmoth turned to me, his expression unreadable. "We did it."

Adrien exhaled shakily, his voice strained with emotion. "Y/N... what have you done?"

A lump formed in my throat. I had chosen this. And now, there was no undoing it.

The first movement was slow. Gabriel moved towards his wife, taking her in his arms as she shook her head, eyes only for her son. 

"How is this possible, Gabriel? How?" 

Beside me, Marinette was stirring again, her eyes flicking back and forth under closed eyelids. When she awoke, things would be different. Things were already different. 

We couldn't be a team anymore, that was for sure. And now that Gabriel had what he wanted -- consequences be damned -- he wouldn't need me anymore. The Miraculous were gone, combined in the effort of reviving Emilie, meaning Chat Noir and Ladybug were rendered powerless -- inexistent. 

The world outside was eerily still. The usual hum of Paris—distant sirens, the chatter of pedestrians, the occasional honk of a car—felt muted, like the city itself had paused to process what had just happened.

Emilie swayed slightly, her brows furrowing as she reached for Gabriel's arm. "What... what happened?"

Gabriel steadied her immediately, his hands shaking. He had dreamed of this moment for years, schemed and sacrificed for it, and yet now, faced with the reality, there was something almost fragile in his movements. "You're back, my love. I... I brought you back."

Her gaze swept across the room, falling on Adrien. "Adrien?" Her voice was soft, uncertain. "You've grown so much..."

Adrien took a step forward, then stopped, his whole body rigid. He should have been running to her, throwing his arms around her, crying tears of joy. But he wasn't.

"Mom...?" His voice cracked, torn between longing and dread. "You're really here?"

Her smile was faint, uncertain. "Yes, sweetheart, I—"

A harsh gasp tore from Marinette's throat as she jolted upright, hands gripping the floor. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the scene. "No. No, no, no... What have you done?"

She scrambled to her feet, staggering slightly before locking eyes with me. I braced myself for the anger, the disappointment, the accusations I knew were coming.

"We had no choice," I said, voice hollow.

"You always have a choice!" Ladybug snapped, but there was something almost broken in her voice. "You don't understand what you've done. The balance—" She cut herself off, pressing a trembling hand to her forehead. "The world isn't meant to change like this. The wish... there will be consequences."

I swallowed hard. I knew that. I had known it the moment I let go of the Miraculous. But standing here now, looking at Adrien's devastated expression, at Emilie's confused but hopeful face, I wondered if the cost would be greater than any of us had imagined.

Adrien's fists clenched at his sides. "You should have let me die."

The words hit harder than any punch ever could. I took an involuntary step back, shaking my head. "Don't say that. I—"

"You don't get to decide for me!" His voice cracked, raw with emotion. "You don't get to choose who lives and who doesn't!"

Gabriel turned to him sharply. "Adrien, enough. Your mother is here now. That's all that matters."

"No, Father," Adrien spat, and I had never heard him speak with such venom before. "That's all that matters to you. Not me. Not Y/N. Not anyone else. Just your selfish need to fix the past."

Emilie flinched at his tone, her expression stricken. "Adrien, please... I don't understand what's happening."

Adrien exhaled shakily, his gaze locked onto mine. "Neither do I."

And then, without another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.

I wanted to go after him. I wanted to explain, to make him understand. But I wasn't sure if he would ever listen again.