Control // miraculous ladybug

Chapter Three

Adrien, Alya and Nino all went to school the next day as if nothing had happened. As if Chat Noir failed to free Ladybug from the Akuma the day before. As if Ladybug was never akumatized.

As the trio go through their day of silent torture, Adrien can't help but wonder where Marinette is. Where could she possibly be, he asks himself. Was he too harsh on her?

Adrien and Nino attempted talking to Alya, but to no veil got shut out. Alya didn't speak the whole day, too upset about the disappearance of Marinette.

The class was to a minimum. The only students that remained other than the trio were Nathaneal, Alix, Kim, Max, Rose and Juleka.

Sabrina had attempted to fight Love Bug for Chloe earlier that day and happened to get herself zapped just like Chloe.

Adrien can't help the negative feelings toward the situation swirling around in his stomach. He couldn't get rid of the bad suspicious brewing in his mind.

What if he can't stop her? What if he can't change her back? What if Ladybug stays as Love Bug? What will happen to the civilians of Paris? What will happen to Chat Noir? To Nino and Alya? To Adrien Agreste?

As the thoughts and names and words and scenarios fill his mind with negative, he clutches his hair in his hands and stands up. His seat scratches obnoxiously against the floor before he bolts out of the classroom. Nino reaches out after him, but let's him run nonetheless. He's probably just upset about the disappearance of Marinette, Nino's brain tells him. Yeah, that's probably it.

Adrien finds himself standing at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. How he got here so fast, he has no clue. But he's here now and there must be a reason that his legs brought him to this place specifically.

He looks around for anything suspicious, and a bundle of slow-walking people entering the Eiffel Tower captures his attention. He looks up to the tip and spots the edge of a red dress. It's his lady, he thinks.

Adrien searches for a place that he can transform. He has to try again, he tells himself. His small cat companion flies out of his shirt.

"Claws out," Adrien shouts, starting the transformation as Plagg gets sucked into the silver ring. His clothes morph into the black leather suit that he is so use to wearing.

He pounces out from his hiding spot and extends his staff, targeting the top of the Eiffel Tower. He lands on the painful tip with silent grace as he listens in on his lady and her minions.

She lets out an evil laugh. "Yes, Hawk Moth. I will get his Miraculous, do not worry." Chat's ears droop again and he frowns. His lady truly is corrupted by the evil Hawk Moth.

Chat makes his decision. He can either go after Love Bug and possibly loose against her again, or he can directly target Hawk Moth. How Chat will find the villain, he has no clue, but he's sure that he will find him.

After a moment of silence, Chat grows suspicious and leans over slightly to try and get a glance at what's happening. As he leans, though, Love Bug smirks at him and attempts to zap him. Chat leaps away, dodging the attack as he falls his way down the Eiffel Tower. He lands on his feet and begins to sprint along the ground, getting as far away from Love Bug's attacks as he can get.

He runs and runs and doesn't look back, leaping up onto the rooftops to get a better view of the city. He stops atop a chimney and looks around, spotting any suspicious looking buildings. He spots a certain tall building with a metal closing. How has he never noticed that building before? It's incredibly suspicious. Miraculously suspicious, even.

He targets the building and begins pouncing from rooftop to rooftop. Once he reaches the gates of the unusual building, he observes the metal barred fence that prevents him from entering. He hums in thought as he scans a way to get in. The fence has spikes on the tops of it, so climbing is a no go.

He lets out a defeated sigh as he realises his only option is to use his Cataclysm. Chat prepares to call on his special ability until someone calls out to him. He turns to see who was calling him, and his eyes lock with a rather distressed-looking Marinette. Chat's face falls and his ears droop at the sight of her. She's tattered and her clothes are ripped every which way.

"Marinette?" Chat walks towards the ravenette, frowning at her state. "Princess?"

"Chat," she whispers, her voice sounding beyond exhausted. She almost collapses until Chat catches her. He picks her up bridal style and frowns down at the broken girl.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers. Marinette looks up at him and offers him a weak smile that makes Chat's heart flutter. Why is he reacting this way? Why is he only now feeling like this away Marinette? He loves his lady, not Marinette. How could his heart betray him like this?

"It's okay, silly kitty." Marinette reaches out her hand and places it against his cheek softly. "You tried."

Chat's eyes pool up with tears as he remembers how he broke this girl. How he so casually rejected her feelings. How she looks so broken that it put a crack in his heart. How he broke Marinette's heart.

He felt guilty.

Chat pulls her towards his chest as he collapses to his knees. He hugs her to his chest tightly, letting out the tears that he shouldn't. Letting out all of his frustration and guilt. Letting his Adrien shine through his Chat Noir. Letting himself fall for Marinette. Even if it was in the smallest way, he was still starting to fall.

Just as Chat pulls her in tighter, he hugs himself. His arms wrap around himself and as soon as his eyes open, Marinette is gone. A loud chuckle erupts from above him and he looks up to see Love Bug with an evil scowl. Marinette...she's gone. She was just an illusion. A very real illusion.

"What did you do with Marinette!" Chat screams at the akumatized hero as he stands up frantically. Love Bug floats down to the ground, standing right in front of the human cat.

"What did Adrien Agreste do with Marinette?" Love Bug asks him in a whisper and Chat's face drops as the words leave her mouth.

That's it. He broke her.

And now Love Bug was breaking him.