Miraculous Ladybug: Short Stories

Betrayal (Part 2: Alternate Ending #2)

"You could bring my mother back? Chat Noir spoke quite slowly, allowing himself some time to comprehend what was happening. Was his father speaking the truth? Was it truly physically possible to bring her back? Adrien's mother had always meant so very much to him. She was the one who held the family together, and without her, Adrien and his father was completely lost. Gabriel had grown both bitter and ice cold, causing his very own son even more suffering.

Chat Noir shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He shook his head, denying the glorious possibility of having his mother with him once again.

"Adrien, you of all people should know how much I cared for her. I want her back to me just as much as you do." Hawk Moth attempted a smile towards his son. Even though it looked somewhat forced, it was the most genuine Gabriel had been in a long time.

Chat Noir looked straight into Hawk Moth's eyes. To his surprise, he actually seemed genuinely sincere. Adrien always used to tell himself how he would do literally anything to have his mother back. The only thing that did not make much since to the boy was why Hawk Moth went to such extreme measures. Wasn't there any other ways other than terrorizing Paris to receive the two miraculouses? Chat Noir turned his head to look back at the injured Ladybug, to his father, then back at his partner. He watched Ladybug closely as she mouthed the words don't do it. He turned to face his father once again, who was smiling with desperation hidden in his eyes. That was the very first time Adrien noticed a sense of true emotion in his father. Chat Noir's ears lowered along with his voice in shame, "I'm so sorry, Ladybug."

Ladybug grasped at her side as she hopelessly shouted, "Chat, no!"

Chat Noir took off his miraculous sand gave it to his father's hand that was reaching out to him. Within seconds, he detransformed back to his civilian self. Turning around slowly, he dreadfully made his way over to Ladybug. She sat up against the wall, still grabbing on to her side. "Adrien, please don't do this. Hawk Moth cannot be trusted."

"He's my father, Ladybug. If there's even the slightest chance of him bringing my mother back, I don't think I would be willing to give that up. I don't expect you to understand," A small tear fell from his left eye. "I only hope that you'll be able to forgive me one day." He reached for her red and black spotted earrings, carefully pulling them out of her ears.

"Marinette? All this time...you've been a lot closer than I realized." Adrien gave the girl an authentic smile.

Clearly hurt, Marinette shut her eyes and turned her head away from Adrien. She tried her best to keep herself from bursting into tears. No matter the reason, her best friend, crush, and partner had just betrayed her. The pain from her side did not even compare to the loss that she was just hit with. Marinette opened her teary eyes and observed as the blond model hesitantly walked over to his grinning villainous father. In her head, Marinette could hear Tikki's past advice echoing, you are Ladybug, with or without the costume.

Dedicated, Marinette stumbled as she managed to stand up straight. "I won't let you do it, Adrien. We made a promise when we equipped those miraculous." The boy turned around to face her with sadness screaming in his gleaming eyes, "Whereas it may mean nothing to you, I plan on keeping my promise." She reached into her purse that hung at her good side, and pulled out a yo-yo that she had customized herself. Marinette tossed it at his hand, knocking down her earrings onto the floor. She then wrapped the yo-yo around his ankle, and slid him across the room until he was far from the earrings. With the adrenaline running extremely high in her veins, she rushed over to her miraculous and picked them up. She smiled smugly at Hawk Moth as she put her earrings back in her ears, where they belonged. Tikki was more than happy to transform the girl to her superheroine self. "Don't you see? You will never stop me, Hawk Moth! No matter who you try to turn against me, I will always win. I don't give up."