MariChat: Chat Out Of The Bag

Acts of Defiance

How he had been thrown, Adrien found himself totally cornered. There wasn't a place where he could duck into and avoid the upcoming attack. Nowhere he could hide. Nothing he could use to block it.

There was forwards, towards Overgrow. That would lead nowhere. His limbs and body needed time to recover, if only for a few seconds, and there wasn't a chance of him even being able to stand up with the way his body ached. And behind him, was a wall. To his sides, was a car, and another wall. Without Chat Noir's powers, Adrien couldn't do anything to escape this situation.

He could hear his Kwami trying to urge him to move, pushing his shoulder with thee little strength Plagg had in his tiny body, trying to convince his human partner to make a run for it. "Come on, Adrien, move!"

Adrien smiled. It was nice to know Plagg really had cared.

But in front of him now, a large, bulky, thick vine, armed to the brink with sharp thorns, slithered towards him. This was the strike that was going to end him. He couldn't escape it, no matter how hard he tried to. His body wasn't going to move for him. It refused to, aches and pains surging all over his nervous system and pain receptors. Even if he could move, he was powerless. Surrounded by a splattered combination of various bodily liquids like sweat and blood, Adrien closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

He smiled to himself.

He imagined Marinette, stood just in front of him, with the smile she always had one her beautiful face. That he had been able to talk to her one final time. To hold her one last time. To kiss her and hug her tightly for one final time. That he had been able to tell her to enjoy her life while she had it. To find someone who would help her feel alive. To help experience it with her.

That he got to say goodbye.

And that he got to say thank you. What they had, whatever it was, it had only lasted a short time. Barley even a week. But never before had he felt more alive throughout this week than he had when he was with Marinette. He wished he could have done more, said more, been more with her. But she was safe. He had that reassurance.

He knew he was breaking a promise to her. He could only hope she'd be able to forgive him. That she'd be able to forget him. That she'd have a happy life. The happy life that she deserved.

Even if it had all been a lie. Pity. Sympathy. Whatever it was. At least he had had it. And he had Marinette to thank for that.

"Adrien, move!" He heard Plagg yell at him, with a loudness to his voice the human had never heard before.

"Sorry... Plagg... I can't move..." He said through gritted teeth and with a smile. His only reply was more insistent pushing, like Plagg was trying so hard to develop super strength to push Adrien out of harms way. He heard the creaking of the vine rising up, preparing to slam down, crushing his body and ending his time in this world. He was ferociously committed to holding the image of the most perfect girl he had ever met in his life in his head before that time ended.

He heard the whistling that signaled the vines falling towards him.

"I love you, Marinette." He whispered.

The next thing he heard, what an erupting crash. And then silence. Blackness, pure blackness, ensued.

'Funny.' He thought to himself. 'Being crushed by a huge sentient plant with thorns like serrated teeth feels a lot like... Flying?'

How did that make any sense? His arm still throbbing, he made himself open his eyes. He was still alive? How in the hell was he still alive? More importantly, how the hell was he flying?! Was his spirit being taken into the heavens, or perhaps...