Miraculous: Marinette's Promise (Book Three Of the "Marinette's Baby" Series) ✔

Chapter 23

Chat Noir chewed on his bottom lip, his green eyes surveying the likes of Paris. It took Adrien almost all the willpower he had left in him to put the costume back on and get his ass back to work.
It didn't help that his relationship with Plagg was a little strained. The little kwami didn't quite like the way he was treating Louis or the way the little kwami was being treated himself.

Plagg swore that it was like working with another Hawkmoth. Adrien had become cold, abrasive and uncaring to anyone and anything that once showed an ounce of love toward him.
Everyday was a dark day, and Adrien only found himself withdrawing from everyone he knew.
Before he knew it, Alya had been taking care of Louis full time. Nino had stopped by to talk to Adrien but Adrien only kept himself away.
He spent most days alone, shunning Plagg, Louis and his friends. Adrien spent time alone, away from the world brooding over old photos and crying to the point of numbness.
It was only up until a few moments ago that he decided he'd tie up loose ends. Ladybug was no longer around and despite how much Adrien wanted to let the world rot, something in the stars told him to put an end to it.

And so, Adrien began to look at it as more of a job rather than a passion to do what was right.
Lila had taken everything left inside of him, and ripped it to pieces, leaving him high and dry before eventually dunking him in water until he drowned.

And Adrien drowned.

He had been drowning for weeks. He was washed into tides and kept under to the point where he completely died.
He was a walking shell with no soul left inside.

Adrien contemplated suicide. The thoughts were so strong as of late, and Adrien planned many ways to manifest his self hatred to something else but all his attempts were in vain. The nightmares only continued, and with the lack of sleep he found himself slipping into insanity.

He was not Adrien anymore, but something that Hawkmoth and Lila created.

Except this time, this monster had a miraculous that he could do whatever he wanted with.
The feline dragged his weapon against the rooftops of abandoned buildings, his eyes casually catching glimpses of pieces of glass scattered about.
It was no surprise that Lila had recruited quite a bit of her zombies, and Chat had recalled that a few weeks ago while looking for Marinette, Alya had suggested they'd follow a trail.

Which they had done and it worked.
The feline crouched down, retracting his weapon as he picked up a few shards of glass on the ground. He lifted it, examining the fresh blood on the pane, and wondered just how recent Lila was here.
The Cat was determined to pick up on her trails and find out where she was hiding.
Had it not been for her carelessness and her messiness, the task would have been a little bit difficult.

"That's very smart..." Ladybug murmured from behind him, the heroine crouching down to peer at the piece of evidence from behind him. "Just track her down by the trails she's left behind..."
Chat chuckled, standing up straight as he dropped the glass to the ground.

"Of course you'd say that..." He chuckled, turning around to face her.

His brow furrowed, his eyes blinking as Ladybugs face was a distorted blur. It was almost as if it was a scribble instead of a face. "You're just a figment of my subconscious..." He explained to her, his voice trailing off. "You'll say what I'm thinking. Or I'll say what you're thinking...."

Ladybug cocked her head to the side, her voice humming softly.
"Did you forget me already?" She asked, tucking her hands behind her back.

Chat glanced at her with a grimace. He didn't want to say he forgot her, but it was true that a lot of his priorities were all messed up.
"I could never forget you..." the feline breathed, his heart aching at that thought. "You had beautiful bluebelle eyes, cute little freckles on your cheeks..." the blonde smiled at the memory. He glanced up at Ladybug, the features of her face slowly coming into view as he remembered them.
"You had such frilly lashes, and pretty pink lips with a button nose."