Chat Blanc ✅

Chapter 16

"Luka? What's going on? Are you okay?"

At Marinette's small voice, his features began to twitch, and his brows furrowed. The red eyes that he had flickered back to their original mint for a few moments.

There was a sneer off to the side, followed by Luka's sclera flashing ruby again.

"I'm not okay," he answered in an uncharacteristic tone. It was dark with a layer of condescending beneath - the opposite of his usually calm vocals. "Not at all."

The girl that he had spoken to fought off a flinch. "Luka, you have to fight it!" she pled.

"And why's that? Why should I go back to my usual self when you've been lying to me this whole time?"

It felt as if the air had been cut off from her lungs. "L-Lying? I-"

"Yes, lying," the guitarist scoffed, with an expression that didn't suit his personality. "I bet that Lila was the one in the right all along, Marinette. You can't make up all of the things she said."

"B-But she did do them! She spread rumours about me, and-"

"There you again..." he remarked, rolling his vibrant crimson eyes as he folded his arms.

Just like Luka's voice, his posture and mannerisms were all wrong, and almost reminded Marinette of someone else until her friend spoke up again with a shake of the head.

"You're always making yourself the victim, aren't you? That's probably why you haven't 'forgiven' your class."

A sudden burst of confidence sparked from the designer's chest, and she defended, "I'll have you know that I did! You can even ask-"

"Chloe, I'm guessing?" he broke in boredly. "Her being your friend just proves what kind of person you are."

Though Marinette was aware that the words weren't Luka's own, she still couldn't help the fact that she took a step back, right into something that didn't move an inch. However, she didn't acknowledge that.

Coming forward, the teal-haired boy derided, "You're just like how you painted Lila to be, aren't you? A deceiving little bully."

He leaned closer. "A deceiving little liar."

It felt like the last word echoed miles around, and the teen froze at the sound of it escaping his lips. She was so startled by the sudden rant that she didn't flinch when two hands from behind held her shoulders.

"You see, Princess?" a male whispered at her ear. "That is why I need to protect you. To save you from people like him."

The cold end of Chat Blanc's baton was slowly pressed to her chest, and instead of a purple light, a pink light emanated from it. It spread a warmth from her legs to the very tips of her fingers, and soon left her still in the akuma's grasp.

Adrien scooped her up gently, before he wrapped her arms around his own neck for stability. She didn't fight back.

Since the scene that had just happened kept playing on repeat in her head. Every insult that Luka had snarked was akin to one of her heartstrings snapping. Every lie that Luka had told kept bringing her back to the image of an Italian wearing a sly smirk, that was aimed only at her.

So caught up in what was whizzing through her mind, Marinette didn't notice how a breeze wasn't flowing through her open locks, nor how the ground wasn't moving up and down anymore until someone had broken her out of her stupor.

"I've got you, Princess."

The same staff from before was placed to her heart, and suddenly she was granted the ability to manipulate her own limbs again. To tell whether or not anything was real or acted - or even forced.

The female breathed deeply. She shook her head to rid of the condescending claims beginning flood her senses, then chanced a quick glance around.

They were near the tip of the Eiffel Tower, from what she could tell. What, with the close clouds and metal foundations all around. Petals of many colours were strewn across the floor, giving off a sweet scent that reminded Marinette of expensive perfume.

Candles were situated on the railings surrounding her and Chat Blanc, providing a soft glow that illuminated their features.

"Seem familiar?" he asked aloud, causing her to snap her attention to him. "It's meant to."

He must have taken her silence as a cue to explain. "I set this up a while ago for when I wanted to invite Ladybug to it, yet she didn't show up. But, I did end up bringing someone else here. That someone was you, Princess."

She debated staying quiet, but couldn't avoid the urge to speak up. "I...I remember."

Adrien smiled warmly - a stark contrast to his icy eyes and snowy suit. "There've been two things that I've learned since back then."

He held up a clawed finger. "One: I admit, I acted like a brat back then, especially when we were fighting Glaciator. I've accepted that, and learnt that Ladybug is only just a friend to me."

Marinette already knew that information, since she herself in the disguise of her alter-ego had listened to him declare it.

"Second," the villain started, just as he walked up to the girl in his presence. He tilted her chin up, gazing down at her. "I've learnt that I was going after the wrong person that whole time...It just took me a while to see that."

The heroine couldn't control how her mouth dropped down, causing Chat Blanc to chuckle. He stalked forward the moment that his friend moved back the smallest bit.

"W-What?" she breathed, bluebell eyes wide. "I...I thought that you only wanted to protect me? Isn't that what you said?"

His amusement at her questions was crystal-clear, with the way that his sharp fangs curled into a grin.

"Oh, Princess, I'm shocked that you're so surprised," he spoke, placing a cold hand on her shoulder. "It was impossible not to fall for you."

The akuma displayed a smirk, bringing his face forward so as to meet her gaze. It only widened when the baker's cheeks dusted a light pink from the action.

"You're amazing, Princess. You helped me when I was feeling down, when I had gotten rejected, gave me advice, cookies, croissants," he listed off, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Cuddles..."

Marinette burned a bright red.

"...And you expected me not to fall for you?" he carried on, while gently grabbing her chin and bringing it up for another time. "Well, guess what? I did."

The one who he had confessed to didn't have any response to his words, and only opened her mouth a few times to speak - yet nothing came out.

"That doesn't mean that you don't need protection, of course. I need to keep you safe from that class of pathetic sheep."

He bared his teeth at the mention of her classmates, and his voice soon trailed off into an angry growl. It made Marinette wince, though Adrien didn't catch it.

That was when the female swore that she heard a quiet thud from behind. She whipped her head back, and was met with the sight of Viperion perched on a beam nearby with a finger held to his lips.

She nodded, and turned back to Chat Blanc. What she saw was him flicking dilated eyes about, as a purple symbol kept appearing and then disappearing in front of his face.

It seemed that he hadn't seen her communicate in silence to Luka, as he was too busy fighting off what had to be the presence of Hawk Moth inside his head.

She gained a resolute look on her features.

I'll save you, Kitty.

Then she snatched a quick glance above, to where Viperion had opted to migrate.

But first I have to find a way to transform and get out of here.