Chapter Text
Tom and Sabine don't remember being akumatized, and maybe that was a small mercy on Hawkmoth's part. People remembered being championed, but never akumatized. Hawkmoth had half a mind to do that much, allow them not remember the horror that he'd wrought.
“Man, I'm so tired!!” Tortue de Mer whines.
“Get used to it, it's called adulthood.” Hawkmoth says without even looking in Tortue's direction, pouting at his empty wallet.
“Wha- Okay, Mr. I'm a walking Windows 95 update.” Nino snarked.
“I will have you know, Windows 95 was revolutionary for the time!” Hawkmoth said aghast.
“It’s kind of funny how you think you’re intimidating. You must’ve been scary… in 1999.” Nino continued snarking, eating his snacks.
“I was a hero in 1999. Thank you very much.” Hawkmoth groans, plopping next to Nino.
“Wait, seriously?” Nino asked.
“Mhm. Papillon Monarque. It was different then. My wife was the hero Déesse Paon and we were… we were happy. Saving Paris from the supervillains who plagued our fair city… El Toro, La Vaca… Ifrit and Yokai. But things changed when my wife… fell ill.” Gabriel lamented.
“We're learning about the previous heroes… Souris Sacrée, Serpent Impie, Déesse Paon, Papillon Monarque, and Renard Blanc. So really, our naming conventions aren't unoriginal!” Nino grins, referring back to Protecteur.
“I suppose not. I'm surprised they haven't taught you about Ange Rouge or Diable Noir. The former Ladybug and Black Cat.” Hawk Moth says lost in thought about his previous team.
“We haven't gotten to them yet. That's next week's lesson.” Nino said, slightly muffled around his egg salad sandwich.
“I see. The team… the team is something I miss. But nothing I can't do without. I used to train them you know… I was the oldest on the team at 23, and I thought it was wise to practice training. It's how we became so effective.” Papillon smiled sadly.
“I get that.” Nino smiled.
“So, what's got you so upset anyways?”
“My friend told me he likes our other friend and then beat the snot out of another guy today…” Nino huffs, wiping at his face.
“Oh, that's not good. I can't imagine how you've been feeling.” Gabriel says sympathetically, mentally preparing for that conversation with Adrien.
“Pissy, sad, heartbroken. I don't know anymore. I don't know how to name my emotions! They're just there!” Nino yells exasperated.
Gabriel could sense them, Heartbreak at the forefront, sadness, disappointment and misplaced anger behind it.
“And you're certain you're angry, and not just upset, disappointed?” Hawk Moth asks.
“Fuck, I don't know?! Okay?! Damn! Get off my ass!” Nino yelled.
“How about I tell you what I sense? Heartbreak, betrayal, sadness, disappointment, anger.” Gabriel hummed, taking half of a turkey and tomato sandwich, ignoring Nino's outburst.
“Yeah, well the shoe fits! Happy?!” Nino growled.
“No, actually. It's unhealthy to bottle up your feelings. That’s not very… skibidi rizz of you? It’s pretty… Ohio of you?” Gabriel chided, albeit a little unsure of himself and the lingo, bopping Nino on the nose with his finger.
Nino visibly cringed and mimed biting Gabriel, his teeth clacking together.
“Hmm, yes. Very scawy. I’m shaking in my boots.” Hawkmoth mocked the teen.
“At least I'm not the villain version of a dad joke.” Nino sassed with an exasperated huff, yoinking back his sandwich from the aforementioned villain. Which prompted Gabe to take the other half of the sandwich, and shoveling it into his mouth like a depraved chipmunk.
Nino only stared in horror and disbelief. “Dude! That was my sandwich!”
“Duuuuude, that was my money! ” Gabriel said, shaking his wallet out, a 1 euro piece falling out for comedic effect.
“You're a dickhead!” Nino yelped, not noticing the jingle jangle of the door to the shop.
“And you're a child with little to no emotional control because you bottle it all up!” Gabriel yelled.
“And you two can leave the front of my shop if you're going to continue disturbing my customers with that sort of language!” Amirah said, with an overly polite smile.
Nino backed up comically on the sidewalk. “It uh, won't happen again Mam- man- Ma’am! Ma’am!”
Gabriel snickered at the boy, and then bowed deeply with an apology.
“My humblest apologies, Mme. Lahiffe. You’ve been gracious enough to a villain, and here I am being disrespectful to your hospitality. It's as Tortue de Mer said, “it will not happen again.””
Mme. Lahiffe found herself blushing a twinge and smiling. “Very good, see that it won’t.”
Nino huffed and looked away from Hawkmoth the moment his mom was inside.
“When you’re ready to talk, you know how to get my attention, Tortue. But you’re not alone in your feelings and they don’t control you.” Hawk Moth sighed, jumping away.
Nino curled in on himself, still munching on his snacks, and deciding to sneak into his room for his pot stash, and disappearing somewhere with his snacks. He wanted to be high and get high in peace.
___________________________________________________________________________
Marinette stirred against the warmth of her Papá’s chest, the room far too quiet without her maman’s steady presence. Her little whine came out broken, as if she were much younger than she was.
“Marinette, Mon amour? What is it?” Tom’s voice cracked with alarm, his big hands sweeping over her shoulders and hair, checking for any sign of hurt. Nothing seemed wrong—no fever, no bruises, no trembling beyond the soft hitch in her breath.
“Where’s Maman?” Marinette’s voice was barely a whisper, but the tears edging her lashes carried the weight of her fear.
Tom’s expression softened immediately. He pulled her closer, tucking her safely against his heart. “She’s still with the lawyers, sweetheart. It’s taking longer than we thought. But she’ll be in soon. You’ve got me for now.”
Marinette tried to nod, but her throat ached. She curled her knees toward her chest, small and fragile in his arms. The chair by the window sat empty, its vacancy glaring at her. She whispered into his shirt, “I don’t like it when she’s not here.”
Tom’s chest rose and fell unevenly, his heart breaking at her words. He kissed the crown of her head, rocking her gently, like he used to when she was a child after nightmares. “I know, Marinette. I know. You’re my strong girl…”
She wanted to believe him. But being strong didn’t stop the ache. Strong didn’t fill the space her maman left behind.
On the end table, her phone buzzed. The screen lit up with a familiar name.
Adrien .
Marinette froze, staring at it. Her heart thumped, torn between answering and hiding. She swiped it open with a trembling hand.
“Marinette?” Adrien’s voice carried through the speaker, soft and hesitant. “I just wanted to check in. How are you?”
Her lips parted automatically around the word fine, the safe little mask she always wore. But it snagged in her throat. For once, she couldn’t push it past her lips.
“Not okay,” she whispered, voice raw.
On the other end, Adrien was silent for a long breath. Then came the sound of him exhaling, slow and steady, like he’d been holding it in. “Thank you for telling me,” he said, his tone weighted with something tender. “Then I’ll stay on the line with you. For as long as you need.”
Marinette clutched the phone tighter, pressing it against her cheek like a second heartbeat. Tears spilled silently as her father’s arms cradled her, Adrien’s voice curling around her like a safety net.
“Do you want me to talk? Or just… be here?” Adrien asked gently.
Marinette sniffled. “Just… be here.”
“Okay.” His voice softened even more. “I’m here.”
Minutes stretched. Tom hummed quietly under his breath, rocking her. Adrien’s breathing filled her ear, steady and reassuring. Between them both, Marinette felt anchored. The hollow ache in her chest didn’t vanish, but it no longer felt unbearable.
She took a shaky breath, pressing closer into her father’s arms. Tomorrow will be just as hard. Maybe harder. But tonight, she wasn’t alone.And maybe that was enough.
Elsewhere in the city, another heart ached quietly in the darkness of frustration.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nino sighed in peace atop the eiffel tower, smoking his blunt in peace. The world seemed so far away from him up here, and he got to watch it go by. His emotions were numbed and he didn’t have to deal with the fraught emotions that brought him immense misery.
Hawkmoth got under his skin in the worst way possible, because he was right . Nino didn’t want to deal with that bullshit. Anbay appeared next to Nino and sat with him. “إذا كان حبيبك عسل متلحسوش كله”
And Nino harshly replied, “حتى أطفال صانع الأحذية يذهبون حفاة.”
“That is true, but is it you who is neglecting those closest to you because you cannot fathom the pain that goes with the truth, or are you scared you will collapse?” Anbay asked, a gentleness in his tone.
Nino turned away and took another long drag of his blunt, the marijuana hitting the back of his throat and entering his lungs. “Maybe it's one, but maybe it's both. But it's defo none of your business.” Nino shot back, agitation sauntering vaguely through his body.
Anbay magically put out the blunt and stared Nino down. “I’m done asking, Nino Lahiffe. Grow up or be left behind in your heartache and misery.” and Anbay disappeared. Nino pouted and attempted to relight his blunt, only to find it wouldn’t light anymore. Nino growled out in frustration, before feeling the anger and hurt and heartbreak betray him and it oozed out of every pore, orifice and appendage of him.
“ Finally, Loveless. Where are you?”
“Top of the eiffel tower.”
“Okay. I will meet you there and we can talk.”
“Yes, Hawkmoth.”
And Loveless waited, still attempting to light his blunt through tears. Hawkmoth finally appeared and snatched the blunt from Loveless.
“Enough of this. Weed does nothing for you. It’s a depressant. You shouldn’t be smoking anyways!” Hawkmoth fretted.
“It makes the pain go away.” Loveless said halfheartedly.
“I know and I understand that, but you’re 14? 15?”
“15.” Loveless said despondently.
“15! Your body is still developing and changing and you can’t just smoke to make your problems disappear! Talk to someone! An adult, a friend, a teacher! Anyone!”
“Alya sent me texts today… calling me a monster for letting Adrien beat the shit out of Kim, saying I was evil. An Iblis. A demon…” Nino’s eyes welled with tears. “Then Marinette is suicidal and wants to kill herself -- I can’t do anything to help the girl I love! The boy I love -- thinks it's okay to beat the hell out of a guy who hurt her! As if he knew what she wanted!” Loveless screamed out, his shout making the Eiffel tower creak and shift uncomfortably.
“And he doesn’t. Does he?” Gabriel provoked.
“ No! I won’t claim to know her more than him, or that I know her better than him, but dammit Adrien!” Loveless shouts in anguish, the Eiffel tower groaning lowly, stress on her beams, the steel momentarily seeming to bend and bow with each shout, the lights flickering as a storm brewed o’erhead.
“And that frustrates you, makes you angry?!” Hawkmoth continued provoking.
“ YES! ” Nino’s voice boomed, the steel cage of the Eiffel tower rattling at the scream, her steel ribs cracking open and splintering, a burst of rain dropping on Paris. Loveless began screaming and howling in his misery and anguish.
Hawkmoth just smiled, and held the boy in his arms, as he took weak hit after hit, as Loveless sobbed asking why wouldn’t they choose him? Why wouldn’t they give him a chance?
Hawkmoth answered in soothing tones, watching as the white suit turned to a soft grey in the rain, the lace blindfold around his eyes soaked with tears.
Gabriel thought back to the snake holder, whining over the mouse holder, how much he loved him but he always chose their duty over him. Gabriel remembered how much he hated it, but ultimately, he had a fondness for the memory now.
He wondered how the team was doing from time to time, if their lives led them down different paths.
Eventually, Nino stopped sobbing, and let himself float in the emptiness he felt, feeling the rain wash over him. He let himself grow chilled to the bone and let the true absence of emotion wash over him. He loved it. He felt free.
“Do you feel better Loveless?” Hawkmoth asked.
“This is better than any high.” Nino sighed, feeling boneless.
“That’s not what I wanted to hear. The point is for you to release your emotions. Not numb them.”
“And they’ve been hella released dude. I feel better than I have in months.”
“Well… good. I’m glad to hear that.”
“Hell yeah.” Loveless purred.
Where was Impie’s cynicism when you needed it? Hawkmoth was in child hell. First his son beats the snot out of a boy and Gabriel had no clue how to react so he just… congratulated his son. He now realizes that was the wrong decision.
And now he’s dealing with a kid stoned out of his gourd who’s been championed. Why was this his life? If that sky man was real, he needed to strike him down. He thought back to his team, how they were much better at managing their emotions, but they were also adults with better emotional regulation and control. Gabriel missed his team from time to time.
“I’m taking your champion back. You won’t remember this, but you will feel better,” Hawk Moth decided. And when Nino was released from his champion, Hawk Moth was gone. Gabriel was gone.
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Nino breathed in the iron smell of rain on steel. The Tower groaned beneath him, a hollow and entangled mess of ribs and veins that thrummed faintly against his body like a second heartbeat. He felt lighter than he had in months—and maybe that was okay.
Below, Paris glittered and pulsed, oblivious.
Somewhere far off, dim and distant, Ladybug’s voice rose—her call to summon the Cure. A ripple of magic swept the city, bright and whole, knitting together the wreckage he’d left behind.
Not that he cared.
The world was mended. He was not.
And still, he felt light. He felt free.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Ladybug and Chat Noir raced to the Eiffel Tower, confused at how the Tower had become a twisted mess. One moment: sunset. The next: rain and ruin.
“M’lady, do you know what happened?” Chat Noir asked worriedly
.
“Not a clue, Kitty! But my cure fixed it, which means it was Akuma damage. Let’s just hope it's not Augustine again.” Marinette sighed, choosing to ignore her own sadness.
The Tower groaned under their weight as they climbed, its joints clicking like an old man’s bones. Paris glittered below, indifferent, the Seine a dark ribbon cutting through the city.
“I hope not. I can’t stand fighting a baby again!” Adrien groaned, his day replaying on loop. When they reached the upper levels, they found Tortue de Mer—eyes glassy and wet, soaked to the bone.
“Tortue?! Are you okay? Where’s your akuma?” Ladybug asked, snapping into quick-thinking mode.
“I don’t have one, dudette. ‘M fine. Riding the high of life.” His sarcasm dripped like ichor from fangs.
Rainwater dripped from the beams, steady as a ticking clock. Marinette’s stomach sank. Adrien’s tail flicked once, metal swishing too loud in the hush before she snapped back into panic.
“Nino! This is no time for joking around! Where. Is. Your. Akuma?!” Marinette demanded, her breaths already short.
“I. Don’t. Have. One. Now take a breath! Jesus!” Nino yelped.
Her breathing rattled, uneven at first, catching like sobs. The Tower’s wind moaned hollow around them, as if it too struggled for air. Adrien’s claws scraped steel with every twitch. Five long minutes passed before her breaths steadied.
“Did you wanna talk about it?” Ladybug asked gently. “We won’t tell anyone.” Marinette added, softer.
And so Nino did. He laid out his whole day—except for about an hour and a half he couldn’t account for.
The confession hung heavy, louder than any shout. Marinette’s yo-yo cord tapped restlessly against the railing; Adrien’s ears drooped, the sparkle in his eyes gone—only guilt left.
“Nino—I didn’t think. Punching Kim out, I just—Adrien didn’t—” Chat Noir stammered, then bolted, leaving them in silence.
The clang of his boots echoed long after he vanished. The storm-washed air pressed cold against their skin, filling the void he left behind. Marinette’s fingers dug into the railing, white-knuckled, like she was holding the Tower together herself.
Marinette leaned on Nino and dropped her transformation.
“Did he—he didn’t? Did he?!?” Marinette spluttered. Nino was screaming internally as he summoned his comm. “Agreste! Get back here right now or so help me I’m bro-vorcing you!” he squawked.
Adrien reappeared five minutes later, dropping his transformation when he saw Nino had already dropped his.
“Hey Marinette, when did you get here? Are you okay to be out?” Adrien asked, worried. Marinette gaped at him, then sighed.
“No, silly! Ladybug is right here!” Tikki giggled, circling Marinette.
“Sugar Cube! Oolong!” Plagg cheered, smothering their faces in smooches.
“Marinette? No way! All this time? Then—it works! I love Ladybug, you love me—we’re meant to be, right?” Adrien asked breathlessly.
Marinette froze. Hot tears hit cold steel. The Tower groaned, lights flickering in sympathy. Adrien’s mouth hung open, words stuck.
She broke down, messy tears spilling as the Tower echoed her grief.
“Wha—wa
s it something I said
?”
“Oh little one, love doesn’t work like that. You hurt her feelings, little kitten.”
Dionysus purred, pulling him into a ghastly hug, nails raking Adrien’s back.
“
Ow! That hurts!
” Adrien yelped.
His cry cut off. The Tower buzzed with an electric hum, red welts raw on his back. Dionysus’ words slithered into the stillness:
“As much as she does~ you need to fix it. Apologize.”
“Marinette… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that—I just—meant it like…” Adrien trailed off. Marinette stared at him like he’d grown three heads.
“You don’t know me at all! If you think I’m that shallow, that vapid, that stupid—you’re dead wrong! First you beat up Kim! Then you think I’d love you just because you love some
other
version of me?! Are you dense!?” Marinette yelled.
Nino’s thoughts fractured. Sound collapsed inward—Marinette’s sobs muffled, Adrien’s protests distant, like underwater echoes. His heartbeat thundered, skipped, faltered. Darkness spidered from the edges of his vision, the Tower tilting before everything gave way.