Chapter Text
Adrien watched with a blank stare as his father was forced into a cop car, his expression never changing even as he heard his father calling his name. He knew his mother’s body would soon follow after, wrapped up in a body bag. But he felt nothing towards that either, he had accepted her fate long ago. No, he feared the body that would follow his mother’s, a much fresher one than her corpse.
She had just been fighting alongside him, breaking into his family estate and coming after the very man he had called father most of his life. It had been going so well, but all things had to come to an end. Nothing could be perfect; a lesson he had learned a few years prior.
They didn’t know when Hawkmoth had gotten ahold of his staff, but one minute it was on the ground, and the next it was clean through Ladybug’s abdomen. The image was still fresh in his mind. He didn't know how he would unsee that, or ever forget it.
Blood dripped down the cane that protruded from her chest through her back, landing on the ground in a sickening red splatter. The look of fear on her face was one he’d never let himself forget, nor would the scream she let out when it was torn out the way it went in.
She collapsed to the ground in a heap, leaving Chat Noir only a few seconds to react. He scrambled over to her crumpled form, pulling her into his lap. He didn’t pay any mind to the blood quickly seeping into the sleek leather of his outfit, as he held her close to his heart. It'd be gone in the next transformation cycle anyways.
He placed his hand in hers, squeezing her fingers as she laid in his lap. God- there was so much blood.
Blood.
Her Blood.
Why was there so much blood-
He couldn’t stop the bleeding-
Too much,
TOO MUCH.
WHY WON'T THE BLEEDING STOP!
He was brought back to reality when she weakly squeezed his hand back, her gaze drifting up to meet his. He pressed a gentle kiss to her palm, before moving his hand up to push away some flyaways from her face.
His heart dropped into his stomach as he watched her transformation drop.
Marinette.
It was Marinette.
His best friend was bleeding out in his arms.
She was bleeding out.
Bleeding out,
Bleeding out,
Bleeding out.
“Princess..” He gasped gently, holding her hand tighter as Tikki floated beside them, a look of desperation on the kwami’s face.
He let his transformation drop, not caring for the clatter of his father’s cane hitting the metal panels below their feet or the slam of his father’s knees against that very same floor.
“M-minou, I-” Marinette started, before breaking out into a hacking fit, blood filling her mouth.
He didn’t mind the blood soaking into his civilian attire, they could be replaced. He had many other clothing items. Clothes were materialistic. She wasn’t. He couldn’t buy another Marinette, he couldn’t replicate his feelings for her through artificial means.
“Save your strength, Marinette. Just close your eyes.” Adrien murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
She gave a weak smile at him as the life left her eyes, and she exhaled for one final time. He felt her go limp in his hold, though he made no move to let her go. She was gone.
Gone,
Gone.
She was gone.
Ladybug was gone.
Marinette was gone.
He gripped onto Marinette tighter as he felt someone try to grab her out of his arms. He knew exactly who had the audacity to even dare to grab his lady out of his grasp. The young boy let out a loud growl, holding her tighter to him and moving back away from his father.
“Adrien. You must understand- I’m doing this to bring your mother back, we need her in our life-”
“You plan to trade her life for my mothers?! The woman who’s been dead for 3 years?! You plan to take away the best thing in my fucking life for a selfish whim?! LET MY MOTHER REST, GOD DAMN IT.” Adrien yelled, causing his father to flinch.
“Adrien you have no right to speak to me in that tone of-”
“Tone of voice be DAMNED.” Adrien snapped, cutting off Gabriel once more.
Gabriel fell silent, and Adrien knew he was staring at him with disdain. He could care less about his father’s contempt for him, when all he could feel was Marinette growing slowly colder.
His eyes became hollow as he stared at Marinette’s face. She looked oddly peaceful. Compared to the horrible pain she had been left in earlier, he was glad she could rest.
She could finally rest.
------
The next couple hours had been a complete blur, as he couldn’t remember exactly what he had done or said. All he knew was that it ended with his father and Nathalie behind bars, and their miraculous in his hands.
His heart sank into his stomach once he realized how truly alone he was now.
This wasn’t the victory he envisioned in his head.
He envisioned an epic battle, with both him and Ladybug coming out victorious. Celebrations would ring out throughout Paris as Hawkmoth and Mayura were led to their downfall, and then they’d reveal their identities at the end of the night. Living out the rest of their lives, getting married and having those 3 kids and a hamster that he knew Marinette had always wanted. Growing old together.
But now, none of that was possible.
Because Marinette was gone.