Chapter Text
Hawkmoth stared in abject terror as his akuma dropped the girl from the very top. He told her to stop, but he knew the akuma had a grudge against Marinette, but he didn’t know it was to the point it was fatal. He could demand the akuma to save her, but he felt her hate was stronger than his influence. All he could do is watch. He didn’t notice someone running up behind him until the person climbed onto the railing and launched themselves off of it after the girl. It took Hawkmoth a moment to realize who it was and he reached his arm out to catch him, but he was out of his reach. He and Backstabber cried out, but it was too late. He watched in horror as his son fell after Marinette. “Why?” He asked, not facing his akuma, gripping his cane until his hand went numb. “Why did you throw her over the edge?!” Backstabber turned her head to face Hawkmoth, her face a shade paler than the red she was, her eye widened and tears falling with the weight of regret. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! THAT’S MY SON JUMPING AFTER HER!”
“I-I thought if I got rid of her for good, that she’ll stop being a problem in my life. That all of my problems would be solved. I didn’t expect Adrien to go jumping after her. Wait--your son?” Backstabber stared at Hawkmoth wide eyed as the realization washed over her. “You’re Gabriel Agreste.” Hawkmoth immediately de-akumatized Lila, and just watched over the edge, hoping and praying that something, someone will save both his son and his son’s friend.
* * *
Alya, Nino,and Chloe, now back as their civilian selves, were standing on top of a building and watched in horror as Backstabber let go of Marinette. There was nothing either of them could do to go catch and save her. They all have used up all of their energy fighting a brainwashed Tom Dupain and subsequently other brainwashed zombies. When they transformed back, they had to run into the nearest building to avoid being touched and thus be brainwashed to believe every lie Backstabber has told them. Never again did they want to fall into her influence. Shortly after Marinette was let go, they saw someone jumping after her, they noticed blonde hair and a black hoodie.
“Is- is that Chat Noir?” Nino asked, squinting his eyes to see clearly.
“I’m pretty sure that is him, he went ahead of me,” Chloe replied, trying to perch higher on the roof, but almost lost her balance.
“I don’t think so, he’s not wearing all black, He’s actually wearing jeans,” Alya pointed out. It took them a second to realize, as they see him get closer to Marinette who it really was.
“ADRIEN!” Nino covered his eyes and turned towards Alya who held him tightly and buried her face into his chest, both beginning to sob. Chloe wanted to avert her eyes from what was happening but couldn’t, as she was hoping, begging, pleading for Chat Noir to catch them.
* * *
Marinette couldn’t breathe as Backstabber gripped her neck tightly and lifted her from the floor. She was impossibly strong for a girl of her stature, but Marinette figured it was because of the akuma. Thoughts suddenly flooded her mind as she was carried to the edge of the top, dangled over the protective rail. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Backstabber pulled her close to her face and whispered “I hate you with every fiber of my being, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”
Marinette could hear Hawkmoth telling her to stop, but it was too late. Backstabber released her grip from Marinette’s neck and watched her fall with a grin on her face.
The wind furiously rushed around her as she fell from the highest point of the Eiffel tower. The look of malice on Backstabber’s face terrified her to no end. No, it wasn’t Backstabber-- it was Lila’s intention to drop her. Hawkmoth told her to not do it, but she did it. The last thing she remembers was the look on Hawkmoth’s face before Backstabber let go of her- the look of pure regret. It would have puzzled Marinette if she wasn’t terrified out of her mind because she was falling to her death. She extended her limbs to catch more air resistance, her skirt helping a little, acting as a very small parachute, but she was falling hard and fast, facing the sky. She was falling fast, but everything felt so slow. Thoughts rushed through her head, her parents, her friends, Chat Noir, Adrien... Oh how she wished she could have seen Adrien one last time. To see him smile and laugh. He would never see her again, and it crushed her heart, he was adamant on helping her, but that was taken from him, and now she’s falling to her death. He wouldn’t know until one of her friends, hell maybe not until the news reported it. As a matter of fact they were probably filming at this moment, broadcasting her final moments to the entirety of Paris.
Marinette clamped her eyes shut at the thought of that. At the thought of her father who was probably watching as his little girl fell. She knew he carried her here. She slipped in and out of consciousness as the was carried to the top, but she remembers being cradled delicately in his large arms. Tears began to emerge through her shut eyes. Her maman was probably watching through the television if she wasn’t brainwashed, alone and unable to do anything, probably desperately crying. Her friends, maybe they can save her, they are her chosen to be holders of the miraculous. But no one was coming, so perhaps they were brainwashed, or transformed back, or are running late. Too late. Her last hope was Chat Noir, but even he was running behind. Marinette felt like she had no choice but to accept the fact that today was her last day alive.
She didn’t want to accept that. She had high hopes for her future. She wanted to graduate from school and become a fashion designer. She wanted to save Paris as Ladybug at any given moment. She wanted to fall in love with Adrien and have three children and a pet hamster named--
“MARINETTE!” Her eyes flew open when she heard her name. The tears that she tried to hold back escaped as her eyes focused more on the shape above her in a nose dive, approaching fast. His blond hair was whipping furiously around his face as he willed himself to go faster. The hood of his hoodie was also whipping furiously as one of his arms lay flat on his side and the other was placed inside the pocket. He was squinting to protect his vivid green eyes.
“ADRIEN, NO!” More tears escaped as she was trying to convince herself that this wasn’t happening. “No, that isn’t Adrien, that’s just my wishful imagination hoping to see him. I did not drag him into this, he’s safe and sound wherever her is and is unaware of me falling--” He got closer and his face was more clear. “It is him! Why, oh why did I return the Ladybug miraculous, I could have avoided all of this, I could have saved him--”
“PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!” The green flash almost blinded her, but the gasp escaped her lips as she watched the boy she loved with the entirety of her being transform into who she hoped would be her longtime crime fighting partner. His arms wrapped around her waist as he finally reached her. Chat reached towards the back of his belt and pulled out his baton. “Yes! I was wondering if it’ll come back if I retransformed.” Chat gave Marinette a toothy smile as she stared at him with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape. He pulled himself closer to Marinette. “Lean your head into my neck. I don’t want you to break your neck as I try to save us.” She did as he told and Chat extended his baton to hit the side of the tower to change the trajectory of their fall from straight down and almost hitting the wider part of the tower, to a sideways arch where Chat can guide the fall to a safer place. He then extended the baton to the floor and continued to fall in increasingly smaller arches until they landed in the street nearby the formerly brainwashed crowd. They landed roughly and had to roll with the landing, but both came out with some scratches and scrapes. Some people from the crowd rushed to their aid, making sure they were fine. Marinette’s knees were scraped badly, and Chat started to develop bruised in some locations. Other than that, they didn’t have anything serious.
Everyone stepped back from the duo and just stared in astonishment at the both of them. They watched Adrien Agreste turn into Chat Noir and save the girl, Marinette was her name, who happened to be Ladybug. Chat decided to transform back into Adrien, causing those nearby to gasp, as if to confirm what they saw was true. Adrien turned to Marinette, who was looking at him with disbelief. He couldn’t help but give her a sheepish smile. “Surprise.” Marinette then proceeded to then gently tackle him and began to desperately sob into his chest.
“Adrien, oh Adrien, I thought you were in danger! It came out that you were missing and I thought it was because of me, and and I was falling and I thought I was never going to see you again, but then you were falling after me and I was regretting stepping down as Ladybug, because if I was still Ladybug I could- I could have--” She felt his arms wrap around her and he held her tightly, with no intention to let go of her anytime soon. As soon as she understood this, she wrapped her arms around him, and they stayed in this embrace for a few minutes, basking in each other’s presence. If it was at any other situation, Marinette would have melted at the spot, but the both of them almost died, and Marinette was just grateful that he was there to save the both of them. Grateful that she had a partner as wonderful as Chat Noir, who was also Adrien Agreste! Marinette pulled away as soon as she heard him sniffle and looked at him in the eyes. He began to cry as their eyes met, gently cradling her face with his hands. He leaned his forehead on her and began to quietly sob. Plagg wanted to come out of his hiding spot to comfort Adrien, but upon seeing the scene before him, he decided to not interfere and returned to his hiding spot, despite wanting to hug Marinette tightly as well.
“I-I thought I was going to lose you,” his voice was strained. He sniffled and exhaled softly, hands beginning to shake. He moved his hands to hers and held them at his lap, rubbing the back of her hands with his thumb gently, to help calm the both of them down. “I-I made it to the top of the tower just as Backstabber dangled you over the edge, I was beginning to approach, but she let go of you and I just felt my heart drop with you. I-I had no other choice but to jump after you. You-you could have--” The tears didn’t stop falling from his face. It was Marinette’s turn to cradle his face in her hands.
“Shh, it’s okay-- it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here safe and sound because of you,” more tears cascaded down her cheeks as her shaking began to subside. Adrien glanced up to look into her eyes, staying like that for a while.
“You also were so hospitable to me when I stayed at your place last night. So in a way you also saved me. I ran away from home because I didn’t want to deal with my father anymore-- I didn’t want to be away from you... To me it mattered more that I would have just stayed as Chat Noir until it was safe for me to transform back. The mere fact that your family was more than happy to let me stay filled my heart up with hope. It also made it easier for me to keep my promise to you. My promise to be there for you through it all.” Adrien held up his pinky and wiggled it, making Marinette gasp a little. She finally realized why the gesture was so familiar. Adrien made it before he left for home the day before, and he did it as Chat a few times. Marinette lightly chuckled and hooked her pinky with his, leaning her forehead on his.
Plagg flew out again from his spot and hugged Marinette tightly, startling her a bit, but he got a soft chuckle. She held him against her face gently, appreciating his rare moment of concern and affection. “Marinette, don’t ever do that again, you hear? I would hate to make Sugar Cube devastated if I told her you have lost you life. You hear me!” Marinette giggled, but nodded her head, giving Plagg a small kiss on his head.
They remained seated on the ground for a few moments before they heard Tom’s voice calling from the crowd. The crowd moved out of the way for Marinette’s father to get through. His eyes were misty, and he was out of breath from running through the crowd. As soon as he reached the duo, he lifted the both of them up in his arms and held the both of them tightly in a kind of group hug. That’s when his tears finally rolled down from his eyes and began to blubber incoherently. Both teens just held him back just as tightly and shed tears along with him. He gently set them down, wiping away his tears, and stared at the both of them with glimmering eyes.
“MARINETTE!!” Alya, Nino, and Chloe scramble out of the building they were hiding in and ran up to their best friend, capturing her and Adrien in another group hug. Alya had her face pressed up against Marinette’s and just began to sob. “I’m so sorry Marinette. For not believing you sooner about Lila. None of this would have happened if we just listened to you!” Nino, like Marinette’s father, was blubbering incoherently, and Chloe just quietly held them, for once at a loss for words. “I am a shit friend for treating you like that. You were right, and we were wrong. We were completely and utterly wrong. I hope you can forgive us someday.” Marinette again began to cry when Alya said these words. She just held her best friend tighter and cried. It was shitty of Alya and Nino for treating her the way they did.
“I accept your apology, Alya. It did hurt that you didn’t believe me, so it’ll probably be a while until I actually forgive you--” More tears were shed from Alya, but she understood. Marinette and Alya hugged tightly again, and at that moment, Alya swore to herself that she’ll do anything to make it up to Marinette, especially when it almost led to her death.
A police car rolled up to the group, causing them to step back a bit, and from the back seat out came Sabine, gently laying her hand on her back. Nino and Alya rush to her aid and help her walk up to Marinette. As soon as she reached her, Sabine held her daughter tightly and didn’t let go for a few minutes as if to protect her from the world. She then pulled away and held Marinette’s face in her hands
“Oh my sweet girl! You’re safe, you’re safe! I was couch ridden after my scuffle with Backstabber because of my back. I turned on the TV and the breaking news was showing you falling. I- I could only watch. I was so scared I couldn’t even think straight. Called the police to see if they could escort me here, but they were running late. I wasn’t going to make it-- But-but--” She then turned to face Adrien, “You, young man, risked your life to save her. Who would have thought that the boy she-- ahem-- Who would have thought that you, Adrien Agreste, was Chat Noir? We thought we were never going to see you again, especially since we thought you went missing.” Sabine then held Adrien in her arms. “Thank you so much, for being there for my daughter. For keeping your promise to her, no matter what. No wonder she fancies you a lot.” Sabine gave Adrien a wink, and Marinette went red.
“Maman!” Then it dawned on Marinette that she confessed to Chat Noir that she liked Adrien. Chat Noir was Adrien. All Marinette wanted to do at that moment was to run and hide from everyone. The best she could do was hide her face. Adrien noticing this, smirked widely and leaned in close to Marinette.
“It’s okay bugaboo, I’ll keep it a secret,” Adrien winked at her, and smirked again when she went red again, but this time didn’t cover her face, and gave him a gentle bump on his arm with her fist. He may be Adrien, but in front of her, he can be Chat Noir as much as he wanted to be. They were both beginning to become comfortable enough with each other, a little bit of flirting was harmless.
“It’s not much of a secret now, is it, my kitten?” Adrien lit up at the nickname and at that moment wanted to give her the deepest kiss he could muster, but unfortunately it had to wait. A loud yell was heard from the other side of the crowd. They couldn’t see for the crowd seemed to rearrange themselves in front of them to protect them, but they knew who it was. Hawkmoth.
“We can’t let anymore people get hurt by him! We have to stop this right here, right now!” Marinette began to walk towards the crowd, but she felt a hand grab her by the wrist. She turned back to see Adrien holding her, a serious look on his face. “Adrien!”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to go face him!”
“But you don’t have the Ladybug miraculous! I--”
“It doesn’t matter if I have it or not. I vowed to stop this villain from harming the citizens of Paris, and I’ll be damned if I go back on that. I’ll do it out of suit if I have to.” Marinette was about step away again, but Adrien gripped her wrist tighter. Plagg hovered by Adrien and they exchanged looks, Plagg immediately understanding what Adrien was trying to convey without words.
“It’s your choice, kid. Do what you want.” Plagg watched as Adrien knelt down on one knee, reaching into his pocket, ignoring all of the people watching this unfold. He pulled out the box in his pocket and opened it, holding it up to Marinette. All she could do was stare as her partner and crush knelt there holding up the recognizable box.
“I did return the box to Ma-- to you know who. He then asked me to choose the next Ladybug. I was contemplating someone else, but it just felt wrong. The person I was thinking of was the wrong choice and she proved it herself, and it made me realize that to me, you would always be the right choice. So Marinette, please,” Adrien blushed profusely, aware of how this looked to everyone else, but didn’t care because the Chat Noir side of him did like being a little dramatic. “Be the Ladybug to my Chat Noir? There’s no one more worthy.” Marinette blushed profusely, but began to cry because those words washed away all of her worries, fears, and doubts. To hear that Adrien, her Chat Noir, found her worthy enough that he couldn’t think of anyone else.
Marinette nodded and took the box from Adrien, garnering loud cheers from the crows and a tight hug from Adrien. They hesitantly pulled apart and Marinette pulled out the two polka dotted earrings from the box, immediately putting them on. Out came it’s little resident, Tikki, who had her cute little face twisted in a confused face. Her large eyes landed on Marinette and immediately flew her way to hug her, tears streaming down her face.
“Marinette!” Tikki cried as she hugged her face.
“Tikki!” Marinette held her dear friend in her hands and gently squeezed her against her face, also shedding some tears. “I missed you so much Tikki!” Tikki nuzzled her face into Marinette’s cheek and sniffled.
“I missed you too, Marinette. Let’s never separate again.” Marinette agreed to that and they continued to hold each other. Adrien, the crew and Marinette’s parents watched with misty eyes as both friends reunited with unending enthusiasm. Tikki then pulled away and looked around, looking at the crowd that gathered. “What happened?”
“It’s a long story. But for now, there is a villain we need to catch.” Tikki nodded and readied herself.
“Marinette, let us help too!” Chloe said, getting ready to transform. Alya and Nino nodded and readied themselves as well. Marinette smiled and shook her head.
“Your kwamis are still tired from your transformations. Even if you were able to transform, they haven’t eaten to regain their energy. You guys would just transform back quickly.” The trio were about to argue back but Marinette just shook her head. “Thank you guys so much. But Chat Noir and I can handle him.” The trio exchanged glances and nodded, trusting in her judgement.
“Tikki, spots on! Yah!” Marinette began to go through her transformation. Adrien followed shortly after, “Plagg, claws out!” As soon as the both of them ended their transformations, the crowd went wild, but hushed as Ladybug, in her full glory, lifted her hand to quiet them. “Let me get to Hawkmoth.” The crowd suddenly parted down the middle, creating a path to Hawkmoth, who was glaring at them. Both she and Chat Noir began to walk briskly with their heads held high to face their ultimate nemesis. Just behind Hawkmoth, in her civilian form, Lila watched with an expressionless look in her eyes.
“Hawkmoth, your reign of terror ends here!” Ladybug called out, expertly swinging her yoyo.
“So it appears you were bluffing,” Hawkmoth stated. Ladybug gave him no response. “I see now, you wanted to really throw me off the miraculous by lying about what you did to them. You’re smart.”
“It’s a technique I learned from a certain someone,” Ladybug’s eyes flicked to Lila, then back to Hawkmoth. Lila gave Ladybug a death glare but she just ignored it.
“Meowch, that must’ve stung,” Chat said, twirling his baton into fight mode. Lila glared at him, but he just gave her a toothy smirk. Hawkmoth just stared at Chat, unwilling to show an expression on his face. Then his eyes flickered to Ladybug and rage suddenly creeped up to his face.
“You dragged him into this!” he said, lifting up his cane to accusingly point at Ladybug. “He had no business getting into all of this and you-- YOU!” Hawkmoth rushed to Ladybug, lifting his cane up to strike. Chat Noir blocked his attack with his baton, but Hawkmoth pushed to try to overcome him. Ladybug prepared her lucky charm to see how they can capture him, but the only thing that appeared was a tie. She was very confused until she realized that the tie was a Gabriel Agreste mark tie. The realization washed over her and she covered her mouth. Hawkmoth and Chat continued to struggle. They both locked eyes and Hawkmoth immediately relented, dropping his cane and he fell to his knees. This sudden submission startled Chat Noir. He stepped back and prepared for what came next.
He wasn’t prepared at all.
“Nooroo, dark wings fall--” There was a blinding light, and Chat’s baton clattered as it fell to the floor. Chat stared, speechless. There was a collective gasp as the crowd slowly realized who was the one behind the villain’s mask. Ladybug’s still had her hands covering her mouth and glanced at Chat Noir’s face. There was no expression, but his eyes were wide and it scrunched into an indiscernible emotion. He clutched at his chest and fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He transformed back into Adrien, and Plagg tried to comfort him. Ladybug threw the Lucky Charm to the sky and it worked its magic, fixing everything destroyed in the fight, including healing her mother’s back. She then let her transformation fall as she knelt beside Adrien, gingerly placing her hand on his back to comfort him. She then locked eyes with the man before her, who had a defeated look in his eyes.
“I-I thought that it was you who was dragging my son into this... but it was actually me... Adrien, forgive me--”
“WHY?!” One word only managed to slip out of his lips, but the rage hit Gabriel Agreste like a locomotive. Gabriel tried to steady himself, but his shoulders began to shake. He avoided meeting his son’s eyes as he prepared to give his son the answer no one anticipated.
“It was to bring your mother back.” There was absolute silence and Gabriel took this as a sign to keep talking. “Y-your mother isn’t missing. She never was missing. She’s actually in our mansion, in a comatose state.” No words were uttered from Adrien, he just stared at his father, fury fueling his glare.
“She’s what?”
“She was the holder of the Peacock miraculous, and it ended up damaged somehow, causing her to go in a coma. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why. I thought that if I got both the Ladybug and Cat miraculous, I could use their combined powers to bring her back. I-I’ve almost--”
Adrien cut him off, “That’s enough.” He stood up and walked up to his father. He noticed a small purple creature hiding behind Gabriel’s shoulder. As soon as Plagg and Tikki lay their eyes on it, they cried out.
“Nooroo!” Upon hearing his name, the little butterfly kwami flew out, nervous that Gabriel would yell at him for showing himself. No comment came from Gabriel, so Nooroo rushed to hug his friends, who both were awaiting this glorious reunion. They spun in the air for a moment, laughing and crying, relieved to have Nooroo back in safety. Both Marinette and Adrien watched, Marinette with a soft smile on her face, but Adrien wore no emotion.
Adrien turned back to his father and held out his hand. “Hand over the miraculous.” Gabriel looked up at his son with pleading eyes, but Adrien didn’t give him the satisfaction of showing him any emotion. Relenting, Gabriel took off the purple brooch that was hidden underneath his tie and placed it in Adrien’s hand, who clutched as if to keep it from being taken again. Adrien turned his back to his father and walked away without a word. Marinette walked up to Gabriel, who was being handcuffed by the police.
“Mr. Agre-- Gabriel. You didn’t have to do this. You had other options that may have saved your wife. Why go with the most destructive one?” Gabriel and Marinette held eye contact, staying silent.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe, maybe I was just desperate and didn’t think straight--”
“Yes, you didn’t think straight.” Marinette turned and began to walk away, halting for a moment before muttering, “Now you broke your own son’s heart and I don’t think there’s coming back from that.”
“Gabriel Agreste, you are under arrest for terrorizing Paris--” Marinette walked up to Adrien, who sat down on a nearby curb away from the now dispersing crowd. Some people were trying to console him, but Nino and Alya were shooing them away. Many tried to congratulate Marinette on finally capturing Hawkmoth, but she ignored them for her focus was on Adrien. He had one hand running through his hair and the other clutched the Butterfly miraculous. Plagg was attempting to comfort him along with Chloe, but he just tried to zone them out. The more they spoke, the more he seemed to tense up. Marinette knelt in front of him, shushing their friends, and reached out her hand, letting him decide if he wanted her touch or not. It took a moment but he took her hand and looked at her.
“Do you want to go home?” Marinette asked. Adrien shook his head. “Do you want to stay here?” Again, he shook his head. “Um... Do you want to be left alone?” He then nodded. Marinette glanced around at everyone and understood, with the team returning their miraculous to Marinette, saying their goodbyes and began to leave. Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand and pleaded with his eyes for her to stay. “Okay, I’ll stay.” He then stood up, still holding her hand. Marinette began to rub his thumb with her’s gently and he seemed to relax a bit, but not before he let a tear fall. “I’ll meet you guys back home.” Her parents nodded and they started to head back home. The square was empty except for a few stragglers. The news van was packing up, with the anchoress waving goodbye to the pair before climbing on. Marinette felt a gentle tug on her arm, and followed Adrien, who was leading the way. They began to walk around, aimless. A few people almost stopped to congratulate them on capturing Hawkmoth, but immediately changed their minds upon seeing Adrien, giving him sympathetic looks. Marinette never let go of his hand, for she knew it gave him great comfort. Again, she would have melted on the spot, but under these circumstances... She had to be his rock like he was hers the past couple of days.
“I don’t know what to do...” he finally said as they sat on a bench looking out to the river. “My dad is more than likely going to prison, my mother is in a coma... I need to find her in my dad’s mansion. I-I don’t know where I’m going to go. I don’t want to leave Paris to live with some family somewhere else. I want to stay here with my friends. I want to stay here with you.” Adrien finally let go of Marinette’s hand and covered his crying eyes. “I feel like I’ve been left to the streets, like a stray cat.” Marinette pulled him into a tight hug, and didn’t let him go.
“You aren’t. I won’t allow it,” Marinette whispered, never letting go of him. “Chloe, Alya, and Nino won’t allow it. My parents, hell, maybe even your father’s assistant and your bodyguard. We’ll all help figure out how to keep you here.” She pulled away and cupped his face, gently rubbing his cheek. “Maybe even Master Fu could help.” Adrien’s eyes lit up as if a thought came to mind.
“Master Fu can help...Marinette, you’re a genius!” He cupped her face with a joyous expression on his face and gave her a very brief, but very affectionate kiss on her lips, unaware of what he did. Marinette just stared at him wide eyed, and he stared back, also wide eyed. Their cheeks reddened, but they didn’t want to let go of each other’s faces. Adrien wanted to apologize, but at the same time, he didn’t want to. “I-I’m s-sorr--” Marinette gently returned the kiss, holding it for a few seconds before pulling back, still blushing profusely.
“I-I’m sorry, you just looked super cute, I couldn’t resist,” she said as she retreated her slightly trembling hands, grazing her finger against her lips. Adrien wanted to speak, but she continued “But you’re thinking about asking Master Fu if there’s a way to help your mother wake up, huh?”
“There may be a way.” The voice startled them as Master Fu nonchalantly sat next to them in the bench. “But first, there was a girl spying on the both of you from the top of those stairs. Long brown hair, green eyes, had a tendency to work with Hawkmoth. I suggest if you guys want to be affectionate with each other, don’t do it in front of her, or she’ll be glaring daggers at you guys.” Marinette discretely glanced up the stairs and sure enough, Lila was watching them from behind something. Adrien gave her a not-so-discrete glare, and she ran off, giving them a final glare.
“Master Fu, you said there’s possibly a way to help my mom. What is it?” Adrien gave Master Fu a hopeful look, but Wang just gave him a neutral look.
“In the book, there is a potion for those affected by broken miraculous. It takes a while though, because some of the ingredients are difficult to procure, and it takes about a month to make the potion. I’m not even sure if it’ll work for your mother because she’s been in this state for a long time.”
“Something is better than nothing,” Marinette said, looking determined.
“Please Master Fu,” Adrien pleaded. “I’ll do anything to help.” Master Fu observed the both of them and smiled.
“I knew I made the right choice with the both of you,” Master Fu stood up and smiled at the teens. “Look for your mother. Once you find her, take her to the hospital to check her vitals. Hopefully the potion will be done in a month as soon as I get my hand on those ingredients. In the meantime. Will you two do me the honor of staying as Ladybug and Chat Noir? There’s no one in Paris more worthy.” Marinette and Adrien exchange surprised glances and smiled.
“Of course!” Marinette responded.
“It’s almost like we were born to do it,” Adrien smiled. Master Fu chuckled.
“Good.” He held out his hand. Adrien handed him the Butterfly miraculous that he placed in his pocked. “Marinette, you can hand back the other miraculouses later when you have the chance. I want to make sure that the Butterfly miraculous gets home swiftly and safely. Now go home and look for your mother. Her life depends on it.”