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Rooster Bold’s side clipped against the edge of the roof Shadow Moth threw him off, choking on the spit that clawed its way out of his throat from how it jabbed into his ribcage. His body spun with the collision, hurtling downward before slamming into the ground, tumbling away further from the fight.
He coughed as he sat up, chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. His hand trailed down to his side, where his suit was ripped to reveal the skin scraped away from the rough shingles. Rooster Bold gulped, standing up on his wobbly legs as he grit his teeth against the pain.
Shadow Moth had akumatized himself. He hadn’t even considered that an option. It could barely even be considered a power upgrade at that. He only gave himself the ability to tear through the miraculous’ protective suit given enough force.
Ladybug had called the entire team when he appeared, crazed and spitting about not being satisfied with just the ladybug and black cat miraculous. He wanted them all .
Rooster Bold flinched as a body slammed down beside him, human body caving as it made contact with the ground. He stumbled back, eyes wide as he stared down at Rose’s limp body, bloody scratches clawed into her ankle.
Marc sobbed, bringing his hands up to muffle the noise, lest he attract Shadow Moth’s attention towards himself. This type of villainy was impossible to comprehend.
Does he feel no sympathy anymore? How can he just... approach a corpse of a teenager - And oh god, these were his friends, and he has to watch them die at the hands of this- Whatever Shadow Moth is! He's definitely not human anymore - and grab their miraculous as casually as if he was grocery shopping.
It was as if he had thrown away any semblance of holding back against them. And god , was that a scary thought. They had been trying their hardest to fight him for all these months and he hadn’t even been at full strength. Has this all been a game to him? Were they all just toys for him to use until he got bored?
Rooster Bold took a deep breath before jumping up to rejoin the battle. He barely stepped back onto the roof when his heart dropped down to his stomach. The hero was forced to choke down his emotions when the villain lunged at him next. Shadow Moth’s sword missed him by a hair as Rooster Bold spun on his heel to roll away.
As he continued to dodge, Rooster Bold managed to snatch glances at all the fallen heroes, feeling more and more despair as he took in everyone’s faces. From there, it was easy to tell who everyone was while transformed.
It was also easy to tell he was one of the last ones left. Even the main two, Marinette and Adrien, had already…
He doesn't want to think about it anymore. He had been trying to avoid the sight as much as he could, but it's hard when the roof they're fighting on is already covered in the dead bodies of people he once laughed with.
“Got you.”
Rooster Bold’s breath caught in his throat as Shadow Moth’s foot met his ankle, sweeping his legs out from under him. He cried out as he hit the ground, looking back up in frozen terror as a sword was thrust towards his face.
“No!”
Before he could comprehend it, a figure jumped out in front of him. Rooster Bold could only stare in horror as Caprikid stood in front of him with his back facing Shadow Moth, arms outstretched as if it would’ve stopped the blade that had already plunged through his chest.
Caprikid’s eyes met his for a single moment, both of them staring at each other in silent terror. Rooster Bold couldn't help the sob that ripped its way out of his chest as he noticed the life fade away from the very things he was looking at.
Shadow Moth didn’t seem to react at all, clutching the hero who was quickly bleeding out on his weapon by the fur scruff of his outfit, yanking him back and slicing even more of his sword through Caprikid. The man’s grin grew ever wider as he plucked the hair clips from his head as if gathering fruit from a tree.
Rooster Bold could only stare in horror as the magic faded away to reveal his boyfriend limply hanging, limbs idly swaying above the ground. It didn't feel like he could look anywhere else, eyes helplessly trailing after Nathaniel as Shadow Moth pulled him off the sword and tossed him aside.
He knew. He knew in his heart he was the only one left now. There was no one else able to defeat him.
And yet, Marc continued to crawl backwards, heart thrumming in his chest as loud as a concert speaker as Shadow Moth turned his gaze towards him. He took a sharp inhale as his hand hit air instead of concrete, forcing him to stop and face the villain unless he wanted to fall off the roof.
“Come now, Rooster Bold,” Shadow Moth cooed, voice rumbling like the purr of a cat,”Surely you know it's all over now, right? It would be easier for you to give up."
But how could he keep living if he continued like that? How would he be able to look at himself in the mirror knowing that he let all his loved ones’ sacrifices mean nothing in the end?
“S-Sublimation.”
The phrase tumbled out between his lips before he could control it.
Shadow Moth’s brows furrowed, before he barked out a laugh, loud and proud, “What do you think you can do against me ?”
Rooster Bold glared up at him, choosing defiance instead of cowardice. He spit at the man, voice as biting as acid, “I grant myself the power to make sure that you will never win.”
Shadow Moth chuckled, "Look around. Your power is already negated." He grabbed Rooster Bold by the ribbon around his neck, yanking him up with enough force he could feel it digging into the back of his neck. His smile glinted in the sun, as if they were the fangs of a predator, before Shadow Moth reeled his fist back, launching it full force into the side of his head.
---
Marc tumbled out of his bed, sprawled out across the floor, legs tangled in the sheets that fell with him. His breath was going a mile a minute, eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness he found himself in.
That... What was that?.. It couldn't have been a dream. The pain he felt during everything had been real.
Someone groaned below their breath, rolling over on the bed to stare down at him, "Marc? Is everything alright?"
Marc froze at the familiar voice, springing up to get a closer look at the other person. Luka blinked down at him, still groggy from having just woken up.
"I..."
He gulped, forcing himself to break their staring contest to take a quick look around the room, recognizing it as Luka and Juleka's bedroom in their houseboat.
Why was he here? How was he here?!
Luka swung his legs over the bed, kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Babe-"
Marc flinched away like he had just been burnt, turning to face the other with shock plastered across his face.
Babe?! He and Nathaniel had already been dating for months at this point, and he knew Luka would never try to wreck their relationship! Well, he had dated Luka before, but they had already broken up like a year ago-
No.
It couldn't be.
"Fuck." Marc said out loud, uncaring of the time of night it was, mind still racing to try and comprehend everything that was going on. What day was it?!
Luka only seemed to grow more concerned, sparing a glance over to where Juleka was shifting in her bed, "You alright?"
Marc looked over to his phone on the speaker besides his bed, snatching it to look at the date. He vaguely remembered the day flashing back at him. He had been sleeping over after losing track of time while he was spending time with Luka. He never quite got out of that habit, this exact scenario happening with Nath dozens of times.
But this day- today was already over a year ago. Before the akuma attacks even started. Only a week before Hawkmoth showed up at all.
"You... are not going to believe me," Marc murmured, knowing Luka was still tracking his every move.
He wasn’t able to clarify further as he was interrupted by Juleka shuffling over, rubbing her eyes and mumbling, “What are you guys doing?”
Luka smiled, reaching out to take Marc’s hands in his own, skin slightly chill from the night air, "You can trust me with the truth, Marc."
Marc shoved them away, wincing at the betrayed expression Luka put on directly afterwards. The contrast between his and Nathaniel’s normally warm hands was making him more irrationally upset. He took a deep breath, "Okay so, I actually just got shot back in time from the future! In like a week, supervillains and superheroes will start appearing in the city so often that they become a regular sight." He waved a hand, gesturing at all three of them, "And we're all part of the superhero team."
There was a beat of silence. Luka and Juleka shared a bewildered glance with each other.
Marc faltered, knowing how crazy this must seem to them, "I can prove it!"
Before either of the two could say anything, Marc stood up from the ground, the blanket falling off him as he broke into a sprint, running out of their room. The twins couldn’t do much besides following him as Marc slid to a stop outside their mom’s room, slamming his fists on her door.
“Marc, it’s like three am,” Juleka murmured, but it fell on deaf ears.
Eventually, Anarka opened her bedroom door, yawning loudly without bothering to cover her mouth. She rubbed her eyes, “Kids? What’s the emergency?”
Marc pointed at the teens behind him, voice completely calm as he asked, "Their dad is Jagged Stone, right?"
Juleka and Luka both jumped, spinning to Marc in confusion and shock. "Marc, you can't just claim something like that!" Luka hissed.
Anarka blinked, "How did... you know...?" Her pirate lingo and accent died with her shock, leaving her words hanging in the air.
Her kids turn to her with wide eyes. "He's right?!" Juleka shouted.
Marc casually walked away as the teens started grilling their mom about their father. He snuck back to their room and collapsed onto the bed, muffling his screaming with his arms.
He... needed to review all the information he knew.
1.) Marc has traveled back in time.
2.) Luka and Juleka are now aware of this fact.
3.) Marinette and Adrien are Ladybug and Chat Noir.
4.) If he doesn't do anything differently, Hawkmoth is going to win again.
Marc still wasn’t quite sure how he got here. Obviously he was grateful for the chance to fix everything, but why him? Wouldn't Marinette have been better?
"S-Sublimation."
He blinked up at the dark ceiling, taking a deep breath. Right. He had asked for this power. He just... hadn't expected it to work like this.
Luka and Juleka eventually came back to the room, walking over and sitting on the bed beside Marc.
“So… you were telling the truth?” Juleka asked, after a moment. Marc nodded, still blankly staring off into space.
Luka smiled down at him, interlocking their fingers together and promising, “We’ll help you with anything you need.”
Marc looked over with a returning grin, tears welling up in his eyes, “Thank you.” He held up their connected hands, letting go, “But this has to stop.”
Juleka squawked as Marc sat up, quickly explaining, “It’s- It’s not anything you did! It’s just- In the future, we broke up! Not because we had a fight or anything, but we were just better off as friends!”
Luka stared at him, before saying, “Oh, thank God, I didn’t know how to bring it up to you. I felt so guilty for dating you when my feelings weren’t as strong.”
Marc laughed, relieved to have some semblance of normalcy after all of the chaos, “You said the exact same thing in the past- future?” He groaned, rubbing his face, “Time travel is confusing.”
Luka leaned down to grab the blanket from the floor, tossing it over Marc’s shoulders with a comforting, “I imagine so. Rest. We’ll talk about it more in the morning.”
Marc yawned, the exhaustion from the fight against Shadow Moth finally hitting him. He nodded, head rolling with little control as he fought to keep his eyes open long enough to murmur, “Thank you.”
And then he fell asleep, slumping back against the bed.
---
Marc adjusted his choker, waiting outside the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. It had been a special hell to convince his moms to transfer him to Collège Françoise Dupont a week before the school year started. But once Marinette caught wind of the plan, her excitement over having her cousin in the same class swept them up into agreeing. Marc could only thank whatever higher beings existed for Mr. Damocles being a spineless principal.
Marinette beamed happily as she bounded downstairs from her room, interlocking arms with him and dragging him out the door as she waved her parents goodbye.
“You’re going to love Ms. Bustier!” Marinette rambled as they waited at the light. Although, now Marc had to wonder whether her lateness was a natural thing or just a result of her being a superhero. She cut herself off, rushing into the road past Marc without a single word.
Marc watched thoughtfully as Marinette helped an old man who was unknowingly crossing the street while the light was red, dragging him back onto the sidewalk before a car rushed past the both of them.
“You really are a great hero,” Marc murmured as the man walked away, softening as she blushed, babbling about how that was too high of a compliment for a simple act of kindness.
Marinette waved off his words, continuing to walk him into the school, pointing out different important areas as they passed them. Since Marc had joined in such a short notice, he hadn’t been given a tour. He already knew where everything was, but she wouldn’t know that.
They entered the room just as Ms. Bustier asked Nino to move to the front of the room. Marc zeroed in on the seat in the back where he knew Nathaniel sat.
“You’re Marc, aren’t you?” Ms. Bustier greeted, approaching the new student, “Welcome to Collège Françoise Dupont. Feel free to choose your own seat.”
Marc nodded rapidly before rushing to the back seat. Man, if there was anything good about being sent back in time to repeat a school year, it was that he was able to share classes with Nathaniel now. Plus he’d know most of the answers to tests and what not.
He put his head down, taking a deep breath. Marc only looked up again when Nathaniel sat down beside him. He knew him well enough to know he was purposefully avoiding eye contact.
Right, Nathaniel didn’t know him yet. This would be a good opportunity to reestablish their relationship.
“Excuse me? I’m new here. What comic series in the library do you recommend?” Marc asked him with a smile.
Nathaniel glanced over at him, softly saying, “We have the Majestia series.” He paused, narrowing his eyes as he asked, “How did you know I liked comics?”
Marc froze, stuttering and floundering for an excuse. He couldn’t very well say that he knew because they were dating in the future. “Uh- Well- You just look like you do!”
Nathaniel’s frown deepened, a shadow falling over his eyes as he muttered, “...What is that supposed to mean?”
Marc squeaked, going pale at the sudden hostility from the artist, “Not anything bad! It’s just- You look like you read them when nobody’s talking to you.”
That only worsened Nathaniel’s glare. The boy huffed, turning away and stuffing headphones into his ear very pointedly. Marc deflated, taking the hint and turning away from him.
The writer sighed to himself, resting his head on his hand. They went through the first class as usual, introductions of people he already knew going in one ear and out the other. Everything was going as a normal first day of school usually went, until eventually, Ivan stood up, brandishing a fist at Kim.
That surprised Marc. He only knew Ivan as a gentle giant. He forgot there was a period of time where he resorted to violence first. Of course, anyone in this school knew what Kim had been teasing Ivan about.
And only Marc knew what would happen next.
As soon as he was allowed to, he rushed to Marinette’s side, smiling politely as she introduced him to the other new student she had made friends with, Alya. That was interesting. They were such good friends, he had forgotten they had only met this past year.
Juleka met his eyes as she walked out the classroom. Marc tilted his head towards the exit of the school, hoping she got the hint. She nodded, placing a hand on Rose’s back, insisting that they should go back to the houseboat to tell Luka all about their first day. Rose seemed incredibly enthusiastic, mainly from the fact that Juleka somehow got the confidence to suggest doing something.
(It had been so funny when Marc told Juleka about how she got together with Rose in the future. Luka couldn’t stop laughing at how red her face got.)
Marc didn’t actually know when Marinette got her miraculous. So despite her insisting that he could go explore the school more, he stuck by her side stubbornly, eyes darting around for any sign of a small hexagonal box. Maybe he could see the original guardian handing it to her.
Unfortunately, Stoneheart attacked first. Alya rushed away, as expected. Marc stayed silent. He didn’t want to influence Marinette into doing anything that could result in her not finding her miraculous. Marinette asked if he wanted to hide in her room with her until it was safe enough for him to run back to his own house.
Marc reluctantly agreed, unable to find a reason to deny her without her getting either suspicious or more concerned about his well-being to the point it might distract her from her miraculous.
---
…Of course it was in her room the entire time. Why wouldn’t it be? Of course, after all the time he spent worrying about when she was going to get it, it was going to be in her room!
Ignorant to Marc’s quiet fuming in the background, Marinette opened the box, screaming when Tikki flew out of it, introducing herself.
“This is great!” Marc cheered, “You can be Ladybug again!”
Marinette stared at him with wild eyes, “What are you talking about?”
“You’re a great superhero, Marinette!” Marc praised, stepping forward and holding her by the shoulders, “You’re quick on your feet! And you always know how to use the lucky charm!”
“How do you know what the lucky charm is?” Tikki cut in, voice dropping to a distinctly less friendly tone, “I haven’t explained my powers yet.”
Marc froze under both the kwami and Marinette’s suspicious gaze. He gulped, taking a step back, “I-I guessed?”
Tikki flew closer, no semblance of the friendly image he had gotten from Orikko, “Explain yourself. Now.”
His eyes darted over to Marinette, who was still two bad seconds away from a panic attack, “Would you believe me if I said I’m from the future?”
Tikki hummed, closing her eyes as Marinette sputtered in the background. “There’s no way! I’ve known you since we were like eight!”
“My consciousness from a year into the future got sent backwards,” Marc explained, using his fingers as a visual guide. Not that it helped Marinette understand any more. “That’s why I know you’ll be a good hero! I’ve seen you! You were amazing!”
“If I’m so amazing, why are you back here?!” Marinette shouted, averting her gaze, “If everything ends happily, you shouldn’t need to come to the past.”
Marc went silent, wilting at that. He couldn’t exactly disagree with her. Things did end badly, after all.
“Why don’t you use them then, if you’re from the future!” Marinette offered, shoving the jewelry into his hands.
Marc stumbled backwards, staring down at the all-powerful earrings, “I-I can’t! That’s your job!”
“But if you know how great of a hero I supposedly am, don’t you know how to recreate it?!” Marinette pushed. She waved her hands at him with a shaky smile, “Go on! You already know everything, don’t you?”
Marc went quiet. He clutched the miraculous in his hand, feeling the backings dig into his palm. The pain was nothing compared to the previous timeline.
Why shouldn’t he? He knew every akuma that was about to appear. He had analyzed them all for his comic with Nathaniel, knew every power, knew every weakness .
He turned to Tikki. She had finished humming, eyes finally opening again with a much softer look.
“Will you use this power for the greater good, Marc Anciel?”
With a deep breath, Marc put the earrings on.
---
“Who was that guy sitting next to you in class today?” Alix asked, leaning on Nathaniel and poking at his cheek to knock him out of his daze.
Nathaniel blinked, shaking his head, “New student, I think.”
“Did he do something to you?” Alix crossed her arms, “You look pretty bothered. Besides the whole supervillain thing.”
“He knew I liked comics because of how I look,” Nathaniel muttered with a pout. He knew he wasn’t the most attractive, but come on . Surely he doesn’t look bad enough for someone to immediately clock his geeky interests.
“That’s not all, is it?” Alix squinted, nudging him with her elbow, “Come on. You can tell me.”
“It’s weird,” The artist sighed after a moment. Nathaniel looked up, letting his eyes settle on a single roof. His heart ached in his chest for a reason he couldn’t put a finger on.
“I feel like I’ve met him before.”