Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

People say that when a child is welcomed into the world, murmured tears run down its tiny face, while a small group of people, its family, rejoice around it.

When that child dies, humans cry out loud, but it… smiles.

And I found myself in that group of people. With empty eyes, I stared at the glaring whiteness of the flowing dress and the black ballet flats resting on the small feet. And on that garment… a red shroud, upon which medium-sized black spots lay. Among the figure lying there, there were flowers. Many flowers.

A bouquet of white roses rested in tiny hands, from which warmth had already departed forever, and beside them were lilies and chrysanthemums.

Her hair was dark and arranged to the sides, her eyes closed, her lips pink and cracked. Not a single tiny drop of blood was visible on them.

She lay there as if she had just fallen asleep. And I stood motionless, not allowing myself the thoughts that might bring me to tears.

I couldn’t cry then. Not when the woman in that little coffin looked so peaceful and beautiful. So… terrifyingly beautiful.

Why… did the stars take her from me now?

Why did they so desperately try to take away this little ray that lit up my otherwise meaningless life every day?

Why do they not look ashamed of the act they have done?

Why do they drown me in agony and mock me without end?

Why… didn’t they take me with them as well?

I felt so empty, so drained of emotion, so desperate to vanish from this world and join my beloved.

I looked at the cloudless sky and the harsh rays of the sun that illuminated her pale, expressionless face. I heard the sobs coming from her mother’s throat. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes weary and red. My heart trembled violently as the woman fell to her knees in despair.

It’s all my fault.
What kind of superhero am I if I couldn’t even protect my dearest from danger?

"Sabine…" whispered Mr. Dupain, wrapping his arm around his wife.

"My da...ughter," she stammered, broken, reaching out toward the coffin that one of the men was closing. "No, don’t close it! Please! What if she’s cold in there? What if it’s not too late yet?"

"Sabine," he repeated in a trembling voice. He looked calm, but it was clear he was trying to hide the overwhelming pain consuming him. "Please…"

Shaking, she gave me a foggy, hate-filled look, then stumbled toward me on unsteady legs. Shortly after, she raised her hand toward me and swung it. I closed my eyes, bracing for a strong blow that never came. I lifted my eyelids in surprise to see the mother, overwhelmed with frustration, drowning in a visible sea of tears.

"You promised us you would make her happy! You promised!" she screamed, crying. "Give me back my daughter! My smiling Marinette!"

"I’m sorry… I’m so sorry," I whispered.

"You killed her! You killed my child!" she accused, pointing at me. "And I trusted you!"

"Sabine, stop," her husband scolded her. "We’re at a funeral. I know you’re angry, but your anger won’t bring her back…"

The dark-haired woman gave me one last glance before turning to Alya, who at that moment was placing three white roses into the grave. She had been embraced by her fiancé from the start, grieving alongside him and showing just how deep their sorrow ran.

If only I had been more careful, if only I could turn back time, if only… I could restore her life without harming another existence. And now, because of me, all of Paris laments the loss of its famous and brave superheroine, whose power was more wondrous than any other.

A single sweet drop of rain fell on my cheek as I turned my eyes again toward the once cheerful blue sky, now dark and sharing the same feelings as my heart.

And that was when I decided I would remain here as a penitent, bearing the weight of having allowed my Lady of Luck to die.

The Lady of Luck, killed by the Lord of Misfortune.

Chapter Text

“Children of the sky above our heads are beautiful,” I heard her say, and I turned my gaze to my lovely Ladybug, who had won my heart more than once with her choice of words. “Many human hearts whisper their desires to the stars. When a person is completely engulfed in misery… who else can they turn to, if not them?”

“To us, of course,” I replied immediately. “But let everyone read between the lines: sometimes I’d rather take a break and just hum beside you.”

“Idiot,” she laughed.

Incredible. Her laughter was one of the most beautiful wonders of the world. And no one could match her beauty.

“In that case…” she grew serious. “Who are we, superheroes, supposed to turn to when despair takes the lead?”

She asked a question that one could ponder for a long time. A question I wasn’t ready to answer wisely at that moment.

“If civilians…” I began after a pause. “If they suffer alongside us… we’re left to ourselves. Alone and helpless. But time heals wounds, right? Worse if someone sprinkles salt on them. All we can do is wait for the problem to solve itself.”

Having spoken these words, I looked at my beloved with a strange uncertainty.

“Love…?”

She looked like she wanted to say something but struggled to hold it back. In the end, she merely nodded and returned her gaze to the stars, which had captivated many a lost soul with their brilliance.

I didn’t yet know that what had slipped from my lips… was utter nonsense.

***

“Hawkmoth has been unusually active today, three akumas in twenty-four hours,” she sighed heavily. “We’ll have to split up, that way the villains won’t join forces and will focus on us instead.”

“I don’t like the idea of splitting up,” I admitted. “If something happens to one of us, we won’t have time to warn the other. What if something goes wrong and I end up regretting agreeing to your plan, Mari... no, Ladybug, we’re on duty now.”

“Chat, you underestimate the power our hands hold, it’s a gift,” she said, giving my shoulder a comforting pat. “I understand your worry, but what choice do we have? We carry the weight of all Paris, of everyone counting on us. They believe in us to keep them safe, so trust yourself... trust me.”

The only thing I didn’t like about her was how easily she could convince me to go along with anything she said.

“I never stopped trusting you. The problem isn’t trust. I’m just worried about you, not only because I love you. You’re also my friend, someone who’s always there to help me when everything falls apart,” I confessed in a single breath. She looked at me closely, waiting for me to finish my ramble about her safety. “If something happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Suddenly I felt the warmth of her lips on my cheek. Then she kissed my forehead, my nose, and finally my eyelids.

“Nothing’s going to happen to me, kitty,” she smiled confidently. “Because you’re here. Your presence gives me wings. Thanks to you, I feel stronger and ready to fight.”

Before I could even nod she leaned in closer. Inches apart. Millimeters. I was already bracing for a kiss when she flicked my forehead and laughed.

“That one we’ll save for later! Besides, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

I raised my eyebrows, questioning. She was radiant, but I couldn’t read the answer in her eyes that would satisfy me. My curiosity had already taken over completely. All I could do was wait for the mission to end and talk to her as soon as it was over.

***

I instantly dodged, jumping to the side. The villain boiled with rage, realizing he wouldn’t get rid of me that easily, so he countered. I tensed my muscles just as a bright beam from his weapon was about to touch my chest, then I deflected it with my metal staff.

“Give up,” I suggested. “You’re useless here, old man.”

“I’ll never give up! I must get your Miraculouses!” he replied, attacking me again. I quickly dodged and defended myself from his power.

“And then what? Planning to put on the ring of misfortune and strut around in my sexy suit? If so, sorry, but only I look wonderful in it.”

“Don’t be so confident, superhero. That’s not always good. One day you’ll be disappointed… whether today, tomorrow, or a year from now - it doesn’t matter. Not everything will go your way. And when it happens… your naive stubbornness will be in vain.”

I snorted loudly. Nonsense.

“You know what? I’d rather fight you than listen to your ridiculous life wisdom.”

The villain laughed. What a maniac.

“Fool,” he replied coldly. “Do you know why I say this? To make your plan fail! Too simple and unthought-out. Who would have thought that after so many years of heroism, you’d still be so inexperienced?”

“Who are you?” I gritted my teeth. I knew I was falling into his trap, yet I still went along. “What do you want?”

“I am someone you will remember for a long time, superhero,” he answered. “Don’t you hear it?”

“…What?” I hesitated.

I saw an unknown gleam in his eyes that sent shivers down my body. Panic rose within me, ready to consume the last of my strength and take control of my thoughts.

“The beautiful melody that caresses my ears? The sound of panic and fear? It’s an aphrodisiac, food for the gods. Tears, bitterness, pain, they feed me. I can't wait to taste your suffering as well. I’m sure you’re quite delicious.”

“Where… is Ladybug?” I asked, refusing to accept that something might have happened to her. I paused for a moment, dialing her number. Then I surrounded the enemy with a warning look, yet he did not seem like he was about to attack me. He watched me with amusement, waiting for me to sink further into chaos. “She’s not picking up… and I can’t see her location.”

I felt anger building inside me. For a moment, I regretted following her plan.

Moved by the situation, I surprised the opponent, striking him with my staff. He lost his balance and hit the ground with a loud crash. I approached him, visibly angry. Adrenaline surged through my veins.

“You acted recklessly, provoking me,” I said. “I’m in a very bad mood now. If you value your life, cooperate with me, failure: Where is Ladybug?”

Only deafening silence answered me.

“WHERE IS LADYBUG?!”

“Evil never sleeps… Adrien Agreste,” he smiled. “It only takes a small excess of happiness to plunge a person into misery. No one can be too happy, because when they are… somewhere far away, maybe at the other end of the world, someone’s heart breaks because of you.”

“STOP TALKING BULLSHIT!” I shouted, hitting him in the face with all my strength. Two streams of blood began to flow from his nose, staining his lips as well. “Where is she?!”

“Spirit… or body?” he moaned, delighted by my loss of balance. “Because if body… then probably nearby, somewhere… where there are many panicked, yet love-struck people.”

“Pont des Arts,” I whispered.

Sweat ran down my temple. I took a deep breath and prepared to run quickly. But before I did, I decided to scare him a little.

“There is no policeman here who could handcuff you. I also have no container to store your akuma. But I assure you: if you escape from here, even hiding in total isolation, I will find you and deal with you with my Cataclysm.”

My words did not impress him. I didn’t care much.

I took off, listening for any screams. I sped up, hoping it was only a bad dream and I would wake up soon. After a moment, a raindrop fell on my cheek, making me realize that this was really happening.

Soon after, the rain fell harder, blurring my vision. Everything I saw turned into a big smear. I could only rely on voices.

“Adrien, is that you?” I caught a familiar sound. “I can’t see anything, but it must be you, right?”

“Marinette,” I trembled, filled with euphoria. Thank God that damn villain lied to me.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with that Hawkmoth,” she huffed. “His life must be very boring if he unleashed so many akumas. We should take a break, don’t you think?”

I nodded. I wanted to kiss her and thank her for being alive.

She rushed toward me with incredible haste, her face full of astonishment and fear. It took me a moment to realize that she was not running toward me, but toward someone else, holding her hands up in a defensive gesture.

I heard a gunshot. My heart jumped.

I turned on my heel and saw a bullet pierce my beloved’s left chest, and then her fall.

“MARINETTE!” a hoarse moan escaped my throat.

Impulsively, I rushed to her, trying to catch her in my arms. She looked at me with fading eyes, eyes filled with bitter, painful tears.

“I… don’t want to die,” she whispered, coughing up blood.

“You won’t!” I pressed her head to my chest, unable to comprehend the situation.

From behind the building emerged a black figure, the same I had fought moments ago. I abandoned pursuit, realizing that it would be far too late to save my darling.

“I… defeated these villains, and… the third one,” she struggled to speak, and I choked on my tears. “The third one… is… a prison escapee, he is also under the akuma’s control. I-I…”

“Marinette, say no more,” I stammered, desperate. “In a moment you’ll be in the hospital. In a few days, weeks, you’ll be okay!”

I lifted her into my arms and stood up. I felt her blood soak through my suit.

“Damn, why didn’t we involve more superheroes in this?!”

I started running, constantly glancing at her. Her face was pale, her lips cracked and covered in red smear. Even the rain couldn’t wash it off her lips and cheeks. Her gaze seemed absent, directed toward the cloudy sky.

“Marinette, look at me,” I said. “Give any sign, anything.”

I was exhausted. So exhausted that my legs were giving way.

“Marinette?”

“You would be…” she whispered.

She fell silent for a moment.

“You would be a very good… father,” she forced a weak smile, then placed her hand on her stomach. “Very… good.”

In a split second, my world collapsed.

Her eyes turned to the sky, but they never blinked again.

Her hands fell limply down.

And the lips I loved so much… spoke no more words.

This was the moment I forgot how to cry.

The moment I became an empty, lost man.

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