Day of Justice

A Kiss

Queen Justice landed next to Adrien and pulled the startled boy into a nearby alleyway away from the chaos outside of the Agreste mansion.

"They're taking your father into custody," Queen Justice carefully schooled her face to show no emotion. She wasn't sure how he would take the news.

Adrien stared out of the entrance of the alleyway, the police cars' red and blue lights reflected in the whites of his eyes. "I know," he said.

"His assistant was Mayura," she said, playing with the black cat miraculous on her finger. "I took their miraculouses, so we don't have to worry about them anymore."

Adrien sighed before turning to look at her. "So what now?"

"Pardon?" One of her eyebrows inched up her forehead at his direct approach.

"You've gotten everything you wanted. You've had your revenge, Hawk Moth and Mayura are defeated. What comes next?" Adrien looked curiously exhausted, and Queen Justice wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel.

"I will go to Master Fu and retrieve the rest of the miraculouses." She straightened and smiled. "Once I have all the powers in the Miracle Box, nothing bad will happen to Paris ever again."

Adrien's eyes narrowed, and he stared at the miraculouses pinned to her chest. "You used Mayura's miraculous?"

Queen Justice nodded, not certain why this was important.

"You know the peacock miraculous is broken, right?" Adrien's nostrils flared. "You're being reckless, just like you always accused me of. You're going to get yourself killed if you continue!"

"I don't care." Queen Justice squared her shoulders. "Without the miraculouses, I am nothing. But with them, I can do so much more!"

"Marinette, that's not true!" Adrien stepped forward before thinking better of it and retreating once more. "Mari, it's not just you that is going to get hurt."

Queen Justice furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Sure, you caught Hawk Moth and Mayura, but at what cost?" Adrien's face twisted as if he was in pain. "Alya, Nino, and Lila are all in the hospital now because of you." He took a deep breath. "I know Queen Justice doesn't care, but somewhere deep in there Marinette is still alive, and I know she would never want to hurt her friends!"

Something stirred in her chest, and a flush passed over her face. Her lips quivered, and she cleared her throat. "Those people are not my friends," she managed. What was happening? They had betrayed her, and they had deserved to be punished. There was no reason to feel guilty.

"Yes, they are." Adrien moved closer and grabbed her hands, and this time she let him. "I know they hurt you, but everyone makes mistakes. Marinette, do you really think they deserved what you did to them?"

She hesitated for a moment. Her mind went through all the time she had spent with Alya and Nino. The laughter and joy they had experienced together. Alya had always had her back in the past, ever since the first day of school. She was her best friend.

Queen Justice shook her head. Her anger seemed to melt away, and suddenly her head cleared. She had hurt people. That wasn't something a hero was supposed to do. A tear trailed down her cheek.

When had she become the villain?

"B-But, Marinette isn't important. She's useless," Queen Justice whispered, her hands shaking as she realized what she had done.

"Not to me." Adrien pulled her into a hug, enveloping her with his scent. "I love Marinette, and I need her back," he murmured into her hair.

"Really?" she pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Why?" More tears emerged from her eyes and tracked down her cheeks.

Adrien cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Marinette is sweet, kind, funny, and so selfless. Marinette is quirky and amazing, and I love her." His gaze drifted to her lips. "Can you bring Marinette back to me?"

Queen Justice's eyes widened. "I want to. But how?" she breathed. Her heart thudded in her chest, and everything seemed to freeze. It was just the two of them now. Them against the world, as it always had been.

Adrien's eyes crinkled into a smile. "You can do it. You're the strongest girl I know." He pulled her closer, and their lips met with an explosion of sparks.

Queen Justice stumbled back, her ears ringing and the world tilting around her. She clutched at her head, pulling her hair in an effort to alleviate the pain.

"Marinette!" she heard Adrien yell, but the sound was drowned out by her own piercing scream. Bile rose in her throat, and she almost threw up.

Mercifully, she passed out.

***

Adrien rushed to catch Marinette as she topped over, fear tainting the tip of his tongue. What had happened? Had he hurt her somehow?

He pressed his palm to her forehead. She was extremely hot, and sweat poured down her face. Her breathing was labored, and his heart twisted at the look of pain on her face.

The miraculouses, he thought, his hands trembling as he took the miraculouses off of Marinette's unconscious body. One by one, the transformations reversed, and soon the original Princess Justice was all that remained.

But even that didn't stay for long. A black butterfly squeezed out of Marinette's earrings in Adrien's hand, and the black magic passed over Princess Justice before exposing Marinette underneath, still flushed, but breathing a little easier.

The akuma floated into the air as Adrien leaned over Marinette, pushing her hair out of her face. Her pig tails were disheveled, and her clothes rumpled, but otherwise she seemed unharmed.

"Adrien, the akuma!" a squeaky voice reminded him, and Adrien glanced over to see Tikki, the ladybug kwami, floating beside him.

"Right," Adrien breathed, hazarding one last glance at Marinette. "Tikki, spots on!"

The transformation was quick, and Adrien wasted no time in catching the akuma and purifying it, not even bothering with the customary catchphrase as he did so. Ladybug—Marinette—was in trouble, and he had no time to waste.

The moment the butterfly was free, he de-transformed and knelt next to Marinette, checking her pulse. It was faint, but still present, and he breathed a sigh of relief, rocking back on his heels. "Tikki, Plagg, what do I do?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the unconscious girl.

There was no reply, and Adrien turned to see the kwamis staring at each other blankly. They shook their heads. They didn't know any more than he did.

"Eat up, Plagg," Adrien said, throwing a piece of cheese Plagg's way as he picked up his miraculous and slipped it back onto his finger. "Cat Noir will take her to the hospital." He scooped the remaining miraculouses into his pocket, not entirely sure what to do with them. He couldn't give any of them back, as Nino and Alya were both hospitalized. He would hold onto them until Marinette woke up.

Because she would wake up. She had to. The world needed Ladybug.

And he needed Marinette.

Seeing Plagg was done, Adrien said, "Plagg, claws out!" Once the transformation was complete, he gently lifted Marinette into his arms and took off for the nearest hospital.

"Hang on, Marinette," he whispered to the girl as he traveled. "Please hold on."