Cops and Robbers | ✓

43 | forgiveness is difficult

This chapter is a collaboration with arcana_fuse !!

Enjoy!
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A cold breeze wisped throughout the streets of the city, the night taking ahold of the shadows and streetlights that cultivated the atmosphere. Bright yellow stars began to emerge come midnight, making the darkness seem significantly less empty. The alarming noise of cars swishing past was almost a comforting sound that contrasted the cold and thick air that resided between Marinette and Chat Noir. Still keeping a moderate pace as to not attract too much attention, the two walked side by side, Marinette choosing to lag behind as a clear excuse to avoid conversation.

With what events that had just unfolded, all she could feel was crippling confliction. It would be impossible to forget Chat Noir's confession to Marinette, how he had essentially used her all along. That feeling of betrayal was branded onto her chest and caused the anxious feeling in her stomach to persist. All of their moments together seemed meaningless now, swept away with the breeze of the night and decayed into nothing more than a solemn memory.

She wanted to forgive him. She wasn't angry with him, right now, after all. But the Chat Noir she had known was a facade, wasn't it? An act to keep her attention and easily gain her trust?

Yet here she was, dedicating herself to helping him anyway, even after all he'd done to hurt her. She solemnly thought that maybe it was another trap to lure her into a false sense of security. But regardless, even as insane as it sounded within the walls of her mind, she needed him.

How else would she take his father down? She couldn't trust anyone at the department, much less the people in charge. She hadn't done well back there single-handedly either, and Chat Noir had yet again come to her rescue and prevented disaster. Maybe it was a sign that she would need his help — or it could very well be a red flag that she was ignoring.

She examined the side of his face, which was slightly bruised from their previous brawl. The streetlights shone into his bright green orbs which appeared to be an empty void, no doubt saddened by the news of his mother and the betrayal of his father. A delicate frown adorned his face as he lead the way, chest still heaving in exhaustion.

She still empathized for him. Despite her anger toward him, she couldn't forget the fact that in just an instant he had essentially lost everything. His false promise from his father had shattered him, destroying his hope that he could save his mother. And somehow Marinette couldn't help but feel partially responsible for that.

Thus this conflicition within her mind persisted endlessly, and she wisely kept her mouth shut to avoid addressing it.

"We're here," his empty voice echoed silently throughout the street, and he gazed back at her hesitatingly as if unsure if she still wanted to go through with things. After all, their silent three-mile walk wasn't such an encouraging sign of her support.

Wordlessly, she nodded in response, eyes suddenly finding her shoes very interesting as his gaze found hers. He sighed and nodded back, turning back toward their destination.

The complex he referred to, even as marvelous as it sounded, was merely an average looking, multiple story warehouse. It blended in perfectly and subtly with the surrounding apartments and workplaces. The front of it was empty, only a couple of cars parked in the limited amount of space.