Notes:
This is the longest chapter to date, so it took me a really long time to edit/rewrite and make the illustrations. Maerynn had written most of it but it was a VERY rough draft and she hadn't been able to work on it much, so there were holes and inconsistencies that needed to be addressed, as well as dialogue changes. Thank you for your patience (and for not sending any "When are you going to update?" type questions)
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They ducked behind a wall, effectively getting out of sight of the akuma, but severely impairing any chance of escape. They were at a dead end, and should Nostalgiak decide to show her frightful face in that alley, they'd be goners. Marinette cursed under her breath, wondering how her partner's infamous luck had managed to turn on her so badly. Unbeknownst to her, Adrien was actively cursing his kwami in every language he knew, wondering how he could protect Marinette from harm and rush to join his partner.
The same obsessing thought was on both of their minds: "I have no choice, I have to find a way to break these handcuffs and transform as quickly as possible. But how?"
"Maybe I can go online and look up a hardware store so I can buy a saw, or some bolt cutters. I hope the shop is open. I wonder how fast we could get there on foot...?" Adrien wondered, worry quickly growing in his gut.
"If we climb up that fire escape, maybe we could get a vantage point and attract Chat's attention so he can use his Cataclysm," Marinette considered, unaware of the blatant flaw in her plan.
Marinette took a sharp breath and said, her eyes frantically scanning the street, "I don't see Chat Noir anywhere, where could he be?!"
"I don't see Ladybug anywhere either," Adrien pouted despite himself. Beside him, he could have sworn Marinette kept stealing glances at the contents of her purse, her lips stretched into a thin, determined line. They both knew the akuma was creeping closer and closer judging by the proximity of the ruckus.
After a minute that felt like an eternity (both of them searching the skies for their respective missing partner) Marinette lifted her eyes toward him, pure resolve written all over her face. "Adrien, I need you to listen closely. You can't ever talk to anyone about what you're about to see, okay? Promise me, please."
"Mari, wait, there's something I gotta tell y-"
His question was cut short by Marinette closing her eyes, visibly steeling herself for the worst. "I'm really sorry, Adrien, but there's just no time. I trust you." She gulped, her eyes stubbornly closed, and the young man could only watch helplessly as the words he least expected from her tumbled from her lips, "Tikki, spots on!"
Adrien froze, watching his classmate being engulfed into a bright pink light barely a foot away from him. It felt strangely intimate to witness firsthand Marinette's body being covered from neck to toes in that familiar magical red material, and yet, somehow, it felt oddly right. There she was, standing right next to him, the young woman he'd been in love with since their first day as superheroes all those years ago.
Now that he was seeing it with his very own eyes, it made perfect sense. How could anybody else be that clever, brave, kind hearted girl? Of course it had to be Marinette. It couldn't possibly be anyone besides Marinette. He'd fallen in love with her twice.
He was still staring at her, his slack jaw lying somewhere on the ground, when Marinette (LADYBUG!) grabbed his hand and briskly spun him around like the lead partner in a dance, so his left arm wrapped him up tightly against Ladybug. Then, lining up their bound hands, she picked him up and darted away carrying him bridal style as she tried to get as much distance between them and the akuma as possible.
Taken aback, he could only struggle weakly and try to get her attention, which was difficult, since his civilian self was not used to how strongly the wind whipped around them as she ran with her enhanced speed. "M-Marinette, wait!"
But Ladybug (MARINETTE!) wasn't listening to him. She was swinging them both over several buildings effortlessly, cradling Adrien's body to her chest like he weighed next to nothing. She landed gracefully on the ground behind a wall and almost instantly grabbed her yoyo, flipping it open and pressing the familiar button frantically. She was shaking, the handcuffs trembling against his wrist. "Why won't he pick up? Where is he? Is he okay?"
Adrien felt his heart clench painfully in his chest. It was obvious she was fearing her partner had been held up. "Mari, hold on, I-"
"Come on..." she mumbled absently, staring at the 'Calling Chat Noir...' displayed on the screen of her weapon. "We need to wait for Chat. He can use his Cataclysm on these handcuffs, and we'll get you to safety. You don't need to worry, Adrien, everything's gonna be fine. I'll protect you at all costs, I swear it, I won't let anything happen to you."
"Mar-- Ladybug, I promise I'm going to explain everything, but right now what you need to do is follow me," Adrien pleaded, tugging on the handcuffs in a desperate attempt to make her look at him. She had taken them near one of the numerous akuma shelters in the city, so after their handcuffs were broken he could join the other citizens rushing to safety. Being in such a public area would make it nearly impossible for him to transform without witnesses.
She shook her head, redialing Chat's number again on her yoyo, stubbornly trying to reach her partner. "I know you must be scared, but just have faith in him, Adrien. Chat has never let me down, not even once. He'll be here soon, I just have to keep you safe until he brings his whiskers over here. He'll know where to find me."
Adrien's raw nerves couldn't handle the expectations put upon his heroic self while he was stuck in plain sight. He couldn't risk transforming in front of people who would eventually make the connection between Chat Noir and Ladybug being bound together by handcuffs, when numerous others had seen Adrien and Marinette stuck together the same way.
"Ladybug, please! We have to go, and then-"
"No, we can't leave! This is the safest place for you! I can't risk anything happening to you, I just can't! I lo--" she stopped and quickly looked away, hesitated, then looked back at him and continued. "We need to wait for Chat Noir." The words tumbled from her lips sharply, resolutely, her piercing blue eyes betraying her confident tone. He could see fear; but not fear of having to fight alone, but fear of failing him, fear of Adrien getting hurt.
Despite himself, because he needed his partner to stop tinkering with her weapon and hear him out, he whisper-shouted at her, "HE'S NOT COMING!"
She turned an incredulous stare toward him, her movements frozen. "What? Of course he is. What are you talking about?"
"It's... because he's..." Adrien stammered weakly, taken aback by the sheer intensity of her gaze.
She faltered for a moment, "A-are you saying something happened to-- NO. We can't think like that. If he isn't here yet, it's because he's been delayed by something, but he WILL come. He always does. Chat is many things: he's dorky, a bit impulsive, and makes ridiculous puns, but he's not a quitter, he's tenacious, and he would never abandon me. If anything's happened, he'll pull through and show up regardless. He's the most reliable person I know, and one of my best friends. We've been through everything together and he's never failed me. I trust him with my life."
She held his gaze, firm, unyielding, and absolutely confident. "He'll be here. I believe in him."
Hearing those amazing praises toward his superheroic self coming from Ladybug's lips, seeing just how much her faith and trust in him was unwavering, just how much she deeply cared about him, about both sides of him, Adrien's logic completely disconnected. The rational part of his brain shut down, and several irresistible emotions washing over him took the lead of his entire being.
Both of his hands grabbed the sides of her face, and before she could even react, his lips crashed upon hers.
Adrien had spent the last few days falling head over heels for her civilian self, falling hard, and the shock of realizing his long-term love and his smart, adorable classmate were one and the same was absolutely overwhelming.
She went stiff between his hands and made a small surprised sound, but, as he gathered her in his arms, Adrien quickly found out that kissing Marinette/Ladybug came with an entirely new set of problems.
One, her lips were soft, tasted faintly of strawberry lipgloss, and were addictive.
Two, she started kissing him back.
The way her soft, warm lips started to move in sync with his, gently caressing his skin. The small moan as her fingers sneaked their way into his hair, the way she chased him when he started to pull back. Nothing existed outside of her warmth engulfing him, outside of the feeling of soaring higher than he ever had.
He kissed her again and again, pouring all the emotions he couldn't put into words, somewhat feeling as if time had stopped to let them fully savour their first kiss...
Until another loud crash followed by an evil cackle startled them apart, and Adrien stared away from his partner for a second, trying to clear his head. "R-right. The akuma."
The way her slightly parted lips looked a bit swollen from their kiss, and the way her eyes still looked a little hazy, eyelashes slowly fluttering, was distracting beyond anything he had ever experienced, but he managed to say somewhat intelligibly, "Mari, come with me. Now. I'll explain everything, I swear."
She only nodded weakly, holding his hand and letting him lead her into a dark, secluded alley, away from any prying eyes. She was confused, he could tell by the way she was staring at him with one eyebrow slightly quirked, but said nothing. He tried his best to calm his jittery nerves down and do what needed to be done.
Gulping painfully, Adrien whispered softly, "Please, Mari, don't hate me. Plagg, claws out."
A bright flash of green blinded her for a second, leaving a sheepish looking Chat Noir behind. She gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand, dumbfounded. With a little contrite smile, he quickly used his Cataclysm on the handcuffs and, saying nothing else, he extended his baton, promptly soaring into the Parisian rooftops with all of his feline grace.
Shocked and unsure about how to deal with the maelstrom of emotions raging within her heart, Ladybug's mind was still desperately trying to reel in the latest events and make sense out of them. She knew Chat Noir's (ADRIEN'S?!) kwami would need to recharge, so she eventually managed to snap out of her shocked state and went in search of the akuma.
Chat ducked behind a chimney and quickly detransformed, handing a piece of Camembert to Plagg. The kwami was exhausted by the early but much-needed Cataclysm, and had to recharge if they wanted a chance at winning that fight. Adrien stared at his little friend blankly as he ate, deep in thought. Marinette's sudden absence weighed down on him, making him feel uncomfortable. It felt odd, being alone after having his friend, his Lady, literally attached to him for the last few days. The irony was almost painful. The moments he had spent tied to Marinette, unable to escape each other, had paradoxically made him feel freer than ever, finally able to be his true self around someone. Alternatively, his giant yet empty bedroom didn't bring him anything more than the unshakeable feeling of being trapped in a gilded cage.
The last bite of Camembert disappeared into Plagg's mouth, and Adrien forced himself to shake his uneasy feeling of being separated from Marinette. How quickly she had grown on him, how easily he had gotten accustomed to her constant presence by his side, astounded him.
But now was not the time to reflect on that. They had an akuma to defeat. And the quicker they sent that corrupted butterfly back to where it belonged, the quicker he'd be able to resume what he and Marinette had begun in that hidden alleyway.
By the time Chat had arrived at the scene and land on the street where Nostalgiak was holding her impromptu and quite disturbing vintage party, Ladybug was already engaged with their foe on her own. The number of cars that had already been turned into horse-drawn carriages around them was dizzying to say the least, and people unlucky enough to have crossed Nostalgiak's path had all found their cellphones almost instantly turned into old-fashioned telegraph machines in their pockets, which said pockets hadn't quite appreciated, fabric-ripping sounds resonating loudly all over the street.
The akuma itself gave off an eerie vibe, an early-middle aged woman standing tall at the center of the street holding an oversized clock by a golden chain. Her long hair was tied on the top of her head in a strict bun, adorned with a jewel that looked like it was made out of gears and metal scraps. A tight brown leather corset circled her slim waist over a white button up, and her mermaid-like skirt was brushing the ground with every step she took. A wide leather belt complemented her somewhat steampunk-inspired outfit, a golden gear making lieu of a belt buckle.
"What are you waiting for?" she mocked, marching towards the polka dotted hero. "I'm going to retrieve both yours and Chat Noir's Miraculouses, and then I'll be able to return Paris to its former glory!"
Ladybug sighed. Just another day in the seventeen-year-old superhero's life.
She dodged a barrage of amber colored beams, yelping as she avoided one of them at the last possible moment. She had engaged Nostalgiak without waiting for her partner, hoping that it would give him enough time for his kwami to recharge while she kept her busy. But now that she was facing their foe alone, with nowhere to hide and much less leverage on her, she was beginning to second guess her decision.
"What's the matter, Old-Timer?" she feigned confidence with a dry laugh as she leaped over yet another horse carriage that suddenly appeared before her in lieu of a blue Mercedes-Benz. "Did you have trouble setting up the DVR or what?"
"Insolent insect!" She took a menacing step toward Ladybug, morphing the asphalt beneath her feet into a stone path as she moved forward. "Technology is ruining everything. Everything was way better before bytes and data took over. Nobody reads books or plays outside anymore, they all have their noses glued to those damned digital screens! People uploading selfies and counting likes, parents watching their kids grow through the lens of their smartphones, families eating in silence checking their devices instead of talking to each other! Nobody cares for the fine art of clockmaking anymore, nobody appreciates the care and passion that goes into making a device that can follow the course of time. Not when you only have to press a button on those ridiculous contraptions to know what time it is!"
A flash of black suddenly caught Ladybug's attention and she beamed. Chat Noir (That is, Adrien! Adrien, who was also Chat N- UGH, focus, Marinette!) was joining the party at last, and she couldn't be happier to see him.
Chat landed on the top of the building in front of her, flashing her his usual playful smirk and a wink. Words were no longer needed between them. Years of fighting side by side several times a week had exponentially strengthened their bond, making them an almost unbeatable team, and now knowing who was behind the masks shone a brand new light on their partnership, took their understanding of each other to an entirely new level.
Extending his staff, Chat jumped on the nearest roof, playfully screaming at the akuma, "Hey, Grandmother Time, catch me if you can! Or do your joints hurt too much?"
Nostalgiak turned and glared sourly at the leather-clad hero vaulting away from her. "You impudent whippersnapper! I'm going to teach you how to properly respect your superiors!"
Chat Noir felt a pleasant shiver go up his spine upon hearing those taunting words. This was it, the thrill of the chase he liked so much, the challenge he needed to push his limits a little bit further. He knew the drill. Engage the foe while Ladybug examined and exploited their weaknesses.
Very aware of Nostalgiak hot on his trail, Chat Noir took off across the rooftops, running like his tail was on fire. He kept throwing silly taunts at his foe, making sure she was entirely focused on him and that she wouldn't notice the beautiful, amazing, funny, charming, cuddly-- "AUGH!" Chat Noir groaned, desperately trying to keep his tangled web of thoughts about his partner in check.
Yep. Focusing would really be the challenge of the day.
The akumatized woman continued shooting her beam, repeatedly but narrowly missing Chat Noir, and instead hit the numerous random objects and people they passed during their wild chase around Paris, turning them into a vintage version of themselves. The hero knew they had to end this quickly lest all of Paris became a 1900's postcard.
"Isn't this a little extreme for a midlife crisis?"
"It's time to teach you some manners, you feline miscreant," Nostalgiak snarled through clenched teeth, walking steadily towards her target. "You want to fight? So be it."
Chat darted around the corner of the Arc de Triomphe and almost ran straight into... Nostalgiak, who was standing right in front of him! He yelped (how did she get there so fast?!) as he skidded to a stop. She raised her clock with a wicked smile, and Chat Noir braced himself for the impact that was sure to come. But the next thing he knew, he was flying past the famous landmark, a lean but familiar muscular arm secured around his midsection.
"Sorry to interrupt, Minou," Ladybug smiled at him shyly, an expression that seemed oddly out of place on her countenance, "but I just had to whiskers you away from her. Can't have her giving you a cane and grey hair, now can I?"
He chuckled in her comforting embrace, revelling in the feeling of her skin against his cheek. "What's wrong, my Lady? Don't you want to grow old together?"
Whatever clever reply she may have had died in her throat, as Nostalgiak appeared in front of them on a neighboring roof and hit Ladybug square between the shoulders with her beam, rendering her breathless. Her momentum unexpectedly broken, she and Chat Noir fell and tumbled on the adjacent rooftop, both of them coughing dust from the rough landing out of their lungs and trying to regain their bearings.
Once Chat Noir managed to stand up again though, the pain of the impact was quickly forgotten in favour of shamelessly gawking at Ladybug.
For she was now standing in front of him, a shocked expression painted on her lovely face. Her usual red spotted mask had been replaced by a black Venetian mask with small white dots, with the edges painted red. The playful pigtails were gone too, in favor of a glamorous updo with loose curls gently framing her face. A black and red jewel held the top bun in place, and the lower bun rested at the nape of her neck.
The rest of her customary skintight suit had been dramatically altered too. A black leather plackart circled her entire midsection, and a scarlet ruffled skirt hung on her hips. Black lace gloves adorned her arms, and the high collar had a triangular opening just above the bust. Her legs were covered by black leather, and she wore sparkling red ankle boots tied at the back. The details of that new outfit were amazing, ranging from the ladybug elytra-shaped shoulder pads to the hard metal toes of her new shoes, making her more suitable for close ranged combat.
And her yo-yo was gone.
In lieu of her faithful weapon was now a fan.
Ladybug stared at her brand new weapon, at a loss as to how she was going to use it. It was an ornate fan, looking quite fancy but also extremely sturdy-feeling. It was obviously made of steel in between the (no doubt magical) cloth parts, adorned with black polka dots. Instinctively, she used it to block an incoming attack from Nostalgiak, and was delighted to find out it could act as a shield perfectly well. She experimented with its functionality as she and Chat Noir advanced on the akuma, alternatively using the fan to block attacks and sending it flying toward her foe like a boomerang. She missed her yoyo, but even if the new weapon was different and challenging, she had to admit it was effective.
Luckily for Ladybug, her new outfit wasn't impairing her movements in the slightest, allowing her to fight freely as usual.
Unluckily for Chat Noir, it suited her well. Very well.
She was gorgeous, her clothes clinging to her figure in a most flattering way, and she looked even fiercer than usual as she engaged Nostalgiak with her fan, throwing it back and forth and deflecting the menacing rays that reverted everything to an antiquated state.
Still distracted by Ladybug's outfit and weapon change, he managed to somersault away from a beam that was shot towards him; but he missed his landing, and he suddenly found himself freefalling down the side of the building.
He barely even had time to realize what was happening before his body collided with the contents of the alley's dumpster, hard. The boxes underneath him thankfully minimized the damages, but he ended up stunned nonetheless, groaning in defeat as he took a second to regain his bearings and assess his current situation.
An obsessing thought then wormed its way into his mind, making him jolt out of his dazed state.
Where was Ladybug? Where was his princess?
He couldn't protect her lying in a Chinese restaurant's garbage. He had to find them, and fast.
Laboriously, Chat Noir extracted himself from the smelly dumpster, desperately trying to locate Ladybug and Nostalgiak.
"Useless mangy cat," a threatening voice startled him from behind. "She took the hit for you and I've got you cornered yet again. How does it feel, failing her over and over?"
The hero spun on his heel, facing the angry akuma who was way too close to him for comfort. "Where is she?" he growled. "If you touch a single hair on her head I swear I'm going to end you."
"Probably looking for me around the Champs-Élysées, that's where I ditched that bothersome bug," Nostalgiak smiled, a cold, creepy smile that sent shivers running down Chat's spine. "But right now," she went on, her expression still amused, "I have to make your ugly catsuit match hers, now don't I?"
That's all the warning Chat Noir got before getting hit square in the chest by one of Nostalgiak's rays. He was thrown back and grunted as he fell onto the concrete. He felt his suit morph around him, becoming something else entirely, and the staff he was holding also twitched and squirmed, thinning and lengthening itself until it became a fine and ornate rapier.
His mask had shifted into a similar Venetian styled mask like Ladybug's, but with cat ear shaped protrusions at the top adorning the corners. He now sported a black double-breasted blazer with sturdy leather gloves that reached mid-forearm. A large hood was attached to the blazer, covering most of his head but leaving enough room for the ears of his mask to stick out.
"Much better," she mockingly cooed. "At least you'll have the honor of being more fashionable when I defeat you and take your Miraculous."
"How... how did you do that? How can you move so fast?" he breathed, beside himself with worry about Ladybug. Where was she? How had the akuma managed to get rid of her so easily?
Nostalgiak chuckled, taking a menacing step toward him. "Being able to play with time has its perks." She raised the arm holding the clock, chuckling softly, "for example, try to dodge this."
Before Chat Noir could even blink, Nostalgiak materialized directly in front of him and clocked him on the head, hard. He wobbled on his feet, dizzied, and before he could move away Nostalgiak kicked him straight in the gut and he crumpled to the ground. He coughed and sputtered as she lifted him up by his forearm, reaching for the stunned hero's ring with her other hand.
"Any last words as Chat Noir?" the akuma cackled, "Before I free you of the burden of being a superhero?"
Before Nostalgiak's fingers could so much as brush against the cool metal of the ring, though, Ladybug abruptly landed next to her and her partner, parrying Nostalgiak away with her fan.
Crouching into a defensive stance, Ladybug glared at their foe, a protective hand on Chat Noir's shoulder as he groaned in pain. "You will not touch him," she panted, seemingly out of breath. "Not on my watch."
The disoriented Chat snickered at her unintentional pun and Ladybug couldn't help but roll her eyes fondly. At least he was alright.
Nostalgiak's face twisted into a cruel snarl and lunged for Ladybug, the latter parrying at the last second and desperately trying to come up with a strategy.
Hope was slipping through her fingers like water. Nostalgiak was strong, and she always seemed to conveniently be one step ahead of them, no matter what they tried. It made her a formidable enemy, one that was quickly wearing their resources thin.
Ladybug had to put an end to this madness. And fast.
She promptly grabbed Chat Noir's hand and dashed away, running as fast as she could from the akuma. She barely managed to dodge Nostalgiak's incoming attack, and she knew she had to act quickly if she wanted a chance at victory. "LUCKY CHARM!" she called out, praying that she'd get something not too cryptic, allowing her to solve their precarious situation as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, her magic gifted her with a universal remote control.
A remote?!
Desperate to find a use for that odd lucky charm, Ladybug frantically looked around her, searching for an idea. Anything that could help them.
"My Lady?" Chat Noir tentatively said, "I think the akuma is in that oversized clock, but other than that I've got nothing. Do you have a plan?"
Her darting blue eyes landed on a nearby electronic store, and an idea began to sprout in her mind.
"Chat? Is that sword sturdy enough to vault us both over there?" she asked, not realizing her hand was still safely clutched within his.
Chat Noir grinned, pulling her close by the waist. Ladybug could feel her cheeks heat up under the mask. "How about we find out?" His usual flirty demeanor as Chat felt different now that she knew that it was Adrien under the mask, and her heart sped up substantially as a result of his coquettish grin. She quickly nodded and looked away shyly, then set her head against his chest, holding on tight to prepare for the long vault.
Thankfully, the stylish rapier seemed to work just like his staff, extending when he willed it (though not as much as the staff) after a running start. With Nostalgiak close on their heels, he somehow successfully vaulted them both toward the small shop, an exhilarating grin on his face. It felt good to be able to do something normal amidst the chaos, to keep one of his usual abilities.
As soon as they landed, Ladybug stormed into the shop and past the "Employees Only" sign. Chat Noir followed her, curious about what clever plan his lady could have come up with, but also painfully conscious that Nostalgiak wasn't far behind.
"See that panel?" his partner asked, pointing to a box protected with a heavy lock. "It should control what's displayed in the televisions in the shop. Now that I know that you're actually quite tech-savvy, Minou, can you program each television to play a different film or TV show? Be sure to make a lot of noise."
"I'm on it, Princess," he replied with a confident smirk, and promptly Cataclysmed the lock. As his fingers clacked on the keyboard, Ladybug squeezed his shoulder and flashed him a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Kitty," she said, running back into the other room just as Nostalgiak walked in.
A wicked grin spread on the akuma's face, one of her rays hitting a television and turning it into a chalkboard. "Where are you, you bothersome rapscallions? Stop trying to hide, it's useless."
Ladybug slid under a stand, powering as many televisions as she could on her way. Chat Noir was doing an amazing job backstage, various shows and movies displaying on the screens. From old reruns of Friends to the most recent season of Voltron, there was something that suited everyone's tastes.
Nostalgiak seemed to think otherwise, however, as she turned every single screen to a blank blackboard as she walked, still monologuing about the greatness of the past versus today's slavery to technology.
The cat and mouse game went on, Ladybug hiding from her foe as her earrings began to beep. The akuma attacked every screen, walking through the shop with a scowl on her face. The superheroine refused to give up, though, and kept turning on every single device she could.
It was all they had left. It had to work.
Nostalgiak reached the back of the store, and Ladybug felt hope flutter within her chest. There was a single television left. Had she been wrong? Had she led Chat and her to a dead end?
Thankfully, Chat Noir seemed to have been on top of things.
Again.
Because when Nostalgiak walked in front of the last television, she suddenly froze and gasped, "It's the one where Mr. Pamuk dies in Lady Mary's bedroom!"
Ladybug smirked as she noticed a Downtown Abbey episode playing on that screen. "Bullseye, Kitty," she thought, reaching for her fan on her hip. Chat Noir seemed to read her thoughts, reappearing on her side of the "Employees Only" door, rapier ready in hand.
Nostalgiak was completely engrossed in the episode, watching intently how Lady Mary, her maid Anna, and Lady Grantham dragged Mr. Pamuk's body back to his own room to avoid an unseemly scandal. Chat Noir threw his sword and it flew like an arrow, shooting through the clock and impaling it against the wall.
As the purple butterfly flew out of the remnants of the clock, Ladybug asked her partner, "Do you think I can cleanse it with this thing?"
"We won't know until we try it, My Lady," he answered encouragingly as he watched Nostalgiak, still too captivated by her show to even notice what had just happened.
With a grin, Ladybug nodded and swiftly caught the blackened butterfly with her fan. "No more evildoing for you, little butterfly," she said, releasing the now sparkling white butterfly into the sky.
One universal remote thrown in the air and a magical cleanse later, Ladybug and Chat Noir were back to their usual, more modern selves. The feline squealed in delight when his clawed fingers wrapped around his staff again, and he pressed an exaggeratedly loud kiss on top of it. "I missed you sooo much!"
Ladybug giggled and rolled her eyes at her partner's antics, but she had to admit that the familiar feeling of having her yoyo back on her hip was very comforting. She raised her fist as the magic surrounded them, smiling at him warmly. "Hey, kitty."
The smile that Chat Noir flashed her then almost melted her heart on the spot. It was her partner's giddy smile, her giant goofball of a dork she adored so much. But it was also Adrien. Adrien who had kissed her earlier, even knowing that she was, well, her.
"Bien joué," they breathed, in perfect sync.
That fistbump was the moment the magic chose to repair the first thing it had broken during that fight.
The handcuffs.
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Updates usually happen every 6-8 weeks, so please continue to refrain from asking when the next chapter will be posted.
Thanks for reading! ^___^
Edit: Here's the design we based the akuma's design from (except her clock weapon would be 2-3 times larger).