Flashback Cutscene: Liplocked

9 years and 5 months...

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Luka sat down opposite Ladybug. He crossed his legs and grabbed a hold of his guitar.

"Yeah," she sighed, threading her fingers together and hanging them in between her knees. "I – I can't live with what I did to Adrien, and I know this will be for the best. It's been a burden since the first day I received them." She stretched up to touch her ears, stroking her thumb over the smooth stud in her ear. "It shouldn't have been me."

"You know my training at the temple isn't clear what will happen to you. Because –"

"Because Ladybug was chosen as the Guardian not Marinette which may mean Marinette might keep her memories... I know. You tell me daily."

Luka sighed, an unusual sound from someone usually so relaxed and empathetic. "I just – I don't know if I'm willing for you to do this and then leave you here all alone."

"I'm not alone. I have Alya and my parents."

"What about Chat Noir? You're not going to tell him, are you?"

She shook her head in response. "No. You know as well as I do, if I mention it to him he'll try and stop me..."

"And he'll succeed. Are you staying transformed all night?"

She nodded. "I don't feel like being 'Marinette' at the moment."

A soft melody filled the late night air as Luka began to strum a tune he'd been working on for years, the one she knew was her tune. Closing her eyes, she settled back onto his bed and allowed the melodic tune to encompass her and settle her. She was doing it... tonight.

Luka had agreed to take her role as Guardian. After all, he was currently training intensely at the Temple to become a celestial Guardian, and Marinette couldn't see anyone better suited for her job.

Alya had tried to argue with her, that if anyone should become the new Guardian of the Miraculous then it should be someone highly qualified and experienced with wielding one, and that person should be Chat Noir. Marinette mumbled her way through the conversation, making up different excuses about why Chat Noir wouldn't be suited for the job, knowing full well she was making up a load of lies.

The real reason was that she never wanted him to be stuck with this burden. She adored her partner and she wanted him to live the best life, not be stuck with all this nonsense. He deserved so much more than what had been thrown onto them. Su-Han was right. A fighting hero shouldn't be Guardian as well.

She'd agreed to meet with him later that evening, along with Luka, to reveal her identity and then hand over the Guardianship. She'd written him a letter asking him to come and find her, that Marinette wanted to be friends with him in any form — be it civilian or hero.

The music suddenly stalled as Luka stopped playing and placed his guitar down gently.

"Do you ever wonder what the root cause of all this was?" He asked, eyes full of curiosity.

She stayed silent. She didn't need to wonder. She knew exactly the reason why they were in this situation, but that wasn't to share with Luka. There were so many people in front of him on her list.

"You know, don't you?" Luka looked at her intensely and she felt herself squirm.

Holding her lips together, she kept the news tightly inside.

"Fine," Luka sighed. "If that's how you want to play it."

He picked up his guitar once again and began to link chord after chord together — the melody was different and a little... rough!

"I think about it all the time. How it's messed up your life, my life... Chat Noir's life! I often try to understand the catalyst for what started it all. I would do anything to go back in time and stop it from happening. I just need to know when."

Ladybug automatically reached for her yo-yo, an defence mechanism which at this moment she didn't quite understand. "Are — are you okay?"

Luka stopped playing and looked up at her from where he'd been concentrating on the instrument.

"Yeah, sorry." He rubbed one hand across his forehead. "It's just the training is intense and since they want me to become more in tune with Sass, the constant time switches are giving me migraine after migraine. Sorry!"

Ladybug nodded, unsure what to think about her friend's sudden outburst. She knew Luka's training had been hard from their catch ups when he was back in Paris, but she hadn't realised it was causing him such hassle. She moved closer, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him closer, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Like you always say I can talk to you, you can talk to me too, you know?"

"I do, thank you, Marinette."

She let go of him and moved back, a smile on her face matching the one on her friends. The one whose eyes had blown wide like something she'd only seen on Adrien when they were about to...

Oh no!

He began to move in closer to her. Closer and closer, until...

"Am I interrupting something?"

Luka jumped back at the sound of Adrien's voice coming from the doorway to his room. Glad that she was transformed, Ladybug shot up onto her feet and made her way towards where her boyfriend — no, ex-boyfriend — stood. The last thing she wanted was for her ex-boyfriend to think she'd dumped him to get back with her other ex boyfriend.

"Oh, Adrien. I was just leaving. Never mind me, you speak to Luka – now! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound as demanding as that seemed. You don't have to talk to him now... now. But if you wanted to —"

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you. If that's okay?" He looked over to Luka, her line of sight going there too.

"Whatever you want," the musician said. Luka picked up his guitar again and began to play.

"Shall we go outside?"

Ladybug nodded and followed Adrien back up the steps and over to the edge of the boat.

"That wasn't what it looked like." Ladybug went straight onto the defence. Her voice pleading with Adrien to believe her. Not that he understood why she was claiming innocence to him.

He nodded, leaned over the railings and looked over at the river. "I needed to see you."

She moved slowly to stand beside him, looking to where he was, only to find him staring straight at nothing.

"Have you decided?" he asked her, her heart picking up speed from the close proximity of her love and the choice she'd just made.

You're doing the right thing, Marinette! It'll be better for everyone.

"I'm giving it up tonight. Luka is going to take my place."

Adrien nodded, before sighing and looking down. "And your partner?"

"I've written him a letter explaining why, revealing who I am..."

Adrien exhaled loudly. "You really don't think much of him at all, do you? Just leaving him alone with a letter." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Unbelievable!"

"It's not that simple, I - I -" Her lips locked together tightly, holding the words she was so tempted to say.

"Don't explain yourself to me, I'm not worth it!"

Adrien turned away from her again, looking into the distance, the set line of his jaw tightening to the point of snapping.

"Adrien, it's not —"

A wind suddenly picked up over Paris, the sky turning an ominous purple, as blue lightning streaks patterned the backdrop. The display in front of them was suddenly supported by the crashing sound of thunder. Both of them looked up at the change in weather.

The sound of feet hitting the ground approached behind them, Luka placing a hand on her shoulder and turning her to face him.

"You better go, Ladybug."

A loud crash turned into a dramatic rumble, the echo filling her with fear as the people on the water's edge screamed and ran for safety.

She looked to Adrien for clarity, the slight nod of his head giving her the all clear to go.

"See you around," he said, pushing himself away from the side of the boat and heading out down the jetty. He didn't even bother looking back.

*****

Level 14: Body Count

Present Day...

Chat Noir caught himself just before hitting the ground, using his baton to push himself back up high onto the rooftops and begin his urgent run to the building his wife was in.

If he'd felt sick finding Nino, there were no words for this. His heart was pounding over excessively, slamming against his rib cage in a need to break free and run to her itself. He hadn't forgotten his friend was there too, but knowing the woman he loved — the woman who'd rehealed his broken heart — was in danger, stabbed him deep in the chest.

As he moved on all fours, his eyes were already locked on his target. His cousin's latest project. Of course this had something to do with Félix, everything bad did!

Jumping from one chimney to the next, he neared the building just in time to see it begin to crumble. It wasn't the whole building, just one singular level began to disfigure itself, the look becoming abstract against the perfectly straight edges of the modern design.

The penthouse of the building had begun to collapse, the central wall breaking down in front of his eyes and his resolve went with it. Moving forward, his heart was set on finding his wife and then getting the hell out of there. If he could just...

Before he could reach any further, a dust cloud blocked his vision as the sound of metal and brick collapsing on each other struck harder than a thunderstorm.

"Shit!"

Propelling off his baton, Chat Noir launched himself through the air and down into the decrepit building. Thankful for his enhanced vision, as his feet hit the ground it didn't take him too long to find his wife, hiding under a half crushed table. She was hysterical. His usually composed wife looked unkempt and beside herself as her knees were pulled into her chest and she was screaming. Dropping onto all fours, he crawled his way forward and over to where she sat underneath the table covered in dust.

"Hey!" he called out gently as he got closer. She didn't move, her eyes glossed over and empty. She was shaking from head to toe, a soft, small whimper leaving her mouth as a reprieve from the screaming. "Hey." He tried again, this time softer almost like he was coaxing a kitten from its hiding spot.

She turned her head slowly towards him, tears clearing the dirt from her face and leaving streaks. He moved closer listening to her soft mumbles.

"My fault, this is my fault. My fault. I did this. It was me."

A slab of rock crashed down beside him, causing him to move in closer to her and take a hold of her hands.

"Why is it your fault?" he asked, conscious of the room falling down around them. He needed to get her out fast. He looked around, dust and plaster everywhere as the walls continued to crack and crumble. What the hell was Félix doing with this place?

"It's my fault."

She looked back over to where she was staring when he came in. His eyes followed and studied the area. Bricks, mortar, plaster, dust, string?

"Come on, let's get you out. It's not safe!"

She suddenly gasped, placing one hand across her body and the other on her head, the shaking increasing as was her gasps for breath. He knew this. He knew this very well, she was about to have a full blown panic attack.

"Save him. You've got to – to – you've got to – to –" She began to stutter, her teeth chattering as she attempted to talk. Scooping her into his arms, he moved her away from the area as the walls around him continued to collapse.

"No!" she screamed. "Nooo!"

Kicking her feet hard, she tried to rotate herself out of his arms and place herself on the ground.

"Nooo!" she screamed again. No more information was added, but this time she was clawing at his face, attacking him like a wild bear in protection of its cubs. Unable to hold her squirming body much longer, Chat Noir placed her feet on the floor and watched as she attempted to run back into the main part of the room.

Following after her, set on getting her out the building, he stopped dead. A creaking sound added itself into the symphony of destruction as the floor began to bow beneath his feet. Shit!

"We need to get out of here," he called over the noise, taking each step slowly and steadily so as to not disrupt the floor more. Tiptoeing over the cracks, Chat Noir stopped in front of a pile of rocks. A pile complete with a human hand at the bottom with a wedding ring he would recognise anywhere, and a piece of card in his hand – pink and in the shape of a heart, and a red string wrapped around his finger.

After what felt like an eternity, Chat was finally finishing his interview with Sabrina. The police and fire departments had arrived within minutes, just as he was exiting the building carrying his distraught, dust covered wife. The damage seemed to be contained to the top two floors of the building, and it appeared that everyone had evacuated safely, everyone except for one person. Ivan.

Investigators were picking carefully through the site right now, and Chat Noir had answered Sabrina's questions as best he could, but his attention was focused solely on his wife. She was being examined by a paramedic right now, but, other than a couple of scrapes, she had miraculously escaped completely unharmed. Physically, at least.

"Is there anything else, Detective?" Chat asked, his nerves and patience just about willing to snap.

"Until we finish a more thorough examination, that's all I have for you at the moment," Sabrina gave Chat Noir a small sympathetic smile and continued. "You can take your wife home now. I'll call you as soon as we find anything."

"Thanks, I'll do tha-" He stopped turning halfway to stare wide eyed at Sabrina. Wife?

Sabrina's smile turned into an amused smirk. "Don't act all surprised, Adrien. I am a detective, and the killer is being less than subtle with their clues." Chat Noir's face went through a range of emotions – from thoughtful, to worried, to determined.

They'd been standing outside the building for an hour, and all he wanted to do was escape and mourn the loss of his friend. He knew, at this moment, a officer would around his friend's home, breaking the news to Myléne and Madeline – news which could have been coming for him.

Looking over to the paramedics, he saw his wife sitting almost immobile on the edge of a gurney. She was being examined and every now and then talking to the lady examiner. She was pale. More than he'd ever seen. She hadn't spoken much since they'd escaped, her body stuck in shock.

He turned back to speak, but Sabrina interjected. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me, I won't tell anyone. I won't report it either." Her expression turned serious. "Take your wife home, Chat Noir, and keep her safe."

Sabrina made to leave, but then turned back to face him. "And I strongly suggest you two have a long conversation about all this. The sooner the better."

Moving to the closest alleyway, one without piles of fallen rubble, Chat Noir dropped his transformation and fell back into the wall. Ivan. Out of everyone in Paris, this time the psychopath had chosen Ivan. He wanted to scream and shout, to punch the wall and cataclysm the bastard's face, but instead all he could do was drop to the floor and cry. He couldn't remember ever crying this much. Even with everything that happened with his mother, he never felt this useless. He was a fucking superhero and he couldn't even save one of his best friends. He was the reason for Ivan's death. For Madeline losing her father and Myléne her husband.

Adrien broke down even more, his fingers brushing through his hair as the thought hit him that he almost lost his wife today too. He felt selfish, but at the moment he didn't care. As sorry as he was for his friend, he was so grateful his wife was still here. She was still here.

"Are you okay, kid?" Plagg flew beside Adrien, his eyes full of heartache and worry. Though Ivan had never met Plagg, the small kwami had been around enough to know the big guy. Loving him just as much as the others did.

"I don't think I'll ever be okay again." He'd never been more broken than at this point in time — a new all time low. Pushing himself to stand, he wobbled ever so slightly on his feet as he brushed down his shirt and jeans, attempting to make himself look a little more presentable.

Edging to the corner, Adrien peered around only to notice the ambulance his wife was in, now stood empty. Checking the others, each one was void of the one person he was looking for. Where had she gone?

His nerves began to stand on end as everywhere he looked he failed to see the luscious locks of his wife. Uncoordinated movements led to him reaching for his phone with shaky hands and an even more shaky heart. Finding her name in his favourites, he selected her number and placed the phone to his ear.

'Adrien? Oh my God, Adrien! I couldn't reach you. Your phone wasn't ringing.'

He could hear the desperation in her voice.

"Are you okay? I've just got to the building and can't find you. Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Even knowing she was safe, his nose pinched as his eyes pressured him to release his held emotions.

'I'm okay, I promise! I just went to my parents.'

Adrien let out a sigh of relief, rubbing over his jaw as he gave the crumbling building another look. He'd never been so grateful to be a superhero. The fact he saved her today was a reason to thank Fu for this unasked for burden.

"I'll come over —"

'Don't worry, I'm okay I promise. Is — is Ivan —'

Closing his eyes, he allowed the next streams of tears to fall. He knew exactly what she was asking and unfortunately there was no sugar coating this information.

"Yes, my love, he is."

A strangled cry sounded out over the phone, followed by a sob and some talking in the background. A thud was heard on the line before the deep voice of his father-in-law spoke back to him.

'Adrien, son? We're going to keep her here for a little while if that's okay?'

He looked in the direction of where she had gone feeling a certain sense of ease knowing she was in the loving arms of her family.

"Of course." Adrien said, pushing past the lump developing in his throat. "I'll see if I can find out any more information and I'll be right over."

'No need to rush, son! This must be hard for you too. Take all the time you need."

"Thank you, I'll be over as soon as I can."

Looking up into the night sky, he saw this as an opportunity to patrol for a little while, maybe pay Max another visit — this time demanding answers. He ended the call and headed back into the alleyway.

"Plagg, claws out!" Green light washed over him and he stepped back out onto the street. He was about to launch himself onto the rooftops when he saw movement in his peripheral vision. As he turned his head to the blocked off entrance of the building, his eyes met a white sheet positioned over a body. A body which was without a doubt Ivan's.

Seeing red, Chat Noir launched up into the sky and began pounding his way on all fours to Max's apartment. His emotions were completely out of control, all he could think about was his wife's terrified screaming, and that his friend — died! Their friend!

He wasn't sure if news would have gotten out yet, but with their group still remaining close after college and lycée, there was no doubt the unfortunate happenings had now spread. Each and every one coping with their grief and mourning.

A couple more rooftops and he would be there. Max had a hell of a lot to explain, as did Félix. He knew that building was on its last legs, but because it was cheap he went for it anyway. Why the hell did his friend think it was okay to make such a fucked up game!

Moving ever closer, Chat Noir skidded to a halt as a red blur landed in front of him, the grace she usually oozed, completely gone.

"So," he scorned, "you finally decided to show up."

They'd ended civilised the previous night, but right now he was far from feeling civilised. It wasn't directed purely at her, in all honesty he wasn't quite sure where it was aimed; all he knew was anyone who got in his way was going to feel his uncontrollable wrath. Crossing his arms, he stood face to face with Ladybug, only to take her in and be confronted by a disturbing sight.

He had never seen Ladybug look so... so horrible. Her midnight hair had fought its way out of her signature pigtails — unkempt and lacking any of its usual shine. To him, it looked as though it hadn't been brushed in days.

Curiously, he continued to look her over, eyebrows furrowing with every inch. Her skin, what little was visible, was extremely pale and pasty. And her eyes. They looked sunken and bloodshot. The whole of her appearance was unusual for the heroine of Paris, and one Tikki would usually disguise. All in all, Ladybug looked like death warmed up.

Chat felt a stirring in his chest, and he almost forgot all about his anger and why he was storming his way through Paris. Almost.

"Where were you?" the words sprayed from his mouth like acid.

"I couldn't make it. I got caught up in something, and I couldn't get away." Her voice was little more than a whisper, a small sound battling against the city wide chaos. Her eyes never left her feet, her hands moving around each other in a manic way; his own twitching to grab hold of them and stop them, the action only adding to his own agitation.

Chat Noir dropped his head and shook it. "You couldn't make it," he chuckled softly, rubbing his chin. He couldn't think of a valid reason as to why she wouldn't be there, why she found something else to do. The raging lava inside him began to bubble once more, rising and rising until he was ready to explode. Higher. And higher. And higher... until... his head snapped up, eyes blazing and his feet advancing subconsciously towards Ladybug. "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?"

Ladybug's eyes bulged, widening as her mouth dropped open, obviously surprised from his outburst. She retreated from him, taking tentative steps backwards until she hit a chimney. Cowering, she looked up into his eyes and flinched.

"A man died today. Another victim of the killer targeting us. And he almost wasn't the only one. My- A woman was almost caught in it, too. I only just made it in time to save her. I was there for hours afterwards, but you never showed. And what's your excuse? Because 'something came up, so you couldn't make it' is a shit one."

"Do you not think I know," she sobbed. "I know him! He's part of the team."

The shock of this reveal didn't break through the rage. Instead, he made his way closer and closer to her watching as she cowered lower and lower until she was sitting with her back against the chimney, knees under her chin and arms over her head. Disgusted, Chat Noir turned away from her and continued in a dark voice.

"Was!" he roared! "He 'was' part of the team. Ivan is dead, Ladybug! Dead, and he's not coming back! What the hell is happening with you? You have been sick the whole time. Your abilities and skills are atrocious. Hell, you fell off the roof the other night. And now you had something so important going on that you couldn't make it to an emergency," Chat Noir glared over his shoulder. "Something is wrong with you, and you are going to tell me what."

She bit back at him aggressively. "Stop thinking you know everything about me when you haven't got a clue what I've been through, what I'm going through!"

"Then for fuck sake, for once in your life tell me the goddamn truth!" His voice was low as he looked down into her eyes. Her own cowering in response.

Slowly, she lifted her head to look at him, and tried to respond. "I- I..." The words caught in her throat, and she trailed off shaking her head.

"You- you, what?" Chat demanded. "What is going on, you need to tell me. People are dying, and if there is something wrong that's preventing you from doing your duty, I need to know. So I'm asking again, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Ladybug stared for a moment before finally speaking. "I'm pregnant."