Marinette stood up from her knees, wiping her tears. She had made this choice, she had to come here, or else Chat Blanc would have hurt everyone. She still didn't understand why she was wanted, but those weren't questions that could be answered. At least not now. She decided to explore the places in the mansion she was allowed to go to.

On the first floor there was a dining room, an extremely long table looked like it could seat a humongous family, but only two chairs were seated there, as far away from each other as possible. A vase stood in the center of the table, with a singular pink rose inside. Marinette brushed her hands along the wood of the table as she passed by, going back towards the stairs in the foyer. Chat Blanc said that her room was upstairs and to the right...

Marinette opened the door, and was shocked at the sheer size of the bedroom. Whoever lived here before must have been rich, because the room was filled to the brim with games, toys, high tech electronics, even a rock climbing wall! She walked around the room, wondering why the evil Chat Blanc would give her such a nice place to stay. He did seem to like her in some way, maybe he just needed a friend around.

She sat down on the edge of the soft bed, and suddenly the overwhelming events of that day hit her like a brick wall. She fell backwards. Sprawling across the bed and felt her eyes flutter to a close, exhausted.

-----

The sunlight coming through the floor to ceiling windows woke her up. She yawned and turned over, looking at the clock. She was still surprised that Chat Blanc had managed to keep this house up and running, what with the flooding of Paris and all of the other nearby cities using emergency power, according to Alya. Getting up out of the bed, Marinette couldn't help but wonder where the Chat was. If he was so lonely, why didn't he spend time with her? She went down the stairs, calling out, "Chat? Chat Blanc?" But there was no reply. She went into the dining room and noticed that there was a small plate filled with fresh fruit and waffles, and a glass of orange juice. Well, he did say he was going to get food last night. There was still no sight of him, however. She took the plate of food, taking a bite out of an apple as she walked back into the foyer.

She was about to go upstairs again, but she couldn't help but look at the door to the room that she was forbidden to go in. She started to walk over... but quickly turned around, shaking her head. Chat Blanc was mad enough already since she called him a killer. If she made the situation any worse he may... he may... she didn't want to think about it.

Marinette went back up to her room and ate her breakfast before looking at the game console next to the computer. Curious, she picked it up, seeing the starting screen to a game load on the television.

"Ultimate Mecha Strike 3?" Marinette read aloud, confused why the name of the game sounded so familiar. Grabbing the controller, she sat down on the couch and pressed start.

She played the game like an expert as if she had done it for years. She cheered as she beat another computerized player, "BOOYAH- Marinette style!"

"You always were good at that game."

Marinette screeched and fell off the couch, dropping the controller. She looked up and saw Chat Blanc standing behind the couch, smiling slightly.

Marinette started to stammer, "W-well I-I mean these are just computers, I-I'm sure any real p-person could beat me easily-"

Chat Blanc jumped over the couch and sat next to her, motioning to the unused player two remote, "Could I take that as an invitation to play?" he asked.

Marinette readjusted herself on the couch, looking confused, "You're telling me that you, Chat Blanc, play video games? I thought you would just leave me here while you plotted in some sort of evil lair."

Chat Blanc chuckled slightly, "I did tell you the truth back there, I'm lonely. And you were always an amazing friend and...." he cut himself off.

Marinette sighed a little and smiled at him, "I still can't believe we knew each other before you were akumatized... you're so familiar yet so different." She said.

Chat Blanc smiled back, "Maybe me beating you in this game will refresh your memory."

"Oh you are so on."

Marinette handed Chat Blanc the player two controller and they two started to play.

-----

Meanwhile, back at the people's shelter in the town hall of Issy-les-Moulineaux, a plan was coming together.

"With the flooding we'll have to work like we Ladybug did to fight Siren." Alya suggested.

"Once again I will point out that Ladybug had underwater super powers that day." Alix retorted.

"But we have one of the best swimmers in Paris. I mean, Kim, didn't you pack your snorkeling gear on the field trip bus? Like you did on the train to London when Startrain happened?"

"You know it!" Kim replied, rushing over to where the rescued luggage was being kept, pulling out his goggles and swim shorts, "I'm ready to swim!"

"If we send Kim back to Paris swimming in the water, he can find out where Chat Blanc is hiding, and where he's keeping Marinette. Hopefully she's not cold and wet, he wouldn't be that cruel." Alya said.

"The way he treated her while she was here, I doubt it." Rose piped in.

Alya sighed, "I miss her so much...." Nino wrapped an arm around her, "She'll be okay, she's Marinette! She's resourceful and always has a plan."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Let's focus on defeating Chat Blanc please!" She said.

Alya nodded, "Fine. Once Kim finds the hideout, wherever they're hiding, we all move in using whatever materials we can find. I'm talking trash can lids as shields, curtain rods as swords, whatever you can use. We attack and get him cornered. He'll try to attack, and we know he needs time to build up the energy of the mega cataclysm. That's our opening. Rip off anything on him, the tail, the ears, the staff, anything that may hold an akuma. Hopefully then we will get Chat Noir back to normal. He'll regain his senses and help us."

"If he had any sense in the first place." Chloe mumbled.

Alya stood up, "Alright, let's get going. Kim, you use the old bikes outside to get back to Paris, and swim in, and don't get caught. Everyone else- let's start making our weapons."

Kim ran out the doors and jumped on a bike while the rest of the mob gathered together.

-----

After hundreds of rounds of Ultimate Mecha Strike 3, Chat Blanc must have been exhausted. He was out all night, as far as Marinette knew. She threw a blanket over the boy sleeping on the couch and left the room so he could get some sleep. Outside the sun was setting, she would go to sleep soon too, but she was hungry. She went downstairs and into the dining room, getting some fruit to eat. As she went back into the foyer, arms full of fruit, she slipped and fell, dropping it all. She rubbed her head in pain and started to pick up the fruit again, and noticed one orange rolling across the floor, bumping into the door that she was not allowed to open. The door opened a little with a creak.

"It was unlocked the whole time?" Marinette asked aloud in confusion. She looked around, no sign of the Chat. There would be no harm if she ran inside just to grab that lost orange, right?

Marinette slowly opened the door fully and looked around. The room looked like it had been ransacked. Everything breakable was smashed on the floor, furniture was overturned, it was a complete mess. The only thing that remained intact was a large portrait of a beautiful blonde woman in yellow, but even that was stained black in certain places, like holes had been burned into it.

Marinette couldn't help but walk over to the portrait, looking up at the woman. Those green eyes reminded her of someone, but she couldn't remember who. She brushed her hands along the canvas, curiously looking at the holes burned into the portrait. "Why would someone do this to such a beautiful picture?" She asked. She pressed her fingers into the burnt parts of the picture, hoping she would be able to brush the scorch marks off, but something completely unexpected happened.

As Marinette pressed all of the scorch marks, and suddenly she started sinking into the floor. She yelped and tried to jump out, but she was already inside a glass elevator and was going down fast. The glass elevator went below the floorboards, and Marinette closed her eyes in fear of where she was going. Suddenly the machine rose back up, but she wasn't in the same room. This room was dark, empty, only one large circular window let in the slightest bit of light. The elevator opened and Marinette stepped out, not knowing what else to do. The elevator sunk back into the floor and Marinette shouted for it to stop, not knowing how to summon it again.

Now she was stuck in here. Was this why Chat Blanc didn't want her in that room? He knew she would mess up like this and get stuck? That couldn't be it....

"M-Marinette..." squeaked a tiny voice.

Marinette turned around, looking for the source of the voice. As the light shifted through the window, she saw a small red dot underneath a glass dome. Walking towards it, she saw it was a creature.

"Ew! Is that a bug? A mouse?" She said, stepping back.

The creature started to move: "Marinette no, wait, it's me!" The tiny thing squeaked.

Marinette was about to run away, but she felt in her gut that she knew this voice. "What... What are you?"

"Quickly, before he comes- say Tikki spots on!" The creature said with a cough. It was clearly sick and injured.

"Wait- what are you talking about-"

Her question was interrupted by a mega cataclysm bursting through the wall, throwing Marinette and the tiny creature backward, the glass dome keeping the creature contained, breaking with the blast.

Chat Blanc appeared in the hole in the wall, his pointy teeth in a growl and his eyebrows angry with anger. He stomped forward towards her.

"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO COME IN HERE." He shouted.

"I-I didn't know! I didn't mean to come here-" Marinette said, breathing heavily.

"I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU. WE WERE HAPPY. THE TWO OF US TOGETHER AGAIN!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"HAVE YOU BEEN TOYING WITH ME THIS WHOLE TIME?!"

"Chat please-"

"GET OUT!"

"W-what?"

"I SAID GET OUT! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! YOU NEVER LOVED ME, IT'S CLEAR NOW! GET OUT!"

Marinette stood up, legs shaking. She ran out of the hole in the wall he created, apparently this whole hidden lair was attached to the mansion all along. She wove her way through broken pipes and drywall until she was in the foyer again, and she ran. She had no idea how to get back to the shelter, considering Paris was flooded. She ran outside of the mansion and opened the iron gates, letting the water flood inside. She floated up to the top of the waters and started to swim as well as she could away from the mansion, until she heard another voice calling her name.

"Marinette! This way!" shouted a boy. She remembered his face from the shelter, another survivor. She quickly swam over.

"Are you okay Marinette?"

"We have to go, now! Quickly- he's angry!"

The boy, Kim, nodded and grabbed her arm, helping her swim faster and towards the edge of the city. As they swam, Marinette heard the angry screams of Chat Blanc, but those screams of anger soon turned into confusion.

"No... NO! WHERE IS IT! NO!" Chat Blanc shouted, loud enough for Marinette to hear as they swam away.

It was a good thing she was swimming, because she didn't want anyone to notice she was crying.