Adrien

If you had asked Adrien Agreste at the age of 15 how he thought the world was going to end, you never would have gotten this answer; and, to be honest, he couldn't believe it was happening himself.

"Carapace, give me a check. Where are you? Carapace?"

The feedback echoing in his ear was giving him a headache. He'd tried Pigella — no response. Caprikid — no response. Polymouse... the sound of silence was as discomforting as the harsh feedback he was currently contending with.

Grabbing the baton from around his back once more, Chat Noir looked around the area, flipping up the communicator and scanning for any possible locators.

Rena. Check.

Viperion. Check.

Minotoux. Check.

Carapace...

Zooming in and out on the screen, he prayed to God that Nino had just dropped off the surface. That he was currently in cosmo mode, or underwater. The lack of sighting only caused panic to slither and twist inside Chat's stomach.

"Nino! Come on man, just let me know you're okay."

A scream was suddenly heard from the other side of the debris. A scream so soul destroying, Chat could only think it meant one thing... another one was down.

Volting himself over the last remains of the Iron Lady, he found it difficult to keep his stomach from turning inside out.

The flash of a yellow and black circle, faded along with the protective coating of its wearer. Another one down. Another casualty of this war.

"Luka?" He approached the hero currently crouched over the body on the floor, his head on her shoulder as he sobbed uncontrollably at their loss. There was no way they were getting out of this one alive. There just didn't seem to be an escape.

Over the years, they'd dealt with loss... but the loss was always short lived. This time it would be permanent.

"Luka, come on man. We need to go." Grabbing the arm of his teammate, Chat Noir helped Viperion onto his feet before the hero could succumb to the next attack from the Akuma.

"We can't leave her... we just can't..."

"Carapace is down." A soft, broken voice sounded in Chat Noir's ear. A voice which had completely given up.

"Down?" Chat said in complete disbelief. "How the hell can he be down?"

"He's gone, Adrien. He's... he's..." Sobs vibrated into his ears, this time causing his knees to go weak and almost sending him to the ground.

Another one was gone.

"We can't defeat her, Adrien. She's too strong."

The positive, optimistic aura he usually gave off was slowly disintegrating to nothingness. The pessimistic side he'd worked years to hide away and control was suddenly breaking free in a need to release.

"Alya, just hold on." Throwing Viperion beside him, the two began to run in sync, sending themselves sailing off the top of the desolate building and down onto the streets.

"Has anyone seen my sister?" Viperion's words of worries shook Chat Noir to the core. "Has anyone seen Purple Tigress?"

A loud explosion had both heroes skidding to a halt, the building in front of them exploding and causing them to cower. Debris flew around them, a dust cloud coating their supersuits, Chat Noir becoming a suspicious white.

"Where is she?" A voice thundered through the cloud of dust, a faint red glow radiating through it as the akuma moved forward.

"Run!" Chat Noir ordered Viperion; the snake hero gave him a glance for clarification before heading in the opposite direction. His feet moving him in a way an athlete would be proud of.

Chat stepped forward, placing the baton behind his back to free his hands. "Marinette," he began, "we can talk about this. Please, just come back to me."

The glowing stopped and Adrien lost sight of the Akuma.

"Marinette! Please!" The desperation in his voice was punctuated by the thickness in his throat. A need to bring his wife back to him.

The glowing started up again, the vibrancy getting more and more as she made her way closer. He fought to keep his arms by his sides and away from his weapon, not wanting to fight her. He could never fight her.

As Marinette stepped out the shadows, he couldn't help admire how dangerously beautiful she looked. Her hair was long and down; a crown seated within her head covered in red and black jewels, the only indication she was transformed when the akumitisation had happened, and the sole reason she was more powerful than all of them.

Her dress was beautiful — long and flowing — decorated to perfection with jewels and diamonds. Her engagement and wedding ring blended effortlessly with the beauty. She was floating, her feet barely touching the ground.

"Marinette, sweetheart! Please! We can talk this through."

Her eyes were locked on his — expressionless as she stared back at him. Her eyes — mainly black — with only the smallest of blue he adored outlining them. His wife was gone. Absorbed in this unknown power which sought her out and infected her.

Lifting her right hand, a trail of rocks followed the movement only to be thrown over towards where Viperion had just run; the sickening sound of crunching and smashing rocks had him closing his eyes in remorse. All he could do was pray his friend had managed to escape.

They were running low on options.

"It's too late." Her voice was tainted with venom. A scary echo coating each word.

"It's never too late."

"Lies!!!" she shrieked. "Everything is lies! Everyone has lied to me for years and I'm done! It ends today... for all of us."

With only one option left, Chat Noir stepped forward and grabbed her hands, kissing her on the lips as he had done years before. The action almost always breaks them out of the spell. But not this time. She was too far gone; poisoned beyond belief.

A strong shove pushed him backwards, causing him to lose his step and stumble over, catching himself just before he fell onto the floor.

"Shit!"

Grabbing the baton from his back, Chat Noir launched himself up onto the rooftops and sprinted towards the safe house. He'd lost his wife, he was losing his friends, and if he didn't act quickly he'd lose his daughter.

"Distract her!" Placing one finger to his ear, he called through to the remaining heroes. He needed Marinette held back. He needed to get to Emma and go through with the hardest plan of his life. There were no options left.

"We're on it, and Chat please give our kitten a kiss. We all adore her so much. I can't believe it's come to this."

A lump formed in Chat Noir's throat. "I know. I'm sorry for letting you all down."

"It's not your fault, it's nobody's fault. Just..." Rena's voice trailed off and Chat didn't need to hear anymore.

"Yeah," he sniffed, "me too. Goodbye my friend."

Continuing his voyage, Chat pushed forward and on towards the safe house — and the remainder of his family.

"She's pushing hard," Viperion's voice strained through the earpiece. "You haven't got long Chat Noir. We can't hold her much —" Static assaulted his ears, a sure sign f another one down. He could have stopped there and then, collapsed to his knees and mourned the loss of another one of his friends. But he had to get to Emma. There was no other choice.

Dropping into the closest alley, Chat Noir called off his transformation and clutched hold of his side. As he removed his hand he winced, the blood from his wound seeping through the cracks in his fingers as he bled out.

It wasn't meant to happen like this.

This wasn't how they were meant to end.

They were meant to grow old together, have more children together... not end up fighting for their lives.

Stumbling forward, Adrien placed a hand out and onto the cool wall, a hiss leaving his lips as his eyes closed against the pain.

"Kid, you need to transform back. You're going to bleed to death."

Adrien's pale face lifted to look at Plagg, the black rims of his eyes growing darker in his fight to stay awake. The purple and black edging was coating his red rims. The last moment for his life.

"It's just —" Beginning to move away, Adrien stumbled down onto his knees. A rattling cough shook through his body as the area in front of him began to sway.

Shit!

"I'm here. We've got you."

Feeling a tug on both of his sides, Adrien let out a soul splitting scream. The hands on either side of him were tightening as they led him deeper into the alley and down into the basement of an abandoned building.

Carefully, Adrien was placed down and a glass of water was thrust into his mouth. His eyes lifted to meet the caramel glare of his long time friend. Kagami continued to tilt the glass, covering Adrien's mouth and chin in water; Félix fumbling around to find something to wrap around the wound.

"She's too far gone. I can't save her," Adrien sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry. I can't save her." Tears streamed down his face as Tom and Félix moved beside him and crouched down.

"Adrien, you tried. You shouldn't have done any of this anyway. Not in your condition."

Tears continued as Adrien nodded with no understanding. If they hadn't gone to the ball tonight he wouldn't have jumped in the line of gun fire to save Marinette. Now he was on his deathbed and Marinette...

His shoulders shook as he took another glance at the ground, Tom placing a hand on his back in support.

"We need to move," Felix whispered. "If we don't send Emma now then everything you've worked for, everything you've done will be futile."

"Everything we've done," Adrien said, grabbing a hold of Félix's hand with his. "Thank you for joining our side."

Felix took him into the most painful hug of his life, the pain excruciating from the open gunshot wound, the wound which was slowly killing him. The night had started as normal. He had led Marinette to another gala promoting her company, the only difference this time was a crazed fan with a will to keep Marinette to themself – even if it meant assassination. Of course, Adrien couldn't let that happen; jumping into the line of gunfire, he was hit with a fatal wound that was slowly drawing his life from him.

"It's time to go," Sabine walked over, offering a hand out to Adrien as another colossal crash was heard outside, she was growing closer... It was now or never.

Standing with the support of Tom and Félix, Adrien headed over to the cot in the corner; his daughter fast asleep inside with her fluffy bunny. Adrien collapsed onto his knees beside her, the joy of his life sleeping peacefully, unaware that when she woke up she'd be in a different time, place, universe. The only thing he could count on was the love of her new parents, ones picked out by Bunnyx and Rena.

"Hey, baby girl," Adrien said, reaching his clean hand towards his daughter's hair. Each word a challenge to push past the lump in his throat. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save your Maman. I'm sorry we have to part but I hope one day you can forgive us and understand why you had to leave."

A swirling sound signalled the arrival of a new person — or should he say hero.

"It's time, Adrien. If I get stuck here or killed it'll be the end of the Miraculous."

"But she's so peaceful. She's just napping."

"We know dear." Sabine appeared beside him, placing a hand around his shoulders and burying her face into his hair. "Thank you. Thank you for our wonderful granddaughter, but most of all thank you for loving Marinette. You two were her everything."

The rest of the group gathered together, touching Adrien and sending their words of kindness and care. This was the end. The end. This wasn't how it was meant to go. This shouldn't be the end of their story.

Groaning as he lifted her, Adrien took Emma into his arms one more time. Kissing the soft baby skin of her forehead and taking in her deep scent. He knew this was the only option, he knew this was their only choice — but that didn't make it any easier.

"I love you," he whispered through the sorrow and the guilt. "Goodbye my beautiful ray of sunshine."

With a scream of pain and remorse, Adrien placed the sleeping toddler into her auntie's arms, jealous of the person on the other side. The person, and people, who got to see her grow and change. He only could be grateful for being there for his daughter's birth, first steps, first words. The pain in his side kicked up to a thousand and he wretched from the feeling. This intensity was beyond anything he'd experienced before — in or out of the suit. He watched as his life was taken away from him, the rabbit hero walking into the burrow without a backwards glance.

"What happens now?" Kagami asked, Longg floating near her head with Félix and Dusuu nearby.

"We put up one last line of defence," Adrien hissed before a bright green glow surrounded his body.