ghostgirl19posts answered:

I apologize for being a piece of shit and taking so long with this @papayawhipped But hey, it is what is is ;)

“You can’t die. I love you. So, if you die, I’m going to find you in the afterlife and revive you myself, and then scold you like hell!”

Despite his threat, Ladybug didn’t open her eyes. Her body didn’t even so much as twitch, nor did she give any other sign that his cries reached her ears.

Chat’s grip on her tightened as he blinked back tears, fighting against the sinking feeling in his stomach the longer she didn’t move.

“Come on, Ladybug! We’re partners and we’re about to kick Hawk Moth’s ass! We’re so close to saving Paris, we just need to fight a little more.”

Chat’s body trembled more the longer she didn’t move. The sinking feeling turned into desperation as he started to lightly shake her in his lap.

“Come on, get up!” he yelled. “Get up!”

Rena Rouge, dealing with her fair share of bruises, shared a look with Carapace, who immediately wrapped an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders. Unbidden, his mind supplied a picture of an alternate scenario: that is was Alya in Ladybug’s place, and he in Chat Noir’s.

He bit his lip, reigning in his own tears. Yes, Ladybug was a valuable member of their team. Hell, she was the leader and the one who gave him his miraculous in the first place. But as much as he respected and admired her, he held no love for her, not like he did for Alya. He couldn’t imagine the anguish that Chat Noir must be going through.

Still, it was surreal to see Ladybug like this. She couldn’t really be dead, could she? She was practically invincible, always had a plan and when things went dicey, they could always count on her revealing an ace up her sleeve.

Their hero, Paris’s hero, couldn’t be defeated like this. Not at the hands of a psychopathic butterfly and his feathery sidekick, not now, not when they had been so close to winning.

“Come on, Ladybug,” he whispered, the words barely making it past his unmoving lips. “Please. Get up.”

For his part, Hawk Moth looked at least a little regretful. His lips were parted in shock as he stared at the crying superhero and his motionless lady. Slowly, he lowered his head to look at his hands, as if in disbelief of what he’d done.

Mayura merely watched the scene with a tiny quirk of her lips, though it was hidden behind the plume of her fan.

She was the first to take a step forward.

Chat instantly heard it, his head snapping up toward the sound. He pulled Ladybug’s body closer to him as his furious glare stopped Mayura in her steps.

“Get back!” he snarled, baring his teeth. The only trace of his sorrow were the watery lines trailing down his cheeks, for now he had moved onto another, commonly felt, stage of grief: anger. But when part of the cause of that grief was standing in right in front of him, practically taunting him with a smirk?

Incensed would probably be a better word to describe how he felt. He might have thought of more if he could think of anything besides the satisfaction of ripping her apart.

“It’s over, kitten,” she said, that damn smirk never leaving her lips. “Hand over both of your miraculous.”

Chat Noir stilled.

Even after what happened, she had the audacity to demand their miraculous? The murder of a teenager didn’t faze her in the least, or give her some shred of humanity?

His eyes narrowed.

Fine.

If she wanted their miraculous, then she could have them.

His fingers made quick work of taking off Ladybug’s earrings. He was unbothered by the brilliant flash of pink light that followed, nor was he affected by what was subsequently revealed to him.

He hardly registered the twin gasps of shock from his temporary partners.

Tikki lay sprawled out on her chosen’s chest, her own heaving for breaths, and her big, blue eyes quickly filled with tears as she called out her chosen’s name . He would’ve offered her a snack of some kind, or otherwise made an attempt to comfort her, if his mind could concentrate on anything other than revenge.

“Tikki.”

The kwami looked up, first in grief, then in horror as she saw what pierced his ears.

“Chat Noir, don’t-!”

“Plagg.”

Mayura’s smirk dropped, as the realization of what was about to happen finally dawned on her. Hawk Moth stepped forward, arm stretched out to stop him, but it was too late. If they really didn’t want this to happen, then they wouldn’t have hurt his lady.

The following, growled word sent chills of dread down all of the onlooker’s spines.

“Unify!”