Chapter Text
‘Where’s Marinette?’ Cat Walker asked.
He was feeling much better now, his fever broke, his senses working well. The Ladybug Miraculous was activated last night. There was no time to waste.
Alya paused in recounting last night’s commotions.
‘...Out.’ She said almost reluctantly. ‘Marinette went out.’
Out ?
What happened to not rushing headfirst into a fight without a plan? And what about the Ladybug charm she gave him yesterday? It was still in his pouch right this moment. Marinette was rushing into a battle unprotected-
Cat Walker must have made a face at the answer, for Alya immediately added.
‘She’s just scouting, not fighting so chill out.’
‘Alone?’
This time it was Alya who made a face at him.
‘I think you saw firsthand that she was more than capable of going solo.’
Cat Walker begged to differ after hearing Marinette’s conversations with Zoe and Alya- on the emotional aspect at least. But he wasn’t going to bring that up, ever. So instead, he asked.
‘Exactly what is she scouting for?’
‘The one you two are looking for-Ladybug. Or well, the place where the Miraculous Ladybug was activated.’
So Alya knew about Marinette’s goals, Cat Walker noted mentally.
‘Does this mean we have a location?’
‘ Possible location s. Nothing’s firmed yet.’
‘Where?’ He pressed.
'The better question would be where you are. That, and what’s for lunch. If you’re actually serious about finding Ladybug that is.’
‘I’m dead serious.’ There was no hesitation nor pause in Cat Walker’s reply.
‘Then come with me.’ Alya walked past him to the other end of the corridor without waiting for an answer. She didn’t have to, Cat Walker’s footsteps were an answer of its own.
The living room they entered was dusty, which Cat Walker suspected was because unlike Zoe’s place, this one doesn’t seem to be inhabited until recently. The only corner that wasn’t dusty was the worn-down coffee table, where transceivers, notes and maps were scattered on. Blinds were drawn, strips of light filtering through its gaps.
Before Cat Walker could let his gaze wander any further, Alya returned from the pantry and shoved him canned food and a cup of lukewarm water.
‘You guys still eat... food, right?’
‘We do, thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’ was all Alya said before plopping herself down beside the coffee table, flipping over the notes.
‘So... where are we exactly?’
‘The 11 th arrondissement, which is...’ Alya moved her pen to point at a spot on the map. ‘Here.’
‘And the possible locations?’ Cat Walker looked over the map, trying to make sense of the colour coded circles and lines drawn over it.
‘Finish your food first.’
‘It wasn’t like I would rush outside the moment I heard the names of the places.’
‘Food first.’ Alya insisted.
‘Then can I ask how you found me?’
Alya sighed, but upon seeing that Cat Walker did pick at his food, she relented, just a bit.
‘I was on patrolling nearby.’ She stated vaguely.
‘How did you know that they were illusions? Or did you snipe them thinking that they’re the real deal?’ Why didn’t you snipe me was left out of the question, though Alya caught on anyways.
‘Deductions. One of the major red flags was how the Guardian and Ladybug were standing together. Ladybug wasn’t on the best of terms with the Guardians. And I won’t snipe a stranger I know nothing about.’
‘Wasn’t Ladybug last seen with the Guardians?’
‘I see that Marinette had told you things.’ Alya threw him a sideway glance. ‘Last seen together doesn't mean that they were buddies. There were other things I took into consideration in my deductions as well. Their postures and gestures for starters. And many other things.’
‘How can I tell the real from the fake the next time around?’
‘You can’t.’ Alya answered bluntly. ‘You can’t ever be a hundred percent certain. But as you saw last night, once illusions collide with real life objects or people, they disappear. Though just cause they are touchable and holding the Miraculous of the Ladybug, it doesn’t mean that they are the Ladybug you are looking for.’
‘You’re suggesting...’ Cat Walker’s grip tightened on the cup.
‘That the current holder of the Ladybug Miraculous may not even be the same person as the holder two years ago.’ Alya finished for him.
Cat Walker felt his stomach drop, suddenly losing all interest in his food despite the hunger. If it wasn’t the same Ladybug who partnered up with Chat Noir, then how was he supposed to execute the full plan? He could make alterations and revisions, sure, but it wouldn’t be as useful when there was little emotion involved on the ‘new’ Ladybug’s side. What about setting out on finding the ‘actual’ one?
‘What... make you think that?’ He asked carefully, aware of how closely Alya was watching him.
‘The real Ladybug would have announced her return to all of Paris and not sneaking around the shadows.’
If he’s Adrien he'd have told you by now. His kindness wouldn’t allow him to keep letting people believe that he’s gone. Cat Walker was reminded of what he overheard last night. However, he pushed it aside.
‘Maybe she had her reasons?’ He suggested.
‘...Maybe.’
They went mostly silent after that, with Cat Walker focusing his lunch- or brunch- and Alya jotting down notes.
‘Just put it on the counter.’ Alya spoke eventually when Cat Waller finished his food. And by the time he returned, she had already cleared the table of stray notes, leaving the map of Paris in plain sight.
‘We have quite a few possible locations to investigate.’ She started once Cat Walker sat himself down. ‘But I narrowed it down to three likeliest locations for Marinette to scout for now.’
Cat Walker gave the map a onceover, vaguely recalling that his father and Nathalie had marked some locations on his own map as well, the map that was currently folded in his pouch. Though with the fresh lead, maybe it wasn’t time to take it out just yet.
‘Do you know how the Miraculous Ladybug thing works?’ Alya paused to look at him.
‘A little?’
‘I’ll take it as a no then.’ Alya decided before Cat Walker could protest. ‘It basically spreads magical ladybugs everywhere to repair damage. And the point of origin is always where the caster is. So Mari and I collected witnesses' accounts- including our own- from our contacts and tried to retrace the path the ladybugs made.’
‘What did you end up with?’
‘All the witnesses pointed out that the ladybugs sprouted from our side of the Seine. Seine is the name of the river by the way.’ She added when she spotted Cat Walker’s confused gaze.
‘So up here?’ Cat Walker pointed at the upper section of the map.
‘Yep. We narrowed it down to the Opera House, the Louvre and the National Library. All of which are still partially intact.’ Alya pointed to the three locations on the map marked in purple. ‘And big too.’
‘How long till Marinette comes back?’
‘The evening.’
‘The evening?’ Cat Walker echoed in disbelief, it was barely past noon that moment.
‘The roundtrip itself takes around two hours.’ Alya reasoned. ‘And time needed for scouting is very dependent on the situation. Why? Are you in a hurry?’
Cat Walker was, in fact, in a big hurry. His father doesn’t have much time left. But Alya doesn’t need to know any of that and there was no way he was going to tell her such. Hence, he opted for the next best reply.
‘It’s just that they could be long gone by the time Marinette scouted them all, or they could be setting up a trap. Or...’ A terrible idea came to Cat Walker then.
‘What if the Miraculous Ladybug itself is an illusion?’ He breathed.
Alya smirked at him. ‘I thought you’d never bring that up.’
‘So that’s a possibility?’
‘Marinette and I suspected it for a second but nope. Its not possible for it to be an illusion. The Miraculous Ladybug touched us as it passed us by. My injuries were not caused by any direct or indirect usage of magic—no, don’t apologise again, I already said I forgave you- so it wasn’t in its healing agenda, but Mari and I felt its power. That isn’t something an illusion can fake.’ Alya explained. ‘As for the remaining possibilities, Marinette was aware of the risks, but we don’t have much else to go on with.’ She concluded.
‘I have a map of my own with some other possible locations.’ He offered.
Alya raised an eyebrow at him. ‘You didn’t even know the name of the Seine until a moment ago.’
‘The map was given to me as a guide.’
‘By?’ She prompted.
‘Classified. Do you still want to take a look?’
‘I’ll take whatever info I can get.’
So Cat Walker handed her the map from his pouch which Alya took with a thank you. He himself didn’t get much of a chance to read it before he was shoved through the portal to Paris, therefore he looked over his map with her and the living room descended into quietness, broken only by occasional questions popped by Cat Walker and updates from Marinette over the transceiver. There were no signs of the Guardians or Ladybug at the National Library it seemed.
The sunlight seeping through the blinds weakened as the hours ticked by, until it became too faint to see things probably with natural light alone.
‘I’ll go get the lights.’ Alya announced then, standing up and stretching.
The transceiver beeped halfway through her way to the pantry, however, causing her to stop in her tracks.
‘Marinette?’ Cat Walker picked up the microphone, heart racing. Her last update came in less than fifteen minutes ago. Had Marinette spotted something?
The only sound that came through the speaker were clicks, which was a first since Marinette always spoke plain words to them in her updates.
‘Mar-’ Cat Walker tried again but was shushed by Alya as she covered the microphone with her hand.
The clicks kept sounding and that was when Cat Walker resailed that it was some sort of code.
Alya snatched the mic from him the moment the clicks ended, tapping on it rhythmically in reply. He watched the exchange in tensed silence. He may not be able to decode their words, but he could easily tell that something went south.
Once the cryptic conversation was over, Alya slotted the microphone back to the transceiver with more force than necessary.
‘Marinette’s near the Louvre. She’s been spotted.’ Alya said before Cat Walker could voice his question, walking over to the window to peek outside the blinds.
‘By Guardians?’ Cat Walker could see from the now half-opened blinds that the sun was setting.
‘Guardians.’ Alya confirmed without taking her eyes off the window.
‘Isn’t that a good thing? Since they are both on the side of humans?’
‘They know that I’m Marinette’s friend and partner. So considering that I busted their advances to get you last night, I think you can tell where this is going.’
‘They’ll take Marinette as someone siding with the vampires.’ Cat Walker concluded grimly.
‘Exactly’ Alya turned from the window to where her coat hung from a hook on the wall.
‘I’m coming with you.’ Cat Walker turned to follow.
‘I am not going to her rescue.’
‘What?’ He couldn’t believe his ears.
‘Marinette was spotted, not caught.’ Alya stated, buttoning the coat. ‘And since she doesn’t know the exact number of Guardians on her tail, she may outrun them, or get outnumbered. It’s not wise to just run to her aid without sufficient information.’
‘Are we going to get backups then?’
‘ I am going to the Louvre for scouting. This is a personal investigation so there’s no backup.’
‘But you just said you’re not-’
‘I said I’m not going to her rescue.’ She repeated. ‘Many things could have happened while I’m on my way there since we’re not close to the Louvre. But I am going scouting to confirm Marinette’s status. With all the attention currently on Mari, it’s also prime time to sneak up on the Guardians.’
‘I’m still coming with you.’
‘Marinette specifically told you not to on the transceiver.’
‘I didn’t hear that.’ Cat Walker retorted.
‘Well I did.’ Alya didn’t so much as to spare Cat Walker another glance, opting to pack up the transceiver and other necessary items instead.
‘Why would Marinette make such a request? She didn’t make me her partner for nothing.’
‘Need I remind you what that Guardian was trying to do the last time he saw you?’ There was an edge in Alya’s voice now. ‘If they get hold of your ring, it's likely that they will disappear completely. And along with them, possible info on Ladybug’s whereabouts. We are in no position to fight the Guardians head on. This is a stealth and observation mission.’
‘But what if your injury tears open in action? Vampires are going to smell you from miles away. You are aware that the sun is setting, right?’ He was the one who inflicted said injury just last night, and he would hold himself responsible by going with her.
‘I’m also aware that I can handle them just fine. And we’re lucky that it wasn’t vampires that I am after this time.’
‘I'm not asking for your permission to go. Marinette needed her charm.’
‘Her what?’
Cat Walker screeched into a halt in the heat of the debate and so did Alya. Did she not know about the charm? That Marinette carried the Ladybug charm that enhanced her strengths and defences? It shouldn’t be in his place to reveal what Marinette didn’t tell Alya, but the situation didn’t exactly give him that liberty.
‘This.’ He fished the charm from his pouch. ‘Marinette let me keep this as part of our deal. And she needs it right now.’
‘She would have asked for it if she needed it.’
‘Again, I’m not asking for your permission.’
‘Give me a good reason not to knock you out with a dart a second time.’ Alya crossed her arms.
‘The same reason I didn’t attack you even when Marinette’s not around.’ Cat Walker replied without missing a beat.
Alya sighed heavily at that.
Truth was, Cat Walker wasn’t the only person Marinette asked not to come. But Cat Walker doesn’t know how to decode those clicks, so he doesn’t know any better. As for Alya, she cared too much about Marinette to follow through Marinette’s request.
‘We don’t engage unless Marinette’s in immediate danger.’ She laid out the conditions.
Cat Walker wanted to disagree, but he did need someone to show him the way to the Louvre if he was to get to Marinette as soon as possible. So a nod it was.
The sun had disappeared under the horizon by the time Alya and Cat Walker made it near the Louvre. It took them a full hour to get there, no thank you to the need to go around some of the ruins to avoid blackspots for vampire attacks. To their dismay, not once in that hour-long journey did the transceiver make a sound. There wasn’t a single peep of update from Marinette. There were multiple ways to interpret the lack of communication from her, though both their thoughts swayed to the worse possibilities, it was hard not to.
They crouched on one of the rooftops surrounding the Louvre Pyramid, scanning their surroundings vigilantly, knowing that they may already have entered the Guardians’ 'territory’.
The square down the roof was devoid of people. The Louvre Pyramid itself was dented, glass long since shattered. Cat Walker turned his attention to the surrounding buildings searching for a hint of light. It may be a full moon that night, however, it was still dim and foggy, making it difficult to tell the shadows apart
‘If they’re still here, they are smart enough to put off the lights.’ Alya commented as she looked into her binoculars.
Faint footsteps caught his attention then, those that sounded from the crumbled entrance to the Louvre.
‘Alya.’ He breathed, pulling the edge of Alya’s cloak to the direction of the sound. She shot him a puzzled look, for the sound was too faint for a human to catch just yet, but she turned her head to look at the entrance anyways.
Luckily, Alya didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was about.
‘We are expecting the authorities to arrive first but we’ve also been waiting for you.’ A voice broke the silence, echoing off the buildings surrounding the Louvre.
Cat Walker recognised that voice. Su-Han.
The Guardian was looking straight at them through the fog. Cat Walker squinted his eyes to see that Su-Han's pendant and staff were missing.
But he wasn’t alone. Several other figures in the same uniform emerged from the hollowed door frame that once marked the entrance to the Louvre. And then Cat Walker’s suspicions came true.
Also emerging from the doorframe, escorted by several Guardians, was Marinette. Her bandana and cloak were nowhere to be seen, probably confiscated.
‘Authorities he said...’ He heard Alya muttering under her breath.
‘I thought there’s no authorities in this state?’ Cat Walker asked, not taking his eyes off Marinette, who had also caught sight of them. Cat wasn’t looking forward to their next conversation, taking into account how Marinette’s eyes screamed the rhetorical question of what he was doing here.
‘There is one, very technically speaking. Its not exactly official but not unofficial either. That’s what makes them dangerous.’ Alya whispered in reply before standing up.
‘How do we know that you’re not yet another illusion?’ She dared the Guardians down below.
Su-Han simply took from his pocket a transceiver and brandished it into the air. The sound of Alya gritting her teeth hinted to Cat Walker that it was probably the very transceiver Marinette used to communicate with them. Without another word, the Guardian threw it towards the building they were standing on, sending the device colliding squarely on the cracked bricks before falling back to the ground.
‘Anything else you want to say before the authorities come?’ Su-Han prompted.
‘Exactly what are you charging Marinette for?’ Alya raised her voice even more as she shouted from atop the roof.
‘Being an accomplice. Your accomplice.’ He replied. ‘You fired an arrow at me, a member of the Guardian who is fighting against the vampires. Especially the vampire that's standing right beside you, might I add. The list goes on.’
‘Hiding the Miraculoueses with the power to stop this invasion hardly counts as fighting against the vampires!’ Alya bellowed. Cat Walker had a feeling that she had wanted to let this out for a long time. ‘And the only time you put the Miraculouses to good use was when you used Miraculous Ladybug to fix the mistake you forced your Trixx to make last night.’
‘The only mistake we made is to have let Fu in as an apprentice. Protecting the Miraculouses is our primary objective. Protecting the city came in second. And you and Dupain-Cheng here are making our jobs even harder when you two chose not to evacuate the city with your parents.’
Cat Walker doesn’t know half of the things they were saying. But there must be a reason as to why Su-Han was so generously answering their questions. Was it because he thought that they had them where he wanted them?
Alya said not to engage, but now that they were already busted. What was the point of holding back?
Before Alya or Su-Han could exchange another verbal attack, Cat Walker vaulted into the air with his staff, aiming his landing on Su-Han, who was standing in front of Marinette.
Three Guardians rushed to form a barricade by Su-Han's side, two stayed by to guard Marinette.
To their surprise, Cat Walker merely planted his baton in front of Su-Han, turning his landing into a take-off, vaulting past them without attacking.
‘Catch!’ He bellowed mid vault, pitching the Ladybug charm towards Marinette’s direction.
Even if Marinette couldn’t catch it, the charm should be close enough to lend her the power to break free.
‘Get yourself and Alya out of here!’ Marinette commanded instead, not making a single move to catch the charm or escaping for that matter. Cat Walker could only watch wide eyed when a Guardian caught it instead.
‘I’m afraid it’s a bit too late for that.’ Su-Han spoke, hand closing in on the charm the other Guardian handed him before swiftly sliding sideways, right in time to dodge an arrow Alya shot.
Alya tsked and tried to reload her crossbow, only for three Guardians to appear around her. Behind where Cat Walker landed, three other Guardians did the same, all posed for attack until Su-Han gestured for them to stand down. ‘The vampire can summon Cataclysm wordlessly so keep your distance. I’m sure that the blogger and the vampire won’t make any more rash decisions when their partner is still here.’ Su-Han looked meaningfully at the two.
‘You want to bet?’ Cat Walker provoked.
‘I suppose I can tell the authorities that Dupain-Cheng here sprained her ankle in a failed attempt to escape.’ Su-Han said casually.
Alya cursed. And that was how Cat Walker figured that the Guardian wouldn’t hesitate to act on his threat if they do anything funny.
‘Now...’ Satisfied that he has the scene under control, Su-Han turned to Marinette. ‘Just where did you find him?’
Marinette only glared at him in silence.
‘He seems to be convinced that this little charm here is what you need to turn the tides.’ Su-Han twirled the charm in his hands with mock curiosity. ‘Why is that? This is just the repellent charm for Hawk Moth’s butterflies is it not?’
Cat Walker couldn't make sense of what the Guardian was sputtering. Run. Was all that he wanted to shout to Marinette. The charm was in proximity, it should be enough for her to break free and make a run for it with enhanced strength, why wasn't she running?
‘Did you use the charm to somehow convince him that you’re still Ladybug? So he would blindly sacrifice himself for you like Chat Noir did?’ The Guardian guessed offhandedly.
Alya gasped.
Cat’s jaw dropped.
Marinette downright froze.
Still Ladybug .
Cat Walker heard his mind rerunning the sentence over and over in his head. Implications and denials overwhelming him. He hated how it could explain everything- well, most things at least. It would explain why Marinette didn’t want him to come here. It would explain why she and Alya knew so much about the workings of the Miraculouses. No one would know the powers of the Miraculouses better than the user themselves. But part of him refused to jump to that conclusion. Such a claim came from the Guardians who already lied to him once. Su-Han had to be bluffing. It had to be some sort of trick to break what fragile partnership he formed with her. Nothing was confirmed or denied by Marinette.
But Marinette didn’t say anything against that. She just stood frozen, held upright by her escorts. Though that in itself already implied a lot.
‘Oh?’ Their reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Su-Han. ‘Did you not tell him that you were Ladybug? How did you get that vampire to work with you then?’ He questioned, indifferent to the bombs he was setting off.
Despite given the chance to speak, nothing came out of Marinette’s mouth, veiling the entire Louvre in silence. Cat Walker’s heart clinched at the reason why. Tears had taken the place of words, quietly rolling down Marinette’s eyes nonstop.
So he would blindly sacrifice himself for you like Chat Noir did? Cat Walker supposed that having that spelt out for her was anything but comforting.
‘Vampire.’ Su-Han turned to address Cat Walker, unmoved by her tears. ‘Did she not tell you that she was Ladybug?’ Asked the unfazed Guardian, even though the answer was staring at them right in the face.
Cat Walker glared at him.
‘Ah... forgive me, I suppose she didn’t. You wouldn’t have fallen for last night’s Fox’s illusions otherwise.’ He continued casually. ‘You wanted to know why she hasn't run just yet?’
Without waiting for Cat’s response, Su-Han pulled out a stone that looked a bit like a water drop. Cat Walker recognised the stone. He had a black version of it. In fact, he was wearing it right that moment under his magical suit. That was the least of his concerns, however.
Marinette deceived Cat Walker was one thing. Marinette’s overflowing emotions was another. She was clearly not alright. And Su-Han's subordinates didn't so much as to hand her a cloth or napkin.
‘This is the real charm that lets her do whatever feats she showed off to you. A gift and a protection gifted by a Kwami.’ Su-Han twirled the charm and the stone in his fingers. ‘Without wearing it, she loses its protection. She isn’t running because she simply can’t outrun us, not without the strength the Kwagatama gifts her.’
Su-Han was stalling time. Cat Walker realised belatedly. Why else would he be voluntarily giving out so much information? And then he remembered. The head Guardian was waiting for the authorities to arrive when they first walked into the open. And they were probably still waiting for said authorities.
‘You wish to tell Ladybug what really happened to Chat Noir, did you not? She’s right here. Go on ahead, we’re all ears.’ Su-Han offered.
Cat Walker felt his lips tighten.
He had the story alright. Gabriel told him what story to tell Ladybug. The story that Cat Walker wasn’t sure if it was genuine or a fake or something in between.
Thing was, finding Ladybug was not the final objective. The endgame had always been the power granted by the Miraculous of the Ladybug. That was what his father sought after. And it was clear that the jewel wasn’t in the scene. The Guardians had laid down this trap, so it was unlikely that the actual Miraculous was around. And Marinette- Ladybug- doesn't have it.
He may not be able to outfight the guardians, but if he tried hard enough, he could probably outrun them. He could lay low for a little while, then go back to Miraculous hunting. It’ll waste some precious time, though it wasn’t like the current situation could give him answers anyways. Having found people to help him on his quest was only a bonus. He had long since prepared to do it alone.
The charm was a fake. Marinette probably lied. The Guardians were convinced that they must retrieve the ring from him, dead or alive, meaning that having the Butterfly Miraculous no longer guarantees his safety, it never does to begin with anyways.
Simply put, he doesn’t any reason to stick around this scene or Marinette or Alya anymore. He could just run from this.
But the human in him wouldn’t allow such a thing.
Just like the human in him wouldn't let him turn a blind eye to the back-alley crimes in his home city, or people who needed help like Ilia or Colin.
His eyes glowed a crimson red, kicking off the ground with superhuman strength, speeding past the three Guardians surrounding him in a flash.
‘ CATA- ’ He began chanting out loud, launching himself straight at Su-Han.
‘Chaton!’ Marinette screamed, teary eyes widen in horror. It was way too soon for him to use Cataclysm again.
The Guardians either ducked for their lives or froze in fear upon hearing the spell. Su-Han was the only exception, completely unfazed by his display.
‘--CLY-’
Su-Han caught him by his wrists before Cat Walker could finish, sending him hands first towards the floor.
Cataclysm would touch the floor the moment it activated. In the worst-case scenario the floor would collapse. But Su-Han could manage it as long as he himself wasn’t Cataclysmed in the process.
If Cataclysm touched the floor that was.
Su-Han did a doubletake when Cat Walker’s right hand crashed onto the floor followed by nothing. No cracked floor. No nothing.
The last syllable of the spell never left Cat Walker’s mouth. He never planned to finish his chant, he never planned to actually use Cataclysm.
Seizing the Guardian’s momentary lapse of concentration, Cat Walker extended the baton he held in his other hand, aiming it at Su-Han's left one, the one holding the Kwagat...—whatever that was.
How nice of the Guardian to showcase the Kwagawhatma to him.
Cat Walker’s eyes narrowed in complete concentration, vision tunnelling onto the precious stone falling from Su-Han's hand. Cat reached out for it, suited-up fingers outstretched and--
His fingers closed around the stone in a death grip.
There was no time for celebration. His still glowing red eyes scanned the surroundings for Marinette. Luckily, she had also taken advantage of the distraction, dashing away from her captors.
Their eyes met, an unspoken conversation passing between them. Moments later, Cat Walker was by Marinette’s side, Kwagawhatma handed over.
Cat Walker held his baton close as he waited for Marinette to put it on. Then they would get Alya and leave. He could hear the very faint sound of vehicles gradually getting louder. Considering that he hasn’t seen a single moving vehicle since coming here, whoever own those must be someone with power. Likely the authorities then, they were probably coming.
‘Cat Walker...’ Marinette broke his train of thoughts, the desperation in her tone sending alarms blaring in Cat Walker’s head. ‘It’s a fake.’
All his previous plans crumbled to pieces. It was a what?
‘It’s my Kwagatama, not Dupain-Cheng's. The gift only works on the initial receiver.’ Su-Han cut in, turning to look at Marinette. ‘In such low lighting, it’s hard to tell dark orange from red isn’t it?’
Why didn’t that cross his mind before?
‘We shoul-’ Cat Walker’s suggestion was put on pause when Marinette pulled out a pocketknife from her shoe to counter a staff aimed right at her leg.
Su-Han actually, purposefully tried to sprain her ankle like warned he would. But there was no time to process that nor where the staff came from when Cat Walker aimed his baton at the Guardian to back Marinette up.
The other Guardians were starting to come back to their senses once they realised that Cataclysm wasn’t activated. Kwagawhatma or no kwagawhatma, they would have to find a way out.
‘Bring me the blogger.’ Su-Han commanded his subordinates as he leapt back to dodge the baton.
Both Marinette and Cat Walker inhaled sharply at that. Cat Walker may not know what blogger meant, but he was positive that Su-Han was referring to Alya.
‘T-the Cesaire girl is gone!’ A voice from the rooftop announced.
‘What?’ Marinette and Su-Han shouted in disbelief.
‘We looked away for a moment and-’ A Guardian on the roof didn’t get to finish when a gigantic tail wiped him off the other side of the roof, out of sight of the square.
If Guardians weren’t looking at the rooftop then, they certainly were now.
‘Sentimonster!’ The two remaining Guardians on the roof bellowed before they too got swiped off their feet.
A massive black cat the height of two people crawled onto the rooftop, fur bristling as they eyed the people in the square.
‘Mayura.’ Su-Han and Marinette voiced in unison yet again, before eyeing each other in surprise.
‘What’s a-’ Cat Walker’s sentence was interrupted once more, yanked to a side by the belt as Marinette bolted from Su-Han.
‘Dupain-Cheng!’ Su-Han yelled but was soon torn between facing off the sentimonster and chasing after Marinette. The black cat had leapt down the roof and onto the Louvre Pyramid, causing the already dented metal to creak at the new weight. The other Guardians looked rapidly between Su-Han and the sentimonster, indecision hanging in the air.
For a moment, there was absolute silence. Even the sentimonster seemed to still at the inaction of all.
Then.
‘Prioritise the ring's retrieval!’ Su-Han's split-second decision boomed loud and clear through the square as he directed his staff at Marinette and Cat Walker’s direction.
Of freaking course.
What did he expect? Cat Walker wondered to himself satirically while he and Marinette continued running from the scene.
‘Do you think you can vault us up that rooftop?’ Marinette asked between pants, tilting her head to where the black cat first appeared.
‘If you hold on tight.’ He replied, already readying his baton for the vault.
Behind them, the ground shook. One backward glance revealed that the cat had launched themselves at the Guardians, swiping their paw at them. Half the group was therefore forced to fight in defence of themselves, abandoning the command to chase after Cat Walker. Su-Han, however, was still hot on their heels.
‘Hurry!’ Marinette urged.
Cat Walker complied wordlessly, wrapping his free hand around Marinette’s waist right before stabbing his baton into the floor for the vault, launching them both up the roof.
Su-Han leapt after them, purchasing footholds on the window ledges, scaling the wall two floors at a time.
‘Alya?’ The moment they touched down the roof, the moment Marinette hopped off Cat Walker’s hold to scan the surroundings for her friend.
‘Marinette.’ Cat Walker warned when Su-Han made a final leap, landing on the same roof.
'Alya!’ Marinette tried again, straight up ignoring him. Or rather, she was too caught up in her current task to pay him any mind.
Cat Walker’s heart clinched yet again. She sounded as wrecked as the time she was talking to Zoe and Alya.
Could he blame her though? Cat Walker thought rhetorically as he parried a blow from Su-Han's staff, all while taking care to shield Marinette as well.
‘You're just like Chat Noir.’ Su-Han mused while they exchanged attacks, firm wood clashing hard metal. ‘Ever so loyal, even after knowing her lies.’
‘At least she’s still saving people, unlike you.’ Cat Walker blurted out before he knew it.
But he couldn’t spare a moment to process his words or his emotions when he was locked in combat with the Guardian. Although the sentimonster continued causing havoc below them, several Guardians were able to keep the black cat busy, sparing their comrades to go after Cat Walker. He and Marinette would be outnumbered soon. Not to mention the roaring sound of engines signalling the authorities’ arrival.
‘Marinette we have to go!’ Cat Walker shouted in between clashes, his shout barely audible above the sound of the raging battle below.
‘She can’t have gone far!’ She reasoned.
‘Can’t she-’ Cat Walker grit his teeth as he fought on. ‘-simply be in hiding?’
He needed to convince Marinette to run, and fast. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted other Guardians making their way up and uniformed men climbing out of the vehicles parked in a far corner. They really, really need to leave.
‘I know she wasn’t!’ Came Marinette’s reply. And Cat Walker would be very tempted to ask just how she could tell as such if he wasn’t so occupied.
Curiosity killed the cat, however. His brief moment of curiosity layered on top of his urgency left him distracted for a moment. And it proved to be a fatal mistake.
The staff connected squarely on his stomach, knocking the air out of him.
‘Cat!’ Marinette finally rushed to his side to aid him, brandishing her pocketknife to anticipate Su-Han's next attack.
Before their weapons could clash though, a flash of navy-blue sped past Marinette’s eyes, the blur tackling Su-Han to the side, sending dust and fog up the rooftop floor.
‘Mayura!’ Marinette exclaimed upon recognising the suit.
‘Where’s the Ladybug Miraculous? You have three seconds.’ Mayura interrogated the Guardian below her, pressing a fan-like weapon to Su-Han's neck.
'You’re actually showing your face, I’m surprised.’ Su-Han began, only for his surprise attack to be blocked off by Mayura.
‘Three.’ Mayura counted, eyes glowing in a dangerous red, literally.
A vampire.
Beside Cat Walker, Marinette pointed her pocket knife at Mayura.
‘Don’t even try.’ Mayura warned Marinette and the Guardians that made it onto the rooftop, her eyes stayed on Su-Han. ‘Where is it?’
Su-Han stayed silent.
‘Two.’ Mayura continued the count down.
Blue light blinded the entire scene.
‘Mari, hop in!’ Someone shouted in the blinding light.
Peeking from the hand partially shielding his eyes from the intrusive light, Cat Walker spotted a mop of curly hair behind him.
'Alya...’ Marinette whispered.
No. Not just Alya.
From the glowing portal where the light sprouted from , a masked girl in a blue and white suit was gesturing frantically alongside Alya for them to leap in.
Cat Walker’ heart pounded loudly in his ears as he looked from the portal to Mayura. They were at the crossroads.
Whoever this Mayura was, got Su-Han hostage and the Guardians in a bind. There was a chance that they might actually get the information he and Marinette so desperately needed.
To safety with no information. Or risk their safety for possible information?
Did the portal even equate to safety? What if that itself was also a trap?
‘ Minibug , now!’ The masked girl hurried.
Marinette twitched at the nickname.
Somehow, that alone was enough to snap Marinette out of her indecision and rush towards the portal.
‘After them!’ Su-Han commanded despite having a weapon pressed up his neck.
‘Cat Walker!’ Cried both Marinette and Mayura, much to Cat Walker and everyone else’s huge surprise.
Possible safety. Or possible answers?
He cared for his father. And staying may just give him the location of the earrings he was so desperately searching for.
In the heat of the moment, Cat Walker turned left and bolted.
To where Marinette was heading.
It wasn’t because he believed that his safety would be ensure if he hopped into that portal.
It wasn’t because he would otherwise be swarmed by enemies if he stayed.
It wasn’t even because he was following the command to put his life before his mission.
It was just pure, unexplainable trust towards Marinette. An instinct if you will. Even after Marinette deceived him.
No one needed to tell him what a dangerous game he was playing. He knew that full well.
But he still threw himself at the portal where Marinette jumped into.
The moment he hopped in, the moment the portal closed behind him, disappearing into thin air before the eyes of Mayura and Guardians as if it had never been there in the first place.