This chapter is a collaboration with arcana_fuse !!

Enjoy!
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A cold breeze wisped throughout the streets of the city, the night taking ahold of the shadows and streetlights that cultivated the atmosphere. Bright yellow stars began to emerge come midnight, making the darkness seem significantly less empty. The alarming noise of cars swishing past was almost a comforting sound that contrasted the cold and thick air that resided between Marinette and Chat Noir. Still keeping a moderate pace as to not attract too much attention, the two walked side by side, Marinette choosing to lag behind as a clear excuse to avoid conversation.

With what events that had just unfolded, all she could feel was crippling confliction. It would be impossible to forget Chat Noir's confession to Marinette, how he had essentially used her all along. That feeling of betrayal was branded onto her chest and caused the anxious feeling in her stomach to persist. All of their moments together seemed meaningless now, swept away with the breeze of the night and decayed into nothing more than a solemn memory.

She wanted to forgive him. She wasn't angry with him, right now, after all. But the Chat Noir she had known was a facade, wasn't it? An act to keep her attention and easily gain her trust?

Yet here she was, dedicating herself to helping him anyway, even after all he'd done to hurt her. She solemnly thought that maybe it was another trap to lure her into a false sense of security. But regardless, even as insane as it sounded within the walls of her mind, she needed him.

How else would she take his father down? She couldn't trust anyone at the department, much less the people in charge. She hadn't done well back there single-handedly either, and Chat Noir had yet again come to her rescue and prevented disaster. Maybe it was a sign that she would need his help — or it could very well be a red flag that she was ignoring.

She examined the side of his face, which was slightly bruised from their previous brawl. The streetlights shone into his bright green orbs which appeared to be an empty void, no doubt saddened by the news of his mother and the betrayal of his father. A delicate frown adorned his face as he lead the way, chest still heaving in exhaustion.

She still empathized for him. Despite her anger toward him, she couldn't forget the fact that in just an instant he had essentially lost everything. His false promise from his father had shattered him, destroying his hope that he could save his mother. And somehow Marinette couldn't help but feel partially responsible for that.

Thus this conflicition within her mind persisted endlessly, and she wisely kept her mouth shut to avoid addressing it.

"We're here," his empty voice echoed silently throughout the street, and he gazed back at her hesitatingly as if unsure if she still wanted to go through with things. After all, their silent three-mile walk wasn't such an encouraging sign of her support.

Wordlessly, she nodded in response, eyes suddenly finding her shoes very interesting as his gaze found hers. He sighed and nodded back, turning back toward their destination.

The complex he referred to, even as marvelous as it sounded, was merely an average looking, multiple story warehouse. It blended in perfectly and subtly with the surrounding apartments and workplaces. The front of it was empty, only a couple of cars parked in the limited amount of space.

Marienette followed close behind Chat Noir, who seemed to know exactly where he was going. The front of the building didn't seem to have an entrance, only a couple of windows at ground level that had tints too dark to see inside.

They reached the side of the complex, driven into a nicely lit alleyway. At the end of it, there was a door equipped with two guards deep in conversation with one another.

When the two neared closer, the guards immediately drew their weapons and demanded to know their business. Though Marinette was startled, Chat Noir didn't move an inch.

"It's me, you fools." Chat Noir spoke, somewhat harshly. "Let us inside."

The men did as they were told, stepping aside and opening the door. Chat Noir strode straight inside, only nodding to his comrades in recognition, and reluctantly she followed closely behind him.

After trudging their way up a winding glass staircase, the two finally arrived at Nino's office. Chat Noir pushed the doors open slowly, revealing the room which was filled from every corner with people. The sudden abundance of attendance was slightly alarming to Marinette. Chat Noir, on the other hand, was eager to get his point across.

"What seems to be the issue? I figured a meeting was necessary, since your call was urgent." Nino sat, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. Chat Noir approached his desk swiftly, ignoring the eyes which watched his every move.

"My father," Chat breathed, head pounding at the utter thought of his vile relative. He stood in front ofNino's desk, his fists balled as he leaned against the structure. "He stole Paris' missing jewel."

"Your... father?" Nino raised an eyebrow. The eyes around the room began to glance at each other in confusion. Nino began to nod slowly. "Yeah. That figures."

Chat sighed, hands finding the end's of Nino's desk in frustration. "But of course, that's not what the police are going to hear." Chat shook his head. "He wants me to admit I stole it."

The people around the room began to gasp, and slowly mumble amongst one another. They knew that if they came after their leader, they were in an equal amount of danger. Chat could only hope that they were words of support and not disdain.

"The police won't help us," he said quickly, "The majority is corrupted by my father. I'm going to need the lot of you if I have any chance in taking him down."

Knowing the power Gabriel withheld, the patrons amongst Chat looked uneasy. There weren't a lot of them, clearly, but Chat knew that it would be enough. Most of them looked to Nino for confirmation, who sat equally as silent. Chat swallowed harshly and wondered if they'd instead reject his proposal.

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple in nervousness. Maybe he hadn't thought things through as he had initially perceived. They seemed... rather unconvinced with this motive.

Some shook their heads, murmuring before exiting the room, no doubt tired of hearing about Gabriel and clearly unwilling to face him.

Before more people could protest or leave, a voice cut through the silence. "I know why you guys are hesitant," suddenly, for the first time since escaping Gabriel's lair, Marinette spoke. Chat wouldn't lie and say it didn't spark up his heart for only a moment.

She cleared her throat, eyes scanning the room. "You're thinking something like... 'what am I going to gain from this?' Granted, you all have a bone to pick with the law." She glanced at the tattered faces around her. The fact that they even bothered listening to her despite her officer status was enough to give her the confidence to speak. "Every single one of you can make things right. Instead of adorning a criminal's record, you can instead be considered heroes." She looked deeply entrenched in her words, nodding slowly at the couple of faces in the front of the crowd. "If you agree to help us, I intend on keeping that promise." She managed a smile.

Chat Noir almost sighed in relief as Marinette's words began to sink in to the once unsure crowd among them. She had said it perfectly. Many members of the gang slowly began to agree, smiling and shouting at the hope Marinette had funded them with. To gradually allow repair in their broken lives. To dismiss them of this false claim.

Chat turned, smiling at Marinette. He was extremely appreciative of her words, considering she hadn't needed to speak at all. She was hesitant to return the smile but eventually did. For now, she presumed they were on the same side. So she might as well attempt to keep the peace between them.

Despite this, the hopeful atmosphere didn't last long.

Nino began to speak before being harshly interrupted, "Well—"

The doors to Nino's office swung open, seemingly piercing the air. With it came a cripplingly familiar face and a low rumbled growl from Chat Noir.

"Look who it is!" A man strode in, who Marinette and Chat Noir quickly recognized to be Felix. The people around the room stood motionless and confused, as did Nino.

"Well, it seems the 'friendly' officer has yet again returned! But this time, going as far as invading our very own living space." Chat Noir's stomach dropped, realizing his brothers' inverse intentions. Already the atmosphere of the room had faded at these words.

Felix stormed toward her, and Chat Noir immediately stepped in front of Marinette, arm preventing her from divulging in his brother's clutches. "Felix," Chat warned, anger beginning to emerge from within him. "...Stop this. Now." He wasn't entirely sure what he was up to — but he was not for a second letting him anywhere near her.

"Stop what? In my opinion, we should take care of the problem at hand." He sneered at Chat, attempting yet again to get past him, which ended unsuccessfully with his brother towering over him angrily. This did not deter him regardless.

He looked shocked. "Are you seriously believing all of this bullshit?" Felix shook his head at Chat Noir, even going as far to shove him backward. Chat only moved an inch, holding in his anger. "Though, she has quite a convincing mouth, I'd say... but not enough to convince me."

Chat Noir almost growled at the remark. "She wouldn't do anything to harm us, Felix. That I know for a fact." The seriousness aligning his words almost made Felix burst into laughter.

Marinette noticed Chat's protectiveness in the midst of the harsh situation, and managed a smile smile. She was glad they were at least on the same page.

Felix, however, was not. And he made that very  clear to all of them. "I know her intentions, Chat. I'm no fool." Felix crossed his arms, even daring to get dangerously close to his brother's face, "Don't you see? Officers don't help us, they incarcerate us!" He said this to Chat, though he truly meant it toward the audience around them. In reality he only intended to put on a show.

Chat Noir clenched his jaw, backing up closer to Marinette and narrowing his eyes at his brother. He was always very manipulative with his words, just as his father had always been. He could only hope the gang wouldn't listen to him.

"The fact you've so willingly allowed her a VIP ticket into our territory only makes things too easy for her. Our hideout is now exposed, thanks to your carelessness." Felix crossed his arms yet again. The people around the room began to sound uneasy at his claim. He smirked, knowing he was now gaining their support with his skillful superstition.

"I've heard enough, Felix. Take a step back." Chat Noir warned.

He snorted. "Take a step back? You should be stepping away from her. Who knows what kind of weapons she could have hidden away?"

"I think you're wrong about her, Felix."Nino suddenly interjected, arms crossed.

Felix turned to him, shaking his head in frustration. "Are you kidding me? What could possibly prove her full allegiance to us?"

Nino rolled his eyes at Felix's bickering and began, "When this whole investigation first began, Marinette took me in for questioning—"

Felix interjected, "See!—"

"Shut up, Felix!" Chat nudged him in the gut, hard, and he winced in pain, obviously angered by the action but ultimately silenced.

"As I was saying..." Nino scowled, leaning against his desk, arms crossed, "It was clear the moment I walked in that everyone in the department had it out for me. They were dead set that I was somehow involved in the robbery."

He stood up straight. Many people around the room, especially the fuming Felix, clearly wondered where he was going with this.

Nino raised an eyebrow, as if still confused about how the events had turned out. "However, when she questioned me... it didn't take long for her to let me go." People seemed surprised by the remark, looking at one another in confusion. Their past experiences with law enforcement clearly didn't line up with that claim.

"Even with little or no evidence backing me up that I was innocent, she just took my word for it instead of jumping to that same conclusion. And just... let me leave." The people around the room suddenly seemed impressed. Nino looked toward Felix skeptically after the remark, shaking his head. "Now tell me, Felix. If she was out to get us, why would she give up her only source of information?"

Felix's breath seemed to hitch in hesitant response, but still he was not completely deterred. He attempted to justify himself. "She's luring us all into a false sense of security, Nino. Don't you see that?"

Again, Nino objected. "If our leader trusts her, that gives me all the more reason to." People began to nod.

Felix was trapped. He began to look desperate in his opinion. "What are you saying? A—A police officer! She has no place here—"

He was fumbling over his words at this point. "She's pathetic! She's deceptive! She's—"

Chat Noir's head snapped to meet his brother's gaze, a grimace pulled at his lips. Letting his anger get the best of him, he suddenly stormed up towards Felix, suddenly exploding into fury. It had been brewing since the moment Felix had stepped in the room. "She's what? You'd be dead without her, you selfish asshole!" His clenched his fists, sizing himself up to his brother. Felix remained unmoving; unafraid of his brother's threats, but he must've not been aware of what Chat Noir was capable of. "You should feel lucky she even wasted her time on you. Have you no respect?"

A silence followed his outburst. Felix stood motionless, scowling. Chat Noir returned the scowl, shoving his brother backwards, asserting himself. "Have you nothing to say for yourself? Without her, you wouldn't be breathing any of this bullshit." He prodded a finger into Felix's chest, rather harshly. "You've never appreciated anything. She's offering to help us; giving us a chance to redeem ourselves from our mistakes, and you treat her like gum underneath the bottom of your shoe — even after she saved your damn life."

Tension filled the room, silencing everyone. It seemed this argument had taken a more personal turn than Chat Noir had intended. His foul emotions only dissolved after Marinette placed a gentle touch to his shoulder.

"Chat, it's okay." She said softly, and he took a deep breath. He glanced at her, realizing how hysterical he must have sounded, and suddenly felt ashamed. He couldn't really accuse his brother of being ungrateful when he too had been ungrateful for Marinette's hospitality since the beginning, hadn't he?

Nino piped in before anything more could be said between the two. "On that note..." he made sure their quarrel was done, "All in favor of allowing Marinette to aid us?" He raised his hand, and throughout the room, gradually, it seemed every hand had raised. Felix looked stunned.

"I... I.." Felix began to stand. "Are you guys insane?"

Nino ignored him. "Now that that's settled, maybe we should even begin to question your role here, Felix."

"My... role?" Felix looked over at his brother in confusion.

Instead, Chat Noir looked over at Nino for confirmation of what he was about to say next, and Nino nodded, assured. It was then that Chat Noir sighed heavily, looking over at his brother in an emotionless stare. "You won't be accompanying us on this mission, Felix."

Felix's skin became colorless, eyeing his brother skeptically. "What? But... I'm practically at the head of this organization; your second in command, brother! I'm going. No discussion." He denied the statement.

Chat noir however, was far from amused. "Seeing as how you prefer to defy your leader's orders rather than legitimize that title, it's clearly time to reconsider your state as a 'head' of this organization."

Felix gaped, looking first at Nino with pleading eyes, and when Nino gave him none, he looked to his brother for support. But Chat Noir offered him none. Instead, the criminal in black shook his head towards his brother, merciless for his brother's predicament. Felix fell down to his knees in desperation.

"Chat Noir, please. You can't just... just do this me!" Felix begged to his brother, desperate in the face of full opposition. Chat Noir however, hadn't forgotten about what Felix had done only moments ago and scoffed, turning away from the last of whom he called family.

He didn't even offer Felix a second glance as brushed past him, the rest of the gang following shortly afterwards. One by one, everyone slowly piled out of the room, leaving only Felix in his desperation and Marinette nearing the door.

Soon ready to follow after the rest of the gang, Marinette paused underneath the doorframe. Reluctantly, she couldn't help but glance behind her at the broken man. Even after his false accusations towards her, she somewhat felt sympathy for his predicament.

Felix's chest was heaving, eyes trained onto his open palms which laid in his lap, a look of disbelief etched across his features. He looked absolutely devastated. An extreme emotion one couldn't even begin to fake.

The room suddenly became colder. Marinette sighed, turning around and walking towards him.

Hesitantly, she knelt down beside him. She rested a hand on his shoulder, noticing the tears that stained the corners of his eyes as if they threatened to spill at any moment. "Felix... I understand why you were so hesitant to trust me, really," she paused and frowned when he remained silent, stilled in the same state as before. She wasn't deterred however. "I'm really sorry about what's happened. I... never meant for anything to go down like this." However, she was unsure if her apology meant anything to him, considering he had no response to offer her, and deflated, Marinette stood to her feet once more.

Once again she neared the door of the room. She turned to look over her shoulder, and although he wasn't looking up at her, she offered him a gentle smile. "I just wanted to let you know... I'm not angry with you," He suddenly lifts his head and she catches his gaze for only a moment before she's turning back around. He blinked as if unable to absorb her words, but every word she spoke was genuine. "And I forgive you." With that being the last thing she needed to say, Marinette exited swiftly. The door closed softly shortly afterwards, leaving him alone in his misery, and the lights flickered off all on their own, encasing the room into darkness.

And as Felix swallowed hard, left in the now darkened room alone to his own thoughts, he wondered if she had really meant it.

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Hey everybody! It's good to be back... and I'm so sorry that this update took so long! We're going to try and be a lot more consistent with this book, hopefully updating the next chapter much sooner than before. Thank you again for your patience!

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Thanks!
—Dippy