The Akuma yanked the earring off Ladybug's ear and reached for the other one. Instead, it pushed her off the Eiffel Tower. From inside the cage that he was stuck in, Ladybug heard Chat Noir call out. Quickly, she reached for her yoyo, only to find that it had vanished. Her suit was also fading rapidly. Curling herself into a tight ball, Ladybug fell and fell, waiting for the inevitable impact.

CRACK

Marinette opened her eyes and groaned. Remembering the events that happened, she shot up and almost passed out again. Touching her forehead, she felt blood and she was pretty sure had a cracked rib or two. Her leg was burning with pain and she couldn't feel a few fingers on her other hand. She looked around her and saw Paris in shambles. Buildings were on fire, people were screaming, and a piece of the Tower fell off. Looking down, she saw Tikki laying in a puddle of blood. Her blood. Scrambling, Marinette reached her kwami and gingerly picked her up. "T-Tikki?"

Tikki's eyes opened slightly, showing slivers of violet. "M-Mira...culous...La...dy...bug," she whispered. A shower of magical ladybugs swarmed around Paris. This time, things didn't return back to normal. Some buildings were still crumbling, some fires were still burning, and Marinette was still sore all over. Her cracked ribs were most likely bruised now and her leg was still broken. "M-Marinette," whimpered Tikki, "I'm..s-so..rry." The magical ladybugs swarmed around Marinette's hands and when they vanished, Tikki was gone. In her place, was a single, cracked earring.

Marinette held the earring to her chest and sobbed. "It's ok. You did your best. You did your best."

It was over.

Hawkmoth had the upper hand this time.

Ladybug was gone.

Marinette sat in her room and gently traced the crack on the earring with her finger. It's been two years. Two years since she last transformed. Two years since she last felt whole. Two years since she last saw Chat Noir sane.

She remembered watching Chat Noir after he defeated the Akuma. He must've cataclysmed the cage. Without Ladybug there to purify the Akuma, Chat Noir did the only thing he could do. He savagely tore the butterfly into shreds. She watched the pure hate in his eyes. In that moment, Chat Noir was truly gone. In that moment, she saw a glimpse of what Chat Noir was to become. In that moment, Marinette felt true fear of her partner for the first time. He whipped around, and she painfully crawled behind a leg of the Tower. "Ladybug," Chat called out. "Ladybug, where are you? Ladybug, come out! LADYBUG!"

Marinette put a hand to her mouth to stifle the sobs. He sounded so desperate, so scared. She wanted to help him. She needed to. And she couldn't. Chat Noir found Marinette in her hiding spot and she let out a muffled scream. "Marinette?" He asked. "Marinette! Have you seen her? Have you seen Ladybug? Did you see her detransform? Can you tell me where she is?" He shook her shoulders with each question. Marinette wordlessly shook her head and clutched the earring tightly in her fist. His voice was heavy with desperation and his eyes were filled with sorrow. He ducked his head and let out a shaky breath. He looked back up and scanned her. Marinette was sure she looked like a literal bloody mess. "Are you ok? Is anything broken?"

"M-my leg..."

Chat gave her a short nod. "Got it." Gently, he scooped her up and took her home. That was the last time he had ever been gentle.

Marinette sighed and looked up. This is all my fault, she thought. If she had told Chat who she was, then things wouldn't be like the way they were. If she hadn't told him to save his cataclysm for later, then Ladybug would still be around. Paris was still healing and Chat Noir wasn't making things any better. Hawkmoth wasn't either. Couldn't he give Paris a break? Isn't he suffering from that battle, too? He still has one earring, isn't that enough? Chat Noir was still on the good guys' side. Mostly. If he saw an Akuma, he destroyed it before it could infect anyone. If he saw someone doing wrong, he...punished them. Almost every night, the police department got a special delivery of the latest criminal. He hasn't killed anyone. Yet. On bad days, a building will mysteriously turn into ashes. Just last week, part of the Agreste mansion was destroyed. A tear fell from Marinette's eye and she stared at the earring again. Tikki, how did this happen?She remembered asking Master Fu the same question.

"The Ladybug and the Black Cat are made for each other," he had said, They hold each other up and complete each other. It is very dangerous for one of the miraculous to be active while the other isn't. Especially if the Black Cat is active.It has happened before. Chat Noir you knew is gone and until we can get your other earring back, he won't return. "

Marinette bowed her head. "I understand."

"I have sent out the Fox, Turtle, and Bee miraculous to try to retrieve his miraculous. Hopefully, they will get it soon and Paris can fully heal. I have faith in them."

They had that conversation two years ago.

The miraculous team was still trying to get Chat Noir and Hawkmoth. Thanks to Chat, Hawkmoth isn't their number one priority. No thanks to him, the team was no closer to getting his miraculous. It was taking a toll on them and Marinette could see the stress leak into their civilian lives. Alya had deleted the Ladyblog, Nino stopped making music, and Chloe had become quieter. Adrien had become snarkish and took himself out from their lives. He stopped going to school and hardly left the mansion anymore. If anyone tried to get in touch with him, he would yell and scream until his assistant told them to leave. Marinette was also affected. She couldn't remember the last time she had touched her sketchbook. She didn't even know where it was. Her sewing machine was collecting dust and she was contemplating selling it on eBay.

Marinette heard a dull thump above her. She put the earring back in its box and climbed up to the balcony. What she saw stopped her heart. There, two feet in front of her was Chat Noir. His back was facing her and he was looking at the view. It's been so long since he's been this close. Marinette held back a startled scream. As quickly and quietly as possible, she made her way back inside. No. It can't be him. She can't face him again. "It's too late, Princess," he said without turning around. "I've heard you." Marinette froze. Taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way back up the ladder.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"This is usually where I come to think."

Marinette tensed. How long has he been coming here? How long has he been so close? How did she not notice? "Why...why here?"

Chat Noir shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because you remind me so much of her."

Marinette hesitantly walked closer to him. If she reached, she could touch his back. "L-Ladybug?"

Chat whipped around with an animal glint in his eyes. "Don't say her name!"

Marinette cringed away. "I'm sorry!"

He softened and underneath the anger, Marinette could see sadness. "I'm...sorry."

Marinette relaxed a bit. "Why do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Why do you terrorize Paris?"

"I don't terrorize Paris, I help it. If you haven't noticed, I destroy akumas before they can get to people, and I take down the bad guys." He gave a sadistic chuckle."And, I'm searching for Hawkmoth." His eyes narrowed. "If only that stupid fox and her posse could see that, then we wouldn't have a problem."

"Yeah, you take down the bad guys, but you almost kill them at the same time. You call for cataclysm for no reason. Just to destroy something. Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Queen Bee are also looking for Hawkmoth. Why don't you join them? You used to be good, once. Obviously, there's still some good in you left.

If you know that Lady—If you know that she's not coming back, why do you stick around? Isn't it better to just turn in your miraculous?"

"That's just it. She's not gone. I can feel it. She will come back. And I'll be there when she does. I have to be there."

"But she can't—"

Chat Noir cut her off. "She will," he growled.

Marinette was angry now. "No, she won't! Hawkmoth has one of her earrings! You don't know where the other one is! You saw her fall from the Eiffel Tower! Her suit couldn't protect her! For all you know, she could be dead."

Chat pounced on Marinette and pinned her down. "How dare you! You don't know that!"

"Maybe, but look at the facts! She's gone, Chat. Let her go."

"You're with them, aren't you?"

Marinette's anger morphed into confusion. "W-what?"

"You're with them! The fox, the bee, the turtle. They asked you to convince me to give it up, didn't they? Well, tell them that it's not gonna happen!" With a ferocious growl, Chat Noir slashed Marinette's face with his claws. Marinette gasped and with all the strength she had in her, pushed him off and held her face.

"Get out."

Chat Noir's face fell and Marinette saw a glimpse of her old kitty. "Marinette...I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I d-didn't mean—"

"Get. Out."

"Prin—"

"Did I stutter? Get out and never come back."

Wordlessly, Chat Noir turned around and jumped onto the railing. He opened his mouth. "I..." He closed his mouth and jumped off her balcony.

When he was gone, Marinette sunk to her knees and sobbed. "Oh, Tikki. What will I do?"