A/N: This chapter was actually partially inspired by pinksakura271's comment. lol Pinksakura always gets so upset when Chat gets injured, so I thought to myself, what if Ladybug got caught in the cross-hairs for once? As a result, this fic was born.

Demi clayton: thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying them. ^^

Chapter 4: Seeing Red

Stand alone resolution to chapters 14-16 of my other fic "Broken Pieces" initiated solely from the idea of the first sentence. Since this was so LadyNoir POV-centric (and a reveal fic) I decided it was more appropriate to post it in this compilation. This chapter is definitely rated T for blood and maybe a touch of risque. Just a heads up.

"Do you want to die?"

The question rang on repeat in her head as she stared back into the blood red eyes of her assailant. He whom once was her closest companion was now her deadliest adversary: Chat Noir who now went by the alias of Chat Blanc. The boy straddled Ladybug's pelvis, pinning her wrists against her body with his knees. His left hand tightened dangerously around her throat causing her rapid heartbeat to thrum even louder at her temples and she could feel herself grow lightheaded. Chat's right hand hovered above her threateningly with a foreboding white energy pulsing around his palm. It was the equivalent to Chat Noir's 'cataclysm' except Chat Blanc seemed to have unlimited uses of his 'obliterate' rather than just one. The power had very recently proved the destruction of a vast majority of the battle field, leaving the feuding heroes surrounded by slowly evaporating rubble. Ladybug struggled against his hold, flinching suddenly when Chat flexed the fingers of his right hand causing the energy to collide, resulting in a low, rumbling pop.

Ladybug's lips parted as she attempted to speak, but the only thing that escaped her was a choked gasp and more tears. Chat sneered derisively and cocked his head to the side. "Beg your pardon. I didn't quite catch that." He leaned in closer keeping his knees planted in the same place as he bent over more, settling more weight onto her windpipe. His breath brushed her ear as he whispered, sending a thrilling chill down her spine as her vision blackened. "You don't what-?"

"I- don'-" Her voice rasped hoarsely causing her to stop and wet her lips in an effort to speak more clearly before gasping against the hold on her airway, exerting the last of her statement as a series of grunts. "N'- wan- to fi- you!"

Without giving him a split second to laugh, she suddenly pulled her feet back to her butt and thrust her hips upward, bucking him off and over her with one swift movement. Her vision was almost entirely black as she retreated so she didn't see Chat's jaw had gone slack in surprise as he flew in the air. Darting to her knees opposite the direction she threw him, she let out a violent series of deep, barking coughs. The coughing fit was followed instantly by a huge sputtering gasp all of which seemed to bring her vision back into clarity as she could now see Chat on the rebound. His expression was sour. Wincing at the headache that pounded against her skull, she grabbed her yo-yo and dodged another incoming tackle, quickly hurling the weapon skyward as she summoned her lucky charm.

The white clad boy didn't give her another second as Ladybug then found herself diving under him as he pounced at her a second time, barely managing to catch the charm with her fingertips right before it hit the ground. Grasping the charm tightly she flipped over her other hand, rolling to the side to narrowly dodge Chat's baton as it lanced in extension toward her. The boy's akuma enhanced speed, however, allowed him to catch her with a sweeping kick before she had finished rolling, connecting with her gut to send her sprawling. Fighting the instinct to curl in on what were probably fractured ribs, Ladybug pushed herself up with a stifled grunt when she noticed a purple halo light around Chat's eyes. Her partner glared down at her as she backed away clumsily, only to then find her heels tipping back along the crumbling edge of the roof they were on.

The girl glanced desperately at her feet, eyeing the rubble at the ground far below them. She clutched the lucky charm in her fist, determining she needed to find a way to get the jump on Chat in order for the charm to work. However, in order to do that, she'd need to gain more time and have to find somewhere she could hide until Tikki recharged. She'd worry about another lucky charm to cleanse the city later because as it was, she was finding it challenging enough to put any distance between her and the cat. She just had to cause a distraction sufficiently long enough to-

"Chat, fight back," she pleaded when he advanced a step forward. Holding her free hand up in a gesture to calm him, she was surprised to feel tears gather at the corners of her eyes for the umpteenth time. How could she still cry? "You don't need to do this! Hawkmoth isn't-"

"What do you know?!" Chat spat in reply. "You know nothing about me and my situation. This is what I want! You hear me?!" His red irises stared at her angrily, scoffing when she didn't respond and noted the new tracks that carved through the dirt and blood smears on her cheeks. "Save your tears," the boy muttered bitterly as he cast his eyes downward. "I don't need your pity." He clenched his right hand at his side before his eyes darted back to hers lit with renewed fury. "I only need your miraculous!"

At this he leapt at her clawing at one of her earrings when Ladybug suddenly jumped, diving backward from the building. Chat stuttered to a halt along the edge when another piece of mortar broke away. His form shrank as he readied to pounce, stepping down the side of the building before shooting his legs straight, propelling him downward. "No you don't!" he roared as he launched off the building toward her. Eyes shot wide as Ladybug threw her yo-yo at his face but he managed to raise his forearm in time to deflect the shot before extending his arms toward her. He then caught her around the waist as the continued to plummet. Without so much as a second after contact, his dug his claws into the small of her back causing her to scream.

A white hot, freezing sensation exploded at her core when his hand raked into her back. Ladybug could feel the magical power of her suit ripping away as the power at his clawed fingers dug deeper into her flesh and she knew it was over. Ladybug bashed her teeth together, blinking past the pain induced tears as the burning surged through her abdomen before she let out a defiant yell. She gabbed his head and forced it toward her ignoring all resistance. The biting disintegration flared up the back of her torso and with the last of her strength she smashed her lips against his. Wrapping more fully around his bottom lip, she felt her head swim when he suddenly kissed her back. He pulled her more fully against him, unaware of the increased pain she was experiencing when he passed his tongue between her lips and kissed her passionately, like everything else was suddenly forgotten and she was the only thing he wanted. She eagerly responded in kind, reveling in the strange combination of euphoria from the kiss while she simultaneously felt herself being torn to pieces.

A moment later she collided into Chat as they hit the ground before they rolled, and rolled, causing Ladybug let out a weak yelp when she was stopped abruptly by what remained of her back striking a large chunk of broken cement. With her energy completely exhausted, she felt her body go slack and her surroundings blurring dark as her head lolled back. At the last moment, something soft caught her head before it hit the pavement. A muffled voice rang out from somewhere close by, but she couldn't discern from what distance or direction it came from.

"Ladybug!"

A black, foggy figure loomed over her, the muted voice full of concern and she felt herself lifted into a strong pair of lean arms. Blanching at the movement, a hot sensation rose in her chest before cascading out of her lips as crimson when she let out a broken cough. The heat poured down her neck and continued down her front, saturating her suit with a disconcerting warmth. The figure above her made a cry of alarm.

"My Lady!" it shouted in an excited panic.

"C-Chat?" Her eyebrows arched in confusion as her voice came quietly through the thick outpouring of iron. He trembled beneath her.

The black clad boy shivered madly as he held her redder than usual form, tears pouring down his face as guilt spurred agony ate away at his soul. Up until the last few moments everything was a haze. Her remembered seeing Ladybug there. He needed to stop her for some reason. The voice told him she had something important to give him. Ladybug had been so sad and he didn't understand why she continued to fight him. They fought and fought, and then they fell. She kissed him. She- kissed him and he kissed her. It was the most elated he had ever felt. But then. . . this. It was like he woke up after kissing her- woke up from a foggy, unpleasant nightmare. He had escaped the fog anyway, but the nightmare continued as he felt large portions of her back muscles missing as she lay bleeding buckets all over his arms and his lap. His eyes caught sight of his right hand holding her at the rib cage, finding it was completely drenched in even more blood unlike his left. . . No. He couldn't have- He would never- but it happened in the dream and the dream turned out to be reality.

"L-Ladybug." he stammered thickly, hiccuping.

She shook her head in barely noticeable motions a gave him a tiny smile even though she couldn't see him clearly. It's not your fault her bleary eyes seemed to say, but another flare of pain caused her face to crumple and Chat's heart to shatter. Her arm flopped against the ground catching Chat's attention through the glint of his tears, and he noticed she was reaching for a small, red spotted, cylindrical tube resting on the ground just out of the girl's reach. He hastily grabbed what appeared to be a tube of lipstick, gently placing it in her palm that rested on the pavement. The words 'miraculous ladybug' came out as no more than a mere whisper. There was no toss, no fanfare, just a simple, small command and an outpouring of ladybugs that washed away all of the damage taking the lucky charm with it. His eyes didn't leave her as the magic cleansed the city. Instead, he watched her intently, begging her not to close her eyes. She looked back at him kindly, brushing the backs of her fingers against his chest with the hand closest to him as she smiled again when her eyes drifted shut and a quiet breath was expelled.

Chat's voice broke as he released a sob, crouching over her limp form allowing his tears to fall. This wasn't supposed to happen to her. He was supposed to be the only one who got hurt. He, Chat, was supposed to protect her. Ladybug wasn't meant to save him, and he sure as hell never. Ever. Should have. Hurt. Her. Yet, somehow he did. And he hadn't just hurt her either. He. . . he had. . . with his very own hands. . . A cry of pure anguish erupted from his gut, echoing with angry remorse down the narrow street they occupied. A bright green flash followed right after, leaving Adrien Agreste in its wake and Plagg floating silently to his charge's shoulder. The teen rested the heroine on his lap, removing a hand from under her. Shakily he reached to the dark bangs of the girl he had loved, pushing them away from her masked face in a tender manner, his expression scrunching up with sorrow and self loathing as he gazed at her closed lashes only to be startled when Ladybug's entire form suddenly flashed red.

He slammed his eyes shut at the rush of light, chancing a squint when it dissipated a second later only to find the girl was no longer Ladybug. Adrien's gut balled up inside him as his eyes traveled up the girl's figure as he noted her clothing, only to stop at her hand resting near his chest and he felt a lump form at his throat. He shouldn't look, because the last thing he wanted to know was the identity of the girl whom he had murdered. But the unique clothing was telltale enough. He knew who it was. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Overcome with the need to know, he inadvertently glanced over to find her face was still caked in blood. Her beautiful bright blue eyes, forever closed. His hand at her bangs traced along side her ear and down her jaw as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, smearing still damp dirt as he did so. His thumb then moved to trace over her delicate, half-parted, blood crusted lips and he found himself experience a new rush of tears.

She was Ladybug. His brave heroine who had stopped at nothing to rid and protect the world from evil was none other than his friend, Marinette. The one who always made him feel stronger, the one who gave him purpose and meaning. . . it was her all along. Always empowering and kind, the girl didn't deserve any of the bad that befell her. And she certainly didn't deserve. . . how could he have- Suddenly without coherence, he spewed some rambled directions to Plagg who had since gone to Tikki's side and Adrien quickly, but carefully set Marinette back down, only to clamp a hand over his mouth and scramble some meters away before he couldn't contain himself any longer. Out splashed the contents of his stomach on the pavement below him and he let out another cry. His entire frame shook, wracked with sobs and gasps between retches. She would have told him Hawkmoth made him do it and that this wasn't his fault. But whether compelled by some outside force or not, he was still the one that ended her life and he would never forgive himself.

After a long minute he spat what was left in his mouth before wiping his lips with the back of his arm. He struggled and stumbled back to where he had left her, slouching over her on his knees, burying his eyes into the sleeve of her jacket as he cried over her. "Ma-Marinette, I'm so so sorry," he wailed softly, quivering inconsolably next to her. "Please. Just, just open your eyes. Please. I'm begging you. Don't leave. . . I- I don't deserve you. I don't. I know I don't-," he shouted in self deprecation, "but you don't deserve this!"

"Just come back." His voice broke. The blonde wept anew, balling the fabric of her sleeve in his fists. He remembered Ladybug. All the times she had rolled her eyes at his puns and advances. The times she smiled. The times he protected her and when she protected him. The times he thought he had lost her. . . And Marinette. Her determination to stand up for others and her strength in the face of danger. All the times she made him laugh, in and out of the costume. It was something to do with the magic of the miraculous he was certain, but in hindsight, Adrien couldn't fathom how he hadn't seen Marinette and Ladybug as the same person before. And while he loved Ladybug, he realized he inherently loved her too, the girl who lay next to him. If only he had the chance to tell her.

The tears continued to fall, memories of her replaying in his head when he imagined he felt her move. He looked up immediately, hoping against hope that there may still be life in her when her arm twitched again. He put his arms under her, lifting her up onto his knees and she let out a soft groan. Her eyes fluttered open just a crack before coming to stare at him. She squinted in disbelief for a moment before muttering aloud: "Adrien-" Her voice was barely audible, but she was awake. More than awake, she was alive. Marinette was ALIVE! Unable to contain his unfathomable relief, Adrien pulled her tightly against him as he let out happy cry with another wave of tears, hugging her with all his might. Marinette made a small noise when her face screwed with pain and Adrien realized she was still bleeding at her back. He released her slightly, careful not to jostle her as he stood up, nuzzling his lips against her forehead as he wept with a tight smile.

"I'm- I'm just so. . . I can't tell you how worried I was."

"Forget worry," Plagg interjected. "The kid thought he killed yo-"

"Shush," Tikki hissed behind him, effectively silencing the cat kwami.

"Wait. . ." Beyond the spinning headache, the wheels in Marinette's head were turning. She peered at the kwami at her side then back at Adrien for a moment before her eyes lit with inquisitive realization. "Kitty?"

"I'm so, so sorry, Princess."

He whispered the words against her forehead and Marinette could feel more of his tears drop onto her scalp and running down into her eyebrows. A wave of fatigue swept over her senses as his breath passed over her skin. She felt safe again and now that she knew Chat was okay, she could rest. Adrien seemed to notice as her eyes started to close as he got jittery again and she could feel his heart pound against his chest. "Kitty." Her voice chided him gently but she didn't bother opening her eyes. The boy looked down at her with concern, running his thumb softly over her face in an attempt to rouse her.

"It'll be okay, Adrien." Tikki said, who was being supported by Plagg. "The miraculous cleanse resolved most of what I couldn't withstand. She just needs some basic emergency treatment and a lot of rest and she'll be fine."

Adrien smiled slightly at this. "What about you?" he asked sympathetically.

"I just need some sweets and I'll be back to normal in no time," Tikki replied with a little shake of her head and wave of her paw.

"And I need cheese," Plagg added grumpily, motioning to his gaping maw.

Marinette let out a small giggle at that. Adrien looked down at her in surprise to find her eyes remained shut.

"I'm glad- you're back," she whispered. "My kitty. Adrien."

Adrien blushed profusely and could feel the heat spread across his cheeks to fully encompass his ears. Marinette let out a breath and went slack in his arms as she fell back into unconsciousness. At a glace from Adrien, Plagg assisted Tikki into Marinette's jacket. After placing a kiss on her forehead, Adrien stood up straight. He and his lady still had much to resolve, and his fath- Hawkmoth still needed to be dealt with, but that could wait for another day. For now, Adrien resolved that he would never let any harm befall his lady- Marinette, ever again. He would stop Hawkmoth and make him right his wrongs. Chat would help Ladybug bring peace back to Paris once and for all.

"Plagg, transform me."

A/N: Woo! Steamy mini make out session. LOL And as it turns out, I'll write all the pain and drama, but I have a really hard time killing characters off, so hopefully that's agreeable with you guys. Thanks for reading and reviewing!