Chapter Five: A Chase, A Regret, A Heroine

A/N: Despite this being a story I totally forgot about and despite the fact that all of my pre-Solace stories have cringeworthy writing... It's better than Faint Memories.

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Marinette released herself from the kiss as she sprung back. The leather-clad hero blinked as his green cat eyes reverted to the familiarity of the warm, emerald eyes she so longingly stared at.

Adrien could only stare at the designer, as they both realized the looming threat of a certain black butterfly.

"No no no no no no no…" the bluenette panicked as she grabbed a macaroon from her bag. Throwing it to Adrien, she transformed and lept after the akuma. Adrien anxiously waited for his kwami to finish the rose-colored delicacy.

"Plagg, Claws Out!"

Hurry up Ladybug! You can't let the akuma get away!

The spotted heroine was running faster than ever before, as she frantically tried to get close enough to capture the akuma. Her mind was racing.

Oh my gosh… Adrien is Chat Noir… I can't believe it… I created an akuma… I let myself get akumatized… This is all my fault….

Knowing what would happen if she didn't purify the butterfly in time, Ladybug could only yelp, knowing negative thoughts can come quite easily to her.

The akuma was only meters away from the Eiffel Tower as Chat Noir lept onto the scene. He nodded to his partner as the two continued onto their chase. As they neared the infamous monument, Ladybug's cries of anger were made public as she desperately tried to capture the akuma. Now inches away from the top, Ladybug made a final attempt to sweep the butterfly in her yo-yo.

And she missed.

Inches away.

The lack of ground led to the bluenette falling. Using his staff as a ledge, Chat Noir grabbed his lady with his opposing hand.

"NO!" she screamed, as the akuma perched itself on the Tower. It began to multiply as swarms of akuma surrounded the tower. The darkness began to encapsulate the two. With the help of some quick thinking, Ladybug latched her yo-yo onto a metal pole. She swung herself and Chat Noir out of harm's way as the two ran away from the scene.

"Why don't you try to capture the akuma-"

"There are too many!" she argued. "If one of them touches one of us…" she gestured to scene that was playing out behind them.

"We're no use to them as frozen statues. We need to regroup." she said.

Hiding in an abandoned building, Ladybug slumped to the floor. Chat Noir gritted at the multiple Miss Fortune's a few blocks away. He sighed, realizing they had lost.

"This is all my fault." The bluenette whispered. Chat turned to her, confused.

"If I hadn't gotten so riled up, none of this would have happened!"

"You can't blame yourself for this. This was something you just couldn't control." he smiled weakly.

"Everything about this I could control! I could have rejected Hawkmoth's offer, but I didn't! I could have ran faster, but I didn't! I could have stayed and at least tried to fight the gazillion akumas outside, but I didn't! And if I was so lame, I could of told you about the fact I loved you, but I didn't Everything about our current situation is my fault!"

Chat Noir shifted uncomfortably. This was the first time they had addressed the rushed reveal. And this was the first time they had addressed her feelings for his alter-ego.

"Well.. maybe it's my fault too. If I wasn't so blind when it came to your feelings, I could have prevented this, but I didn't. There were so many opportunities to grab your necklace, but I didn't.. This is my fault as much as it is yours. But now, you have a choice. Those Miss Fortunes out there won't move unless you get akumatized again. But as long as you stay positive, Hawkmoth won't have a chance. So right now, you need to stay positive and we will get through this. I promise." Chat smiled, grasping Ladybug's arms.

"But I failed. I failed as Ladybug. I failed as a protector of Paris, but most of all, I failed as a heroine."

Chat Noir sighed as they both looked out the adjacent window.

"We both did."

A/N: Don't expect another chapter soon... because this story has always been put on the back-burner.

But then again, this isn't a bad place to leave off

Bug Out!