14. Requiem for a Dream

Silence.

Everything was suddenly so cold, and so silent.

For an hour, they tried everything. For an hour, Plagg watched them press the pads to his chest and shock him, his body jerking with every jolt of electricity. For an hour, Plagg saw the monitor connected to him display the same straight green line, the same constant shrill tone echoing through the room. For an hour, Plagg held his breath, expecting to see Adrien's eyes open.

But an hour passed, and Adrien did not wake. The doctors and nurses eventually slowed to a stop, putting down their tools, and inclining their heads.

Adrien's skin had lost all color. His pulse was gone.

He was gone.

The head doctor slowly reached out and gently removed the oxygen mask from Adrien's face, one hand going up to pat his head as some sort of apology. After a few moments, they grabbed a soft, white linen sheet and covered him, all the way from his feet to his head.

One of the doctors took out a clipboard.

"Time of death…" Plagg heard him say. He didn't listen to the rest. Plagg blocked this voice out.

They gave up on him and Plagg felt rage bubble within him, tears burning in his eyes. They continued to write on the clipboard. They moved around the bed for a while, checking on the machines, disconnecting some of them…

They had completely given up.

After a few moments, they left, probably to plan how they were going to tell Gabriel Agreste that his only son could not be saved. Plagg was left alone with him, but the silence was so agonizing that Plagg was tempted to escape the room. He stayed however, floating down slowly from the light and lingering on top of Adrien.

He reached out slowly, cautiously, grabbing the edge of the sheet and pulling it down to Adrien's chest. His pale face came into view, tussled and dirtied golden locks covering his forehead. He looked so peaceful, so relaxed, his eyes closed. The agony of pain was no longer etched into every line of his face. Plagg could almost believe that he was just sleeping and would wake up at any moment…

But he wouldn't. Not anymore.

Because he was gone.

Never again would Plagg be able to hear him say, "Transform me!" Never again would he hear the lame jokes he said in an attempt to woo Ladybug. Never again would he hear Adrien's complaints about how stinky Camembert was, or hear himself be called fat and lazy despite Adrien's best efforts to make sure that he was comfortable. Never again would he listen in as Adrien watched stupid movies, laughing with Nino. Never again would he sit with him, waiting for Marinette to wake up, like he promised he would…

Marinette would never know how he felt for her. He would never get a chance to love her, like he had wanted.

He chose to give all of that up that to make sure the city she lived in was safe.

And probably the worst part of all this was the realization that Plagg was still around. If a Chosen didn't want to fulfill their duty anymore and removed the Miraculous, the Kwami would go back to sleep within the stone. Plagg, however, was still active, even when Adrien had removed his Miraculous, which only meant one thing.

Adrien hadn't wanted to stop being Chat Noir. He hadn't wanted to die.

He had fought so hard. Up to his last breath, Adrien had tried so hard to survive, to keep his heart beating. To live. But what good was having will to live if your body had long since given up? He had suffered so much, he had struggled so much, and it had all been in vain. Even in his last moments he had enough clarity of mind to make sure the Miraculous was hidden away so Plagg would be safe. Even in his last moments, he thought of others before himself.

Plagg's heart broke. Tears slowly leaked from his eyes as he floated down to sit on Adrien's

chest.

"I'm sorry," Plagg whispered to him, voice cracking, "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. I'm so sorry, Adrien…"

Plagg crawled towards his face, curling into a ball in the crook between Adrien's chin and his neck. He nuzzled him and whimpered, body trembling with his sobs, with nothing but the sound of Adrien's silence to keep him company.

Gabriel's mind was reeling. He paced around the waiting room, running an anxious hand through his hair while Nathalie stood in a corner watching him nervously. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, the back of his neck covered in a cold sweat. It had been hours and still no news.

It was not supposed to be this way. It was never supposed to be this way.

He had first been notified that Adrien had passed out at school from an unknown ailment. Having been preoccupied at the time, he had sent Nathalie ahead to go get him, but by the time she got there the school had long since been destroyed by the Akuma and cordoned off.

When they told him Adrien had vanished without a trace, he immediately dropped everything and ordered a search, helmed by Nathalie and Adrien's bodyguard. They had even gotten help from his classmates and teachers, but it had been to no avail. Adrien had been nowhere to be found. Calls to his phone would not go through and inexplicably, his device could not be traced.

Gabriel had remained home, checking every outlet he could to find his son. As hours passed, a familiar feeling of loss and desperation began to take over him. A feeling he had not felt since she…

He had shaken his head then, trying to keep calm. It wasn't like him to lose his head. He was trying to remain collected but a strange feeling―fear―had begun to creep up his spine. Adrien was all he had left of her. He wouldn't bear to lose him. Not after losing her.

"Sir, they found Adrien!" Nathalie had told him later that night, barging into his office in early hours of the morning, "He's on his way to the ER."

The word ER had sent a jolt of panic through him.

"What do you mean ER, what happened to him?" he had demanded, causing Nathalie to hesitate at the stern volume of his voice.

"H-He was attacked by an Akuma. They found him in a tunnel in the 20th arrondissement. Chat Noir stopped the Akuma."

An Akuma. Adrien had been attacked by an Akuma.

If he hadn't been plunged in darkness, Nathalie would've surely seen the color leave Gabriel's face and his eyes widen in disbelief.

He had promptly sent her off to get to the hospital ahead of him to arrange whatever needed to be arranged to ensure that Adrien received the best care possible. He was infinitely relieved at her swiftness at following orders, leaving him alone to get his bearings back together. He cursed at himself. He was logical, calculating, and determined. And he would not lose his cool, not even when his son had been taken by the monster he―

"Master?" A little moth-like creature had emerged from the shadows as it sensed Gabriel's distress. "Master, are you alright?"

"Be quiet, Nooroo!" he had snapped.

The little creature had backed away at the harsh order, wings tucking behind him in fear, "Yes, Master…"

Gabriel had turned away from him and headed off towards the hospital, his insides turning cold. The creature did not follow him, obediently remaining in a dark corner of the room, unseen.

When he arrived at the hospital and demanded to see Adrien, he was vehemently denied.

"Adrien is in an extremely delicate condition," they had said, "We cannot afford to put him under more stress. We are doing everything that we can."

The doctor had promptly returned to his duties, and Gabriel had been left to simmer in his rage. Rage he felt at his own impotence. At his orders being ignored. At himself for landing his son in that place. Because that had been the exact reason he had turned away from Nooroo.

He didn't want to see him―his Kwami―because that would mean acknowledging that he was Hawk Moth, and that the dragon Hawk Moth had sent to terrorize the city was the same one he had commanded and had gotten Adrien hurt. But no, he was trying so hard to block that thought away, to deny it…

To deny the fact that in his zeal to break Chat Noir and finally get ultimate power, he had gotten his son involved in the crossfire.

Although his Akuma had been extremely aggressive and destructive and often acted on his own, Gabriel had not minded because Dragonfire had been diligent in trying to make his wish a reality. He had cared naught for the consequences as long as he got what he desired. In the end, he had been careless, leaving the Akuma to his own devices, ignorant of the true damage it was causing.

And now, his son...

"M. Agreste?" Nathalie addressed him warily. Gabriel bristled, side-eyeing her impatiently as he was brought back to reality.

Although part of him wanted to shirk responsibility and pin the blame on her negligence for Adrien's current predicament, he knew deep within him that there was no way she could've gotten to the school on time to save Adrien. According to student accounts, Adrien had run away way before the dragon had even attacked.

"What?" he spat.

"S-Sir this is Madame and Monsieur Dupain-Cheng," Nathalie said, introducing a short, Asian woman behind her and her husband, a burly, brown haired man. They both looked worse for the wear, soaked to the skin, and their eyes laden with fatigue. Gabriel had not even heard them come in.

"And they are…?" Gabriel insisted coldly. He really could not be bothered by strangers at this moment, so he put up his front again.

"They're the parents of Marinette, one of Adrien's classmates…" Nathalie explained.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. He recognized the name. In addition to Adrien mentioning her often, he also recalled that the girl had won several of his fashion contests in the past. She was a bright, creative girl with a world of potential in her being. He had even once idly considered taking her in as an intern when she was of age to work in the industry―

He suddenly froze when he abruptly remembered that another Akuma of his, Demoman, had landed her in the hospital. In a coma, from what Adrien had mentioned. He swallowed thickly and his stance softened slightly.

"I recall…" Gabriel said levelly, though not so cold as before.

"They and another one of Adrien's friends were the ones who found him on the railways," Nathalie continued.

Gabriel looked them over momentarily, and then extended his hand.

"Madame Dupain-Cheng," he said, his voice level and professional.

Sabine approached him silently, but instead of just falling into the handshake, she cupped his hand with both of hers and looked warmly at him.

"He will be alright," she said soothingly, smiling at him, "He's a strong kid. Have faith."

Guilt unlike any he had felt before nipped at Gabriel's consciousness. While he had gotten their child fatally wounded with little regard for it, they had gone out of their way to look for his and even comfort him in his time of need.

Gabriel could've laughed dryly at the irony if not for the grim situation they were both in.

So he could do nothing but nod his head. "You have my thanks, Monsieur and Madame Dupain-Cheng…"

"Here, take this. It will keep you warm," Tom offered, handing him a brown paper bag. "If there's anything we can do for you, our number is in the bag."

Nathalie hurriedly came forward to grab the bag in Gabriel's stead. It opened slightly and the smell of chocolate and warm bread wafted into the room.

"Ah, you are the bakers that own that prestigious pâtisserie," Gabriel noted, smiling with polite professionalism as he took in the logo on the bag, "I remember your daughter. Brilliant mind. I should hope she is doing well?"

Sabine smiled amicably, though her eyes remained sad, "She's hanging in there."

"Then I'll have something arranged for you," Gabriel said suddenly.

"Oh, there's no need!" Sabine said.

"Please, I insist." Gabriel said with finality, nodding his head at Nathalie. "See to it that Mlle. Marinette is given the best service the hospital has to offer."

Nathalie nodded silently and left the room to fulfill Gabriel's request.

"M. Agreste, we are deeply touched, but it really isn't necessary," Tom said nervously, "We wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"It's not an inconvenience, and it's my thanks for looking out for my son. I'm deeply grateful." Gabriel said with yet another pleasant smile.

"Well, thank you very much, Monsieur Agreste," Sabine said bowing her head gratefully.

Suddenly, they heard the creak of a door and someone clearing their throat and they turned towards the source.

"Monsieur Agreste?" the doctor asked softly as he walked into the room. He looked serious and grim and Gabriel got a chill down his spine. Suddenly the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees and the tension among all occupants increased.

"May I speak to him privately, please?" he gently nodded at Tom and Sabine. They looked at each other in silence, worry etched on their features, and then inclined their heads respectfully at the doctor. Sabine spared Gabriel one last glance and a small smile and they left the room silently.

"How is he?" Gabriel asked the moment the door closed behind the Dupain-Chengs.

The doctor hesitated, breathing deeply.

"We did what we could but I'm afraid Adrien's condition was too precarious," he said in a low voice, his eyes apologetic, "He came to us in a terrible state. His heart went into arrest and he…" he swallowed, "I'm sorry, M. Agreste, but he didn't make it."

As the words sunk in, echoing in his head, Gabriel's heart skipped a beat and his breath hitched. He felt as if a vat of cold water had been dumped on him, and his knees had suddenly gone weak.

It had to be a joke. This could be nothing but a joke. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening.

"This can't be…" Gabriel said, frowning and shaking his head, "There must be some sort of mistake!"

"I'm afraid there's no mistake. He has no vitals. We tried everything we could to revive him―"

"Clearly, you didn't try hard enough!" Gabriel snapped, his voice shaking in both fear and anger.

"Sir, I assure you, we did all we could. He was very hurt, we're still trying to determine a cause―"

"Take me to him!" Gabriel demanded, his nostrils flaring dangerously. He wasn't going to believe a word they said until he saw it with his own eyes. His son couldn't be dead. Adrien couldn't be dead. His last living memory of her couldn't be dead.

He couldn't possibly have killed his own son.

"Take me to him right now!"

The doctor sighed in defeat, "This way…"

Plagg lost track of how long he cried against Adrien before he felt a stir in the air. Plagg raised his head in curiosity, tear-filled and swollen eyes looking around in confusion. His surroundings suddenly felt heavy, crackling with energy, and the hairs on the nape of Plagg's neck stood on end.

Suddenly, he yelped when he felt something move beneath him, and he jumped away, realizing Adrien's Adam's apple had nudged him―

Wait, what?

Plagg's eyes widened when he realized Adrien was grimacing.

He was grimacing!

"Adrien!?" Plagg stuttered in disbelief.

Adrien groaned as he stirred, eyes still squeezed shut. His head moved to side to side and he struggled as he tried to sit up, huffing heavily. Plagg waited with bated breath, watching as Adrien suddenly rose on the bed, broken arm hanging limply at his side as he sat, his head hanging, and messy hair covering his face. He breathed heavily, choking on his own breath and trembling.

"Adrien!" Plagg cried again in relief. He was about to fly to him when a strange sound like a choked chuckle stopped him.

"Cold…" Adrien croaked suddenly. His face was hanging low, so his features were hidden away from Plagg.

"What?" Plagg asked, tilting his head, "Adrien?"

Adrien chuckled again. "Still cold…"

A shiver travelled down Plagg's spine. Adrien didn't sound like himself, his voice was dark and low. The air stirred around Plagg again and his fur rose in response. Flabbergasted, he tapped into the strange aura, and his eyes widened when he recognized it.

"You're not Adrien…" Plagg hissed.

"Warmer…" and although Plagg could not see his face, he could feel the smile on Adrien's lips.

Plagg's eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth. "Akuma!"

"Hot, hot, hot..." Adrien slowly raised his head and Plagg backed away as Adrien's face came into view.

Although most looked the same, his eyes were entirely different. Dark rings lined his narrowed eyes. Bright magenta had replaced Adrien's vivid green, and his round pupils had become slitted like a cat's. They were cold, calculating, and dark. So very different from Adrien's warm and innocent gaze. Plagg also didn't miss how Adrien's canines had sharpened like fangs as he smiled mockingly at him, breathing heavily, as if it was still difficult to do so.

"You… How dare you!" Plagg cried in anger, "Where's Adrien?!"

"Oh, he's still here," the Akuma said through Adrien's lips, pointing a trembling finger at his forehead as he panted. "Mind you, the poor thing...is wondering if he's in purgatory since... he can't seem to pass on…"

"You son of a―"

Adrien interrupted him with a disapproving tut and a waggle of his finger.

"Ah, ah, ah… Is that any way to speak…to the one keeping him alive?" Adrien tilted his head, raising his eyebrows in mock innocence.

"Keeping his soul trapped isn't keeping him alive!" Plagg cried in indignation, fur completely standing on end.

"Oh, but he's not trapped," Adrien breathed, coughing slightly, "We are just switching up…so he can rest. And I think...we can both agree that the break is sorely needed, yes?" Adrien smiled amicably, gesturing to himself with his hand.

"Taking over his body is not rest! Get out!" Plagg spat.

"Relax, kitty, it's not permanent," the Akuma scoffed, "If you can stop glaring daggers at me... I can explain…"

"What?" Plagg hesitated, confused by the Akuma's sudden agreeable demeanor.

"Look, I know your tiny mind will have a hard time…understanding this, but do try…" the Akuma started, taking deep breaths, "I don't seek to hurt Adrien…I don't care about the Miraculous either...if that's what you are worried about."

"Oh, go home! Who would believe that!?" Plagg crossed his arms.

"Come on, use your brain for a bit, yeah?" Adrien said snidely, quirking an eyebrow, "Don't you think that if I cared about that...I would've already grabbed that ring on the floor...and the earrings in the safe, and taken them away? Adrien wasn't akumatized...so Hawk Moth doesn't control him, or me... I'm my own being. Adrien...is only vaguely aware of me."

"You're…your own being? How?" Plagg raised an eyebrow.

"Beats me..." Adrien shrugged his shoulders, "I just began existing in him and would only come out when he allowed me to. But...I've become stronger and now…" Adrien wiggled his fingers experimentally.

"If you think I will just let you take over him-!"

"Oh, but you will. Assuming you want him to live, that is…" Adrien said in a low voice.

"Are you threatening me?!" Plagg growled.

"Look," Adrien huffed in exasperation, "You know how this is still working?" he shakily gestured to his chest, where Adrien's heart was. "That's all me."

"You're…keeping his heart beating?" Plagg asked.

"That's right. And I've been trying...to keep him alive for days," Adrien said, wincing as he clutched at his chest in pain, "Adrien should've died ages ago...but I kept him going, until that stupid old man sealed me away. Didn't you notice he was suddenly worse after that?"

"You just did that 'cause you were trying to use him!" Plagg said, "And hiding the pain from him wasn't helping him, he was still getting sick!"

"Okay, there's something...you need to understand," Adrien sighed, "I don't seek to terrorize Adrien or ruin his life. I actually...like the guy, even if he is kind of stupid and stubborn―" Plagg hissed, "―but my target is Hawk Moth. That's all I've wanted all along."

Plagg balked, "Wait, what? But you're an Akuma!"

"A free one... He has no power over me, and I will make him pay for what he's done." Adrien growled.

"What did he do to you?" Plagg narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"He nearly killed Marinette...and tried to hurt her family. I won't forgive him for that."

Plagg tilted his head in confusion. His eyes then widened when a memory came to him and Tikki's voice filtered in his head.

The Akuma is making your feelings its own and only surfaces when you let it, echoing your feelings tenfold. If you hate Hawk Moth, it hates him too. If you love Marinette, it loves her, too.

Suddenly everything made sense. The Akuma had a consciousness of its own, but it had based its personality on Adrien's and adopted his likes and dislikes. So it was like a colder, evil copy of Adrien, but Adrien all the same!

"So the only reason you need Adrien's body is to defeat Hawk Moth?" Plagg asked.

"Yeah, so as you can see...our goals are aligned," Adrien breathed, nodding, "I have no intentions of hurting Adrien or the people he cares about. I just have a score to settle with Hawk Moth." he ended with a narrowed glare.

"And how come you're only showing yourself now if you've been in there all along?"

"Adrien had full control," the Akuma explained, breathing hard, "Part of him was subconsciously holding me back all this time after the old man intervened...I had to…trick him into trusting me."

"Trick him? How?" Plagg's ears flattened against his head in wariness.

The Akuma hesitated before it spoke, "I kept myself in check and…I showed him…what he wanted to see…"

"What he wanted...?" Plagg thought for a bit, and then gasped "The dreams!?"

Adrien nodded. "Ladybug…was an illusion…I created," The Akuma panted. "She... made him drop his defense..."

Plagg scrunched his face in an expression of distaste, "That's low, even for you!"

"It was either that or letting him suffer endless nightmares… Your call…" The Akuma said matter-of -factly. Plagg crossed his arms and grumbled. He didn't approve on the Akuma's methods, but he wasn't keen on the alternative either.

"Either way...I only came out when he allowed me to. But with his consciousness fading... when his heart stopped, I was able to take over and hold him together so he wouldn't pass away." Adrien coughed and a thin strip of blood dripped from his lips. He reached up to clean it with a sigh. "Dammit…"

"You tricked their machines?" Plagg said pointing at the heart monitor, which even though it was still plugged to Adrien, lay completely silent.

"Yeah, it wasn't easy… But I needed some time to get used to his body. I didn't try to restart his heart till he was left alone... and froze the machines when I did," The Akuma explained with a tired breath, "When Adrien granted me control before, it was only as backup. Now, with his consciousness gone, I had to take over and… well it's a new experience... " Adrien sighed.

He looked like the sole act of talking was beginning to drain him, his eyes getting droopy and sweat beading on his forehead. He breathed harder and harder every time he spoke.

"I see," Plagg said, putting a paw on his chin pensively. In retrospect, although he despised the idea of an Akuma living inside Adrien he had to admit that he sounded genuine. After all, he had helped Adrien twice during his battles with Dragonfire, and he had relinquished control right after. Besides, if it was as he said, and the Akuma had been the one keeping him alive all along...

Adrien looked warily at the door, his shoulders tense. He could hear the sound of chatter close by.

"Look, there's people coming, so here's the deal…" Adrien panted, talking low under his breath, "You keep quiet about me, and I help Adrien stay alive. His body…. is still a massive wreck, and keeping his heart going is enough work for me... so he still needs to stay here and recover on his own. Do not tell him about me... or he will get scared and try to get rid of me…. and he will die for sure. I will let Adrien stay in control, I just want to look for Hawk Moth, I swear. If you help me, we can work this out. Deal?"

Plagg hesitated, looking dubiously at Adrien. He could see part of the real Adrien seeping through the Akuma, but the fact it was so aggressive and unpredictable whenever it got upset was preoccupying. How much was Adrien and how much was the Akuma? How far was it willing to go to achieve its goal?

Plagg was at a crossroads. To risk having a sentient Akuma lose control, but having Adrien alive and well, or lose Adrien forever?

It didn't take him long to make up his mind.

"Deal."

The doctor had barely gotten the door open before Gabriel shoved past him, ignoring the protests from the nurses. He strode wordlessly toward the bed in the middle of the operating room, where a body covered with a white linen sheet lay.

"M. Agreste, please wait!" The doctor called after him. Gabriel ignored him and grabbed the edge of the sheet, swiftly yanking it away.

He couldn't stifle the gasp that left him.

Adrien's lifeless form came into view, pale and unmoving.

Gabriel's eyes widened as they took in the extent of damage he had gone through. Adrien had terrible burns everywhere, cuts and bruises peppering his skin on different parts of his body. His left shoulder was covered in red and purple blemishes, and his right arm, marred by a large, white scar branching out from his hand and up to his shoulder, lay hanging listlessly at the edge of the bed.

What had he done?

"Adrien…?" Gabriel choked.

A trembling hand reached out to cup Adrien's cheek. It was cold to the touch, and he got no reaction from him.

"Son…" Gabriel tried again, his voice going soft, low. His hand went to caress his hair, thumb brushing Adrien's brow. He stroked his hair gently in a way he hadn't done in years, not since Adrien had been but a toddler and she was…

He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts and his hand went down again, the back of his fingers stroking Adrien's cheek. "Son…wake up…"

But Adrien was silent and still.

And reality came crashing down. Terrible, cold, and heavy.

Adrien was dead. He had killed his son.

Gabriel had killed his own son.

In his stupid venture to fulfill his own wish, he had lost the one remaining thing he had that tethered him to any semblance of sanity. All of this back and forth, this ridiculous cat and mouse chase had all been for him, for them!

To be a family again…

And now he didn't even have that. Ladybug and her earrings were gone, Chat Noir had gone into hiding and now he had nothing, absolutely nothing, left… No Miraculous, no wife, and now…no son. No amount of money or power in the world was going to be able to bring him back. He had lost him. Adrien was gone, forever...

And for the first time in ages, Gabriel Agreste cried.

He wept silently, tears dripping from his eyes as he leaned down to take his only child, his son, into his arms, cradling him against his chest and sinking his face into the crook of his neck. He rocked him, muffling his sobs against his cold skin, hands trembling as they felt the terrible burn covering his back.

A hand went up to caress Adrien's head, fingers brushing through his matted, golden hair, pressing him to his body as if that alone were enough erase the reality of his situation. They remained in the embrace for several minutes. Just him, holding Adrien, as the doctors and nurses looked on solemnly.

So enveloped was he in his grief that he didn't even hear one of the nurses gasp; so engrossed in his own pain, that he didn't even notice one of the monitors tethered to Adrien begin to emit a low, beeping sound. So lost in his own guilt, that he initially failed to notice Adrien cough and give a shuddering breath against his neck.

"Mon dieu..." the doctor breathed behind him.

Gabriel then felt movement and pulled back with a gasp, his tear-stricken blue eyes suddenly meeting a pair of very tired, but very alive green ones.

Gabriel had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

And Adrien blinked slowly back at him, breathing low and ragged.

"...D...ad…"

And that morning, among incredulous tears and sighs of relief, the staff at the hospital knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had experienced a miracle.

Adrien began to exist in limbo.

He didn't know how much time had passed. He had completely lost notion of time.

All he knew is that every day was the same.

He felt like he was in a constant state of floating. He couldn't feel himself. None of his senses seemed to work. Sometimes, he felt his eyes would open on their own, but his mind would be elsewhere.

He'd see people above him, doing things with him, but it was a blur. Their voices would sound far away and muted like he was underwater. He didn't recognize any of them.

Sometimes though, he thought he heard his father. Other times, it was Nathalie, or Nino, or Alya or Plagg… Sometimes he could hear Madame Cheng, too. He couldn't be sure. Sometimes though, his mind wished the voice he would hear would be another. One he missed dearly. One he hadn't heard in a long time.

And sometimes when his eyes closed again, he'd get his wish.

When his eyes closed, a brand new world opened. A world where everything felt right. He would wake in a grassy plain, peppered with daffodils and lilies. He'd lie on the soft grass for several minutes on end, soaking in the warm sun. He had shed his usual clothing, wearing nothing but a shirt and pants that were white as snow, completely barefoot, and his body devoid of any blemish, burn or scar.

Nothing hurt anymore. Nothing ached. He was healthy and alive and happy. He felt completely at ease and comfortable and he would only stand when the ache in his heart began. When his heart ached, he would rise and wander, looking for the only thing, or rather, the only one who could ease his yearning heart.

He would walk for miles, through fields of green, watching the birds scatter into a pure blue sky. Eventually, he'd reach a familiar landmark. The Eiffel Tower stood proud and tall in the middle of a valley, and he would look longingly at it. For some reason, when he tried to go that way, he'd be unable to, as if a invisible barrier had been erected.

He would get as close as he could and just watch. Because some days ago, he had discovered something interesting.

Sometimes, if he stayed there long enough, he'd catch a glimpse of a mysterious figure, gliding through the grass, humming under her breath and carrying a beautiful bouquet as she moved underneath the Parisian tower.

She wore a beautiful pink summer dress. Her midnight hair would hang loose, cascading down her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes shone like jewels. She was both strange and familiar, and his heart would long for her. He'd call her, then. By what name? He didn't know. He just knew his lips were moving, trying to get her attention.

However, she would never listen. She would never turn.

This would repeat every time, in an unending cycle. Adrien would wander, he'd find the tower, and find the girl at the border of the barrier, calling to her. But she could never hear him. He'd eventually go back, and lie back down where he'd begun, his eyes closing and the dreamscape fading.

When he wasn't dreaming, he just floated endlessly in a dark void, nothing but whispers and unintelligible words flooding his conscious as he seemed to sway in a black ocean.

Then one day, while he dreamt, something finally changed.

He had wandered to the barrier again, and once again, he had called to the dark haired girl, even though he knew what would happen.

Today, however, someone responded.

"She can't hear you."

Adrien turned to find Ladybug standing behind him, a placid smile on her face. Even though he hadn't seen her in a long time, she was as he remembered her. Loose midnight hair flowing around her, ethereal white glow enveloping her, and her eyes kind and blue.

"Adrien, walk with me."

Ladybug walked ahead, and Adrien followed her. As he came astride her, Ladybug laced her fingers with his and they walked hand in hand. They walked along the edge of the invisible barrier for a while. They were quiet for a time and then Adrien finally asked the question burning in his chest.

"Who is she? Why can't she hear me?"

"She's the one your heart is longing for." Ladybug said softly.

"Marinette?" Adrien breathed, looking back at the mystery girl under the tower. He had never dreamt with Marinette before. It had always been him and Ladybug, but for the first time, Marinette figured in his dreams and it was pleasant, not a nightmare!

But of course, that dark blue hair was unmistakable. How had he not recognized her? Had he started to forget her? No, impossible. He could never forget about her. She was the reason he had kept fighting.

Adrien turned back to Ladybug with a hopeful smile but it quickly fell when he noticed Ladybug looked tired, her eyes devoid of the glow he remembered.

"Seems so," she said, "She cannot hear you because she exists in her own dreamscape."

"Her own dreamscape?" Adrien asked.

"When we dream, we access a world that is our own, where we have no limits or grievances. But we are contained in our own minds." Ladybug explained.

"You mean, I'm looking at Marinette dream? Like, right now?" Adrien's voice hitched in sudden incredulity.

"Yes."

Adrien gasped, his heart racing in excitement.

"Wait... if she exists in her own dreamscape," Adrien started, "How come I can see her?"

"Because you two seem to be connected, so your dreamscapes exist close to one another. Think of two snowglobes perched on the same shelf next to each other," she said, "And your heart remembers her, so you can see and hear her, but for her, it's been a long time. It seems she has forgotten what you look or sound like. There's snow and dust blocking the view in her snowglobe, so to speak."

"Why?" Adrien asked with a frown. "And how come this is happening now?"

"I don't know. She might be close to you right now," Ladybug said.

"I thought that we couldn't communicate in dreams…" Adrien argued. He recalled Plagg and Tikki had definitely told him that Chosens couldn't communicate telepathically. Now it turned out that Marinette was dreaming close to him? Where was he exactly?

"I cannot explain it. I just know that for you it's a possibility now," Ladybug shrugged, "Although it's rare, you two are sharing a dream but the connection is weak and that's why she can't seem to hear you. But if it's your wish, I could help you meet."

"You could?" Adrien said, a smile breaking on his face, "I'd love that, please."

"There is one catch though," Ladybug said, and then she stopped in her tracks. When she turned to him, Adrien saw melancholy in her eyes. "You won't be able to see me again."

Adrien's heart dropped, "What? Why?"

"I'm part of your conscious, Adrien. I'm pure energy. It will take all of me to bridge the gap between you and combine the dreamscapes, and once I do it, I won't be able to come back," Ladybug said.

"Wouldn't I be able to dream you back?" Adrien said hopefully.

Ladybug chuckled bitterly "It doesn't work that way. That Ladybug wouldn't be me. One day you will know the truth about me, but for now, this is all I can do for you."

"I don't want you to leave!" Adrien said desperately, taking her hands in his.

"Adrien…" Ladybug said, trying to pull her hands from his grasp, "I'm not real."

"You are for me!"

"Don't make this harder, you have to understand!" she chastised.

And as if to prove her point, Ladybug grabbed his face and kissed him, hard. Although Adrien had initially given in to the kiss, it didn't take him long to feel how off it was. It was cold, unfeeling, and desperate and he knew her heart wasn't in it. Adrien broke off from the kiss, pushing against her shoulders.

"Why are you doing this?" Adrien gasped, trying to regain his breath.

"So you can be happy…" Ladybug said sadly.

"You want to make me happy by leaving?" Adrien said, hurt.

"You won't be alone…"

Ladybug pulled back from him and placed a hand where the invisible barrier would be. The air around her palm began to ripple like waves in water, spreading all around them with a tinkling sound.

"Come!" Ladybug called toward the other side, "Come here!"

To Adrien's surprise, Marinette turned on the other side of the barrier, looking curiously in Adrien's direction. Tilting her head, she started to walk towards them, dropping her bouquet of flowers as she went.

"Stop!" Adrien told Ladybug, "If she comes here, you will disappear!"

"Precisely," Ladybug said before she grabbed him and turned him around, holding his left arm against his back and forcing his right hand to touch the barrier. It felt cold and it tinkled and rippled aggressively.

"What are you doing!?" Adrien said, gasping in surprise and writhing against Ladybug's hold. Marinette on the other side kept coming closer and closer and she extended a hand towards him. "Stop! I don't want you to go!"

"It made me really glad I could spend time with you," Ladybug whispered in his ear, "Now it's time I return the favor. Be happy, Adrien!"

And the moment Marinette's hand came but a few inches from his, Ladybug vanished in a burst of light as the sound of cracking glass exploded in his ears.

Marinette hummed placidly under her breath. She bent down to pick a particularly nice-looking daffodil as she strolled underneath the Eiffel Tower. When she twirled the stem in her hand, she realized it felt warm like the sun, and that its petals had the distinct smell of sweet vanilla.

She breathed in the pleasant smell, letting that feeling of safety and coziness that accompanied the smell suffuse through her body, and she smiled. She stood up again to continue her wandering when a curious sound stopped her.

"Come…"

Marinette paused and tilted her head in confusion. The sudden voice had a distinct ethereal echo to it, and it sounded… like her?

"Come here…"

Marinette looked around perplexed, until her eyes landed on the horizon beyond, on the edge of the valley. Standing there, her hand raised as if touching a wall, was a girl dressed in a red suit and mask with black spots, her dark hair floating around her with an invisible wind. Her familiar blue eyes glinted mysteriously. Was she the one who had called her?

Curious, Marinette walked towards her, dropping the flowers she had collected, drawn to the unknown girl like a bee to honey. The girl seemed to be moving back and Marinette extended her hand, walking faster.

"Wait, don't go!" she called. Marinette increased her speed, right hand shooting out just as she came close. But before she could reach the mysterious girl in red, her hand touched an invisible cold surface and there was a blinding flash of white light accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. She blinked against the sparkling debris, trying to regain her sight and she gasped when she suddenly felt her hand touch something soft and warm.

Something that smelled like cleanliness and vanilla and felt warm like sunlight.

"...Marinette?" a young male voice asked.

"Tom! Tom, wake up!"

Tom nearly fell off the couch as Sabine shook him awake and he grunted as he grabbed on to the back so as to not fall off. Having been transferred to a more spacious, high-end room a couple of weeks ago thanks to Gabriel Agreste's generosity, Tom and Sabine now had the luxury of staying over at the hospital and sleeping on the couch as they watched over Marinette.

It had been Sabine's turn to keep watch that night, and watch she did, for the moment Tom laid eyes on her, he noticed that she seemed really enraptured by something.

"Huh-what?" Tom drawled, trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

"Look!"

Sabine grabbed his chin and directed his eyes to the vastly larger and more comfortable-looking bed in the center of the room where Marinette now lay, strapped down and plugged.

"Huh?" Tom mumbled, tilting his head in confusion.

But then, as his sight cleared and the light from the moonlight pouring from the window hit Marinette, he saw what Sabine meant and his eyes widened.

As the pale light glinted off her placidly sleeping face and the white restraints around her wrists, Tom saw Marinette's right hand twitch, fingers spread and forearm raising as if she was trying to reach out for something.

Or someone.