Chat Blanc’s cat ears twitched as birds started singing and he cracked his eyes open to see how early in the morning it was.  Last night had been fun.  After destroying the office building, he ran across a few rooftops and then watched as emergency vehicles raced to the scene.  He had to laugh at their confusion of how one building sandwiched so closely between to others had been the only building brought down.  He gave up watching them after a while and explored the rest of the city before ending up in the tree he was now napping in.

He stood on the branch of the tree and looked down at the park below.  It should have been full of people by now, but there was no one.  Strange…  He shrugged and jumped from this tree to another until he could reach a building. He felt better traveling above the streets than on them.  Not that there were any people on the streets.

He stopped and grabbed the staff from his back.  It had fine points rather than flat edges now, and he imagined it could do a lot of damage as a spear.  But that was not why he was looking at it.  He touched the paw print (which had changed to look similar to his ring) and brought up the news.  Mrs. Chamack was at the scene of the building reporting on its destruction and reminding citizens to stay inside while the police work out what had happened.

Chat smiled.  He could show them what had happened.  He was getting bored anyway.  Hawk Moth’s presence had left his mind last night and had yet to return, giving him more free time than he’d ever had before.  He was about to turn off the screen and go when she mentioned they were going live with Gabriel Agreste.  Of course, live meant a video feed from his home office.  He never made his own appearances.

“Mr. Agreste, can you tell us who might have done this?” the reporter asked.

”It is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.  I’ve made plenty of enemies in the business world, but the fashion industry is no so petty and dangerous as to destroy the building of a competitor.”

Chat rolled his eyes.  Oh yeah.  He was definitely going to show everyone who exactly destroyed that building. Let his father fear for his very existence as he wondered if Chat Blanc was going to come destroy him next.  Of course, it would have a much bigger impact if his father knew who he really was, but that wasn’t happening.

”Was there anyone working late?” Mrs. Chamack continued her interview.

”I’m still contacting the families of all my employees.  So far, everyone is accounted for but I won’t know for sure until later today.  That said, it would help a great deal if the family of any missing workers would contact me via the phone number on the bottom of the screen.” The screen flashed the number for Nathalie’s office in the mansion.  Of course he wouldn’t take the calls himself.  He had to control everyone to do his work for him.

Chat turned off the screen, his blood boiling.  He ran and jumped off the building, heading towards the wreckage that was his father’s office building.  Dark energy glowed around his hand as he went, and he let a cataclysm go right down the block where the news crew stood.  It stopped feet shy of them and they turned, frozen in panic as the row of buildings crumbled before them.  Chat had jumped to the buildings across the street and was now crouching on the ledge of a short building above the news crew.  He smiled, surprised at how enjoyable their panic was.  For the first time in his life, he was in control of something.

He stood and jumped from the building to the streets below with a dangerous smile.  Some of the camera crew ran in the opposite direction, nowhere near as fierce as Alya in their journalism.  Mrs. Chamack looked like she was deciding if she should join them. 

“Hello, Paris.  Do you like my handiwork?”  He eyed the wreckage of the other buildings, suddenly proud of himself.  He had no idea cataclysm could go that far.

Poor Mrs. Chamack was frozen in place, no longer capable of making herself run.  Chat laughed.  He had been bored this morning, but now he understood what he wanted to do with his newfound freedom.  He was the power of destruction, and destruction could not be tamed.

“Who… How…?” the reporter tried to put together a coherent question.


He smiled.  “I am Chat Blanc.  By the end of the day, I will control Paris.”  With that, he jumped back to the roof of the untouched side of the street and traversed a few buildings before sending another cataclysm back in their direction.

Ladybug quickly leaped across buildings. She decided to go to the office building to see if there were any clues. Along her way she could hear rumbling so she picked up the pace. Right before she got to the office Ladybug saw Chat standing there. She took a deep breath and told herself to stay strong.

She landed behind him, but kept a good distance between them. "Chat." She was going to try to talk to him. Fighting was a last resort.

Chat's tail twitched as he heard Ladybug's voice behind him.  He smiled a more friendly smile as he turned to face his partner.  "My Lady.  It's been a long time since I've seen you last."

He took a step forward, calculating green eyes watching to see how she'd respond.  He had no interest in fighting her or stealing her miraculous. But, he also knew she probably wasn't just there for chit chat. She might try to steal his ring. He clenched his fist around the ring, waiting to see if she was going to make a move.

Ladybug remained still as he got closer. She could tell he wasn't going to hurt her judging by his smile. Just like last night. "Yes it has been awhile."  Ladybug paused for a moment. Trying to figure what to say to him. It would help to know how he got akumatize. "Nice suit. White looks good on you." She relaxed her body to show him she wasn't going to fight. "What did you do to get it?"

Chat relaxed and loosened his fist as she complimented him.  He took a few more steps, stopping a few feet in front of her.  Her posture was enough to say she wasn't interested in fighting either.

"Thank you. White really does suit me," he said with a grin. He wondered how much he should reveal to answer her question.  Too much would be too personal.  Too little might show her the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere. 

He shrugged. "A month of emotional torture and social isolation. Not fun, but the payoff's worth it. Apparently, Hawk Moth isn't blind to our suffering.  I bet you'd look good in a new suit as well if you want to join me."

Ladybug's heart sank, when he told her his answer. She trembled a little, but quickly pushed any negatives thoughts away. She could not blame herself for this. Ladybug looked away to gather her thoughts. By sounds of it Hawkmoth offered Chat freedom to do as he please. Hence the destruction? She wasn't quite sure. Well whatever he offered Hawkmoth didn't care about his suffering. He just wanted their miraculouses. She looked back at him. "Chat, why don't you join me? I miss you." She decided not to bring up Hawkmoth's true intent just yet.

He studied her as she spoke. Did she really miss him, or was this a ploy?  He was suddenly guarded again, though he tried not to let her see it.  "I can't join you," he said, taking a step back to add a little distance. "Being around you makes me obligated to steal your miraculous. I'm not really interested in doing that."

It was a good think Hawk Moth hadn't come back into his mind for this. It would be pretty bad timing.

Ladybug just took a step forward. "Chat, please." Her voice choked a little. "You don't have to steal the earrings. Just take off your ring and he won't be able to control you." She felt her body trembling again. It was so hard to keep it together. Seeing him like this was making it worse.

Chat stiffened.  There it was.  She wanted the ring.  He took the last few steps to the edge of the building while still facing her.  "I'm not going back to that life.  I'm more free with Hawk Moth in my mind than I've ever been living with my own father.  And don't you dare try to take this ring."

The last part came as a hiss, his smile gone.  He turned away from her and jumped to the next building over before running off.

"Chat, no!" she cried out to him and ran after him, but he was too fast for her. She stopped running and just stood there. Ladybug just stomped her foot in anger. It was so hard to stay strong right now. It killed her to see him like that. Now he would probably run away from her and she did not want to fight him. So now what? Then an idea hit her. If he won't talk to Ladybug maybe he would talk to Marinette. All she had to was to track him down and approached him as Marinette. So she ran off in the direction he went.

Chat was halfway across the city before he realized she had stopped following.  He landed on a building in one of The city's many shopping districts and began to pace, agitated.

How dare she lure him into some false sense of friendship only to try and take his freedom?  He had thought they were closer than that.  Why didn't she understand how much he needed this?  He hissed in frustration.  He had no intention of stealing her miraculous, but he would make an exception if she ever tried to take his.

Chat walked to the edge of the building and looked down at the empty streets.  It seemed people were quite ready to heed the mayor's warning to stay inside.  Still, he wondered if anyone was around, hiding in the seemingly empty buildings.  Like a lockdown.

Only one way to find out. He thought as he let his power flow through the building and down the street.  He heard screaming as the buildings started to crack and crumble.  People streamed out of them.  Apparently, not everyone had given up on shopping today.

He laughed as they desperately evacuated the area while he navigated to the only untouched building to watch.  His smile faded moments later when he recognized one person who was about to be crushed by the rubble.

Marinette!  He quickly jumped down and grabbed her before navigating them out of the path of destruction.  They were the only people in the area at this point.

"That was close, princess..." He said as a grin spread across his face.  "You shouldn't be out here with some maniac on the loose," he joked.

Ladybug landed in an alley.  It was hard following Chat without him noticing her.  She was glad he finally stopped running.  She detransformed and poked her out of the alley.  Across a street from her was a shopping district.  It looked deserted.  Marinette wondered why he stopped around here.
 
"So what's your plan?" Tikki asked from behind.
 
Marinette turned to face her. "Talk to Chat as Marinette.  I'm not sure how to approach him."
 
"Hmmm go up to him and say hi?"
 
"That looks suspicious."
 
"Right.  He's link to Hawkmoth so you need to be careful with your identity."
 
Marinette nodded her head. "Will the link break when the ring comes off?"
 
"It should."
 
Before Marinette could say anything she felt the ground rumbled.  She turned back around and saw Chat causing havoc.  An idea hit her.  A stupid reckless idea.  Tikki could see it in her eyes.  She knew exactly what Marinette was planning.
 
"Marinette, don't you dare!" the kwami protested, but her owner shoved her back in her purse and took off.
 
Marinette positioned herself under some falling rubble.  Lucky for her Chat saved her just in time.  Marinette felt her heart pounding in her chest.  She would never do something like that again.  She felt Tikki squirming her purse angrily.
 
"Thanks for saving me," she said ignoring his joke.  She went quiet.  What should she say to him?  She couldn't bring up the ring.  It would piss him off again.  She looked at the destruction then back at him. "Looks like you're having fun."  Her best bet was to keep him in a good mood and let him do the talking.  Maybe she could get the ring off his finger when he wasn't looking.

Chat eyed the destruction and grinned.  "Yeah.  Just letting off some steam.  Hearing the buildings fall as people run away screaming is extremely satisfying.  I think I might visit the mayor next.  Can you imagine how great it would be to cataclysm an entire hotel?  I never realized how much power I have right in the palm of my hand."

Sirens filled the air as ambulances and police drove through the area.  Luckily, they were hidden behind some of the rubble and went unnoticed.  

"You know, you never answered my question.  Why are you out here?

'He's gone insane,' Marinette thought to herself as he talked. She just nodded her head. She wanted to tell him going after the mayor was a bad idea, but she was worried it would make him mad. She couldn't have him mad at both Ladybug and herself. 

Chat Blanc looked toward the direction of the sirens were coming from. Marinette bit her lip. He was distracted and his right arm was facing her. Marinette reached toward his hand, but he looked back her and asked her a question. She quickly made it look like she was scratching her face. "Oh, I was looking for Alya. You know her. She isn't afraid of any danger." Marinette couldn't believe she was able to think of a lie just like that. Knowing Alya she probably was out somewhere recording things for her blog. So her answer could be actually true.

Chat nodded.  Alya was always out in the middle of things.  "Of course.  She's definitely the type to make it as a journalist.  Tell her I'm open for an interview if she wants.  I don't bite."  He laughed a little at his comment. 

He paused, suddenly feeling Hawk Moth's presence in his mind.  Chat wondered what he was doing all this time.  Not that it mattered.  The villain stayed quiet most of the time anyway.


Hawk Moth stood in the butterfly room as he re-established a full connection to Chat Blanc.  He had far less influence over his akumas when he was detransformed (even being able to be controlled like what happened with Jackady), but he could still feel their mental state and hear any conversation if he concentrated on it.  The akumas could last a day or so without him having full connection to them.

One thing he noticed so far was the roller coaster of emotions Chat went through.  He had gone from extremely angry to happy at the drop of a hat not too long ago (he didn't have the time to listen in at that point), and now he was talking to Marinette like he wasn't even an akuma.  It was strange, and Hawk Moth guiltily wondered if it was because of his mental state before being akumatized.

Not that he could dwell on it.  He would just observe for now.