Disillusioned

He waved to the little girl with a smile as she waved back until he couldn't see the two anymore. His smile faded as he was alone with his thoughts again. The same thought came back to him as he remembered little Abbie's smile. Do I really want to end this happiness? Even if it isn't real?

After Marinette returned, the two walked around the town, meeting the locals seeing the sights and sounds. And for the first time in a while Adrien felt like he was truly free, not chained to lifestyle of model to wear a fake smile wherever he goes while fans bombard him. He was treated the same as everyone else. He finally felt... normal.

\|_|_|/

On the ride back home both parties were quiet this time. The silence felt so loud it was hurtnig Adrien's ears. He wanted to say something, anything, but he didn't know what to say. So he just stared out the window.

Finally, Marinette spoke up, "So... did you enjoy the trip?" "Yeah." "It's always nice to get out of the castle once and while. We should do this again sometime."

Marinette tried to rest her hand on mine, but I pulled away. Her eyes filled with dissapointment and worry. I sighed and looked at her apologetically. "Yeah we should do this again." Marinette's disappointment was replaced with excitement and she smiled.

They aventually returned to the castle and Marinette explained she had some 'important business' she needed to take care of. So Adrien returned to room and decided to wait for dinner or for Marinette to be done with whatever she was doing.

Adrien laid on his bed and sighed. Plagg came out of his hiding space to talk to Adrien. "So... how was the tour?" Plagg asked excitedly. "It nice I guess. Marinette made the city look beautiful. My best friend apparently lives in a mansion with Alya now." Plagg looked at him in confusion. "A mansion?" "Yep, surrounded by acres of a beautiful meadow."

"Well, good for them. I'm sure you're happy for them and people." Adrien sighed "But you're not. Come on, what's the problem?" "I should be happy for them, for everyone. But I can't support something that's not real. Marinette is controlling them and she created this only because of powers she got from her Miraculous shattering."

"But you've gotten everything you pretty much wanted. Freedom from the life of being chased by fans hiding behind that shiny, fake smile of yours. Freedom from you manipulative and overbearing father. Hawkmoth is probably gone. You have the lady that you loved so dearly finally by your side, and she is also your great friend from school. No akumas destroying the city. Defeating Marinette would mean giving all that up. Are you ready for that?"

"And it wouldn't even be a matter of you wanting things to go back to normal either. Marinette wants this, her life is filled with nothing but sadness now. Her parents are gone, she has no friends left, she lost her home and bakery, and she got rejected by you. Do you really think she wants to go back to all of that?"

Adrien looked at his kwami baffled. Was he ready to give all this away? Did he want to take this away from Marinette? Then the flash of the earlier daydream of Marinette came back to him.

All he wanted was to see her real smile again. "Yes. If it's to get Marinette back to normal, then I'm willing to give it all away. And I'll make sure she's happy again."

\|_|_|/

It was finally night and he was heading for bed when Adrien heard the sound of loud music and people. He walked out of his room and went down the stairs. Just as he was heading for the exit of the castle a guard stopped him. "Mr. Agreste you cannot leave the castle." "Why? I thought I could go anywhere I want."

"We have strict orders from the queen to make sure you stay in your chambers." "But what is that sound outside, it sounds like a riot." "That is none of your concern. Please return to your room Mr. Agreste."

The guard guided Adrien back to his room. As soon as the guard returned him, the guard stood in front of the door to make sure Adrien didn't escape again.

"Well, that was bust." Adrien said disappointedly. Adrien went over to his balcony doors, they were locked tight. He went over to the big windows, they were open but he his room was almost 40 stories above the ground. There was no way he could make that jump without breaking something or dying.

"Great, now how am I going to get out of here?" "How dare you forget about me?" Plagg said, faking a sob. "Right, I'm still Cat Noir." "How in the world did you forget that?" "It's been too long. But anyway, Plagg, Claws Out" Adrien transformed.

Cat Noir opened the window and use staff to put on the ground so he slide down the pole. "Mission accomplished, now to find out what is going on." He went around the castle to jump on one of the highest trees to see what was going on.

The people were cheering and on a platform was Marinette, the Evilustrator, and one of the unopened lotus buds he saw on their tour of the city. "Thank you all for being my amazing subjects. Your sacrifice will make our city the center of the world, it will help us have a brighter future, and bring peace to the world."

Peace, what peace? What is this? "Your essence will help power my amazing invention which I created with the help of my annoying assistant, Evilustrator." The people clapped as Evilustrator gave a bow. Essence? Invention?

Evilustrator stepped up and began to speak, "Now without further ado I shall announce which quadrant shall be chosen." Marinette brought out a glass ball with pieces of paper inside. She threw the ball in the air and then it started shaking.

Then the ball started to break until it shattered into pieces, but the pieces disappeared. All the pieces of paper were gone except one which started to fall into Evilustrator's hand.

Evilustrator looked inside his hand and looked with a smile. "The quadrant that will make the sacrifice is... Quadrant 30." People shouted, clapped and cheered. A group of almost a thousand people started lining up on the platform.

"I'm sure you all know how this works. We must send people into the Holy Bud until it blooms then we can use the essence to power our invention so we can claim the world."

The people clapped and cheered as if they were all unbothered by the fact they were feeding people to a flower so Marinette can use the flower's power to take over the world. Cat Noir was mortified as he stared at Marinette with her sweet smile as she guided the first person into the flower.

"Subject #1-30 You may now enter." A voice from the flower said robotically. Then a petal from the flower opened for the woman to step in. A woman stepped up to the flower but she stopped and waved goodbye.

He looked closely and it turned out to be Abbie's mother. He jumps back to the ground and detransformed to get closer. When he made it to the front of the crowd he saw little Abbie being kissed on the forehead by her mother as she said goodbye for the last time.

He the poor little girl's tears run down her face as she let go of her mother. But it looked like Abbie was trying to stay strong and looked at her mother with pride. Then her mother stepped into the flower.

The inside of the flower began to glow and a scream was heard before it went silent. He watched I horror as the crowd began to cheer for the death of innocent lady.

"Look like the bud still hasn't opened, let's keep going." Evilustrator announced.

\|_|_|/

Hours had passed and Adrien watched helplessly as one by one the innocent lives were lost in the flower. Tears threatened to fall down his face. There were only 15 more people left from the group.

One person's number called after another by the robotic voice form the flower. The tears of little ones losing their parents and family. Marinette's smile never wavered even with the sounds of the screams echoing.

Finally the bud opened up all the way and glowed. Millions of little sparkles that looked like fireflies flew out of the beautiful dark flower and into a big glass capsule. Marinette closed the capsule and began to speak.

"Your sacrifice will be remembered. We never like taking people's lives but sometimes we do have to do these things for the greater good. Until next month, goodbye."

Marinette starting walking off the platform and back into the castle, Evilustrator following behind carrying the capsule with a silver dolly. The crowd started leaving, Adrien stood dumbfounded, traumatized by the what just happened.

He was snapped out of stupor by a little voice. "Mr. Adrien?" Adrien looked down to see Abbie next to him. "It is you! Were you here to see the ceremony too?" Adrien looked at her pretty little stained with tears. "Yes... I'm sorry about your mother." "It's fine. I'm sure she's in a nice place. Plus, she gave her life to help the queen which is the highest honor."

Adrien looked at her brown eyes, they looked vacant instead of shining like when he first saw her. The way she talked sounded robotic. "Do you have someone to stay with?" Adrien asked concernedly. Abbie turned her head towards him it looked as a shadow came over her face as if she was afraid.

"Any child who doesn't have a guardian must be taken to the FYS for reprogramming." It sounded as if Abbie was possessed by something. He didn't know what it was, but he knew this wasn't her. He doesn't know why he ever saw this as happiness, this was fear twisted by Marinette to look as if it was happiness to fool him.

How could I be so blind? She was hurting innocent people and his love for her blinded him. When he could have stopped this days ago. All Marinette was doing manipulating him making it look like this was a happy place, but behind it all was just fear. This could have never happened but it was all because of him and his selfishness. He had to stop this no matter what. But first...

"Then I'll be your guardian." Adrien said confidently. Immediately the little girl's face went from fearful and vacant to shining and happy. "Really?! I get live with Mr. Adrien?!" "Of course." "Yay!" Abbie clapped her hands happily. It was the least he could do for her. He could never tell her how sorry he was to have caused this.

"Come on, let's go inside." Adrien reached out his hands for her to grab. "You live here, Mr. Adrien?" She asked excitedly. Adrien nodded his head as they walked towards the castle entrance.

He knew he was in a heap of trouble, but that was the least of his problems. All that went through his head right now was to talk to Marinette.