#he still remembers that heroic heart. it lives within him and struggles against the confines of what he’s before

[doctorweebmd]

Despite everything. Despite AFO trying to create the perfect spawn in Tomura. Despite having every moment of his life controlled from the day he was born. Despite experiencing tragedy after tragedy to create a creature so full of hate it would stamp out the sun, there is still a seed of love, of goodness, of rebellion in Tenko Shimura.

AFO could try take everything from Tenko. But he could never take his heart.

[lycorogue]

Perfect Doesn’t Need to be Perfect: Chapter 3

This was probably the easiest chapter to write, since Pixie basically wrote it for me.

And with this, I call it a night.

**Contains Spoilers for Taurus Pixie’s story Twelve Days of Chatmas**

Summary: Chat Noir has run into a long streak of poor luck, all in an attempt to give Ladybug the perfect Christmas gift. Little does he know, his first try was already perfect in Ladybug’s eyes. Now it’s her turn to try to navigate around Chat Noir’s failed attempts in her own pursuit to find something equally fantastic for him. **A Switched-POV Unofficial Companion Story to Twelve Days of Chatmas by @thetauruspixie​**

Rating: General Audience

Chapter Word Count: 2427

Story Total Word Count: 37,973

Status: chapter 3 of 12; complete

**For reals, if you haven’t read Twelve Days of Chatmas yet, read that first so my story doesn’t spoil anything for you. It’s cool. This story will still be here when you get back. ;) **

See below for chapter 3, or find this story over on AO3, on FFN, or on DA. 

CHAPTER 3:

“Miraculous Ladybug!” A bit exhausted, Ladybug tossed her Lucky Charm into the air. In a fireworks burst of magic, a swarm of enchanted ladybugs swept around the destroyed house on the outskirts of the city proper. In a few quick seconds, the house was restored to how it was before the akuma attack, although Ladybug wasn't sure it was much of an improvement.

The house was tiny, and they were cramped in the basement with cages upon cages of sickly looking Faverolles chickens. Their straw matted and filthy. Their cages too small for any of them to move. The lighting in the basement was dim. The chickens were so poorly cared for that most seemed to have lost a lot of their feathers, and some had wounds on their wings where they got caught in the cage bars as they shifted within their confines. Faverolles chickens were known for being delightfully plump and with fluffy white feathers topped with cinnamon-brown wings and head feathers. They were like lightly-toasted marshmallows normally. These tragic fowl, on the other hand, looked like under-stuffed plush animals dropped upside down in the mud.

Ladybug blinked back tears as she heard the chickens mournfully cooing in their cages. “This feels-” she struggled to choke down the knot in the back of her throat, “-wrong.” She wanted to say 'evil'. She could stop the likes of Hawk Moth and his akuma, but injustices like what was happening to those birds? She felt helpless. Less then, actually. She was the one who imprisoned them a second time. Some times she wished her power didn't restore the damage an akuma caused. Some things were better destroyed.

Sometimes, the akumatized villains were right in their rage.

“Huh?” Chat Noir was lost in thought as he looked up from his right hand. The black miasma of his Cataclysm still circled around it. Ladybug's original plan of attack was derailed by the chickens running around, and they managed to break the akumatized item without Chat Noir's power this go. He had still activated it, however, and was probably wondering what to do, especially with how confined they were. It could be disastrous if he tripped on something when they were all practically breathing on each other.

"Using my lucky charm to fix this awful place,” she explained to her partner as she looked for something he could harmlessly touch to use his power. “I mean, look at these poor chickens, I can understand where this man is coming from." She gestured to the animal rights activist that had been akumatized as Liberator; a man on the mission to free these poor birds and punish the owner who would be so cruel to a living creature.

She gave Chat Noir an unsure smile. He gave her an uneasy but still bright smile in response; a way to help reassure her that she made the right decision. It helped a little.

“Ladybug? Chat Noir?” The activist was coming around after his ordeal, a bit dazed and confused as he tried to remember what happened to him the last hour or so.

Forgetting her mission to find Chat Noir something to use his Cataclysm on – he was a big boy, he could find something himself – Ladybug knelt down to greet the activist at eye level.

“Are you okay?” Her heart broke a little as she asked the same question she tried asking all of the akuma victims. Nothing happening in that basement was okay, and it seemed unfair for anyone to say otherwise.

The man must have had a similar thought. He looked away and furled his eyebrows; a deep frown etched onto his face. "No. I know I should feel bad for what just happened, but honestly-” The man turned back towards Ladybug and stared straight into her eyes, “I don't. I don't want anyone to get hurt, but it's not fair for these chickens to be kept like this.” He gestured towards the tight cages. “It's abuse, plain and simple. It's not fair that they spend most of their lives in cages. This farm is illegal. It's not run by proper farmers. These people just bought these chickens and shoved them in cages. This place is even worse than a proper battery farm.” The man started to tear up and Ladybug saw his jaw clench. “But no one will listen to me. The police and the council don't seem to want to deal with it."

Ladybug closed her eyes, fighting back her desire to cheer the man on. A second later she maintained her normal heroic demeanor. "I know, but violence isn't the answer," she told him as calmly and evenly as she could muster, "It is a shame about the chickens, but I'm sure there are other ways you can help rather than attacking and getting aggressive with people."

“What other course was I left to take?” the activist demanded.

Ladybug strained the impulse to nod in agreement. The man truly was left with little other choice than rampaging against the illegal farm. Around them, as if cheering the man on in Ladybug's stead, the hens all clucked louder and louder. Some rattled their cages as much as they could. The sound quickly became unbearable. It was a reminder of what Ladybug did to them in an attempt to cleanse another akuma and save Paris.

Pushing the cacophony of clucking and cage rattling as far out of her head as possible, Ladybug suggested the activist set up a petition to pressure the mayor and police to investigate the grounds and let them shut down the illegal farm.

The man seemed skeptical, but open to hear her out. Then, behind Ladybug, Chat Noir let out a sarcastic chuckle, drawing their attention.

"Oh, come on, my lady, I thought you were more proactive than that." His lips curled into a mischievous smirk, and he gave Ladybug a playful wink. “Why bother with all of that when you have a chicken liberator right here?” He held up his right hand and wiggled a 'hello' with his fingers. A black aura encircled his hand still.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug knew she should stop him. This wasn't what their powers were supposed to be for; circumventing the law. It wasn't like they were using their powers for personal gain though, and that was the only true rule they were given. So she bit her tongue and let her partner do the saving this go.

Eyeing up the tight room for the best path, he stepped past Ladybug and the activist so he was standing in the doorway. Then, with a toothy grin, he sprinted around the cramped space, his fingers carefully racing along the cages where they connected. He didn't take his hand off the metal even once; doing so would have concluded his power's use. The only benefit of the poor chickens being cooped so tightly together was he managed to make the full circuit around the room without his fingers ever leaving the cages. A few seconds later the Cataclysm stretched through the metal bars; rusting every last cage until the excited hens could crumble their own prisons with their flapping wings.

The metal that once confined the birds was now black dust mounds on the floor, and the chickens aimlessly wandered the room; unsure what to do with themselves. All their excited flapping kicked up enough feathers though, that Chat Noir went through a mini sneezing fit as his reward for freeing them all.

Through puffy and water-lined eyes, Chat Noir proudly smiled at his handiwork. Crossing his arms over his chest, he heroically posed.

"Dude, thank you so much!" Clamoring to his feet, the activist sprinted to Chat Noir to engulf him in a tight hug. Catching the hero off guard, he did manage to knock some wind out of the teen.

With an awkward grin, Chat Noir patted the man on the back. Ladybug softly chuckled. In part it was because of how adorably uncomfortable but accepting of the affection that Chat Noir looked. In part it was being happy that the activist was so happy and grateful. In part it was because these chickens could possibly begin to have a good life. Finally, it was partially because the chickens' owner deserved to be punished, and freeing his fowl seemed a good start.

"I'm pretty sure you can give them decent homes," Chat Noir addressed the activist, who had finally released the teenage hero. "Because after what happened earlier, I'm pretty sure you scared the guy who runs this place away for good." Chat Noir laughed. "Besides, this place was illegal, so I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about him going to the police over you taking his chickens."

Ladybug blinked a couple of times. She didn't realize how rebellious Chat Noir could be. It was bending the rules, to be sure, and she was glad Nadja wasn't around to film any of this. She wished she could find a more legal solution, but Chat Noir was right. This would be their win, and she'd be satisfied with that.

“Oh, I will, don't worry!” The activist clasped Chat Noir on the shoulders and gave him a little excited shake before sprinting up the basement stairs. “I'll just go and get some back-up to help me evacuate the chickens. You're amazing, Chat Noir!”

Chat Noir beamed at the compliment, and didn't seem to notice Ladybug sliding next to him. She snaked her arm around his and gave it a gentle squeeze. Upon feeling the little hug, Chat Noir whipped his gaze down to his partner, his cheeks reddening under his mask and his lips parted in an adorable 'o'.

“That was a very nice thing you did.” To accentuate her praise, Ladybug gave his arm another tiny squeeze.

"Yeah, well, I don't like to see innocent creatures suffering." Chat Noir puffed out his chest, placing his free hand on his hip in the hopes of looking impressive. Ladybug again giggled.

As if thanking Chat Noir for what he did, one of the hens clucked happily at his feet, making his nose twitch as he fought down another sneeze. The chicken ruffled her feathers and slowly lowered her backside as she squatted between Chat Noir's boots. A couple of seconds later, the hen cooed and stood up to wander some more, leaving an egg behind.

Smiling, Chat Noir picked it up before holding it out to Ladybug. "Here you go, my lady. The first free range egg from these chickens."

Ladybug chuckled at the gesture, her eyes twinkling at how adorable her partner could be sometimes. "I don't think that's quite how that works, silly kitty."

The two of them smiled at each other for a second before three hens surrounded them. The chickens puffed their chests and flapped their wings, making themselves as large as possible as they closed their semi-circle around the superheroes.

“Uh, Chat Noir?”

He tried to back away from the advancing hens, but was also winding up for a large sneeze from all the loosened feathers now floating around in the air. As if in slow-motion, Ladybug watched as he released a trumpeting sneeze, and lost his balance from the force. He caught himself quickly enough, but the egg went crashing to the ground and splattered against the cement floor. A second later, the three advancing hens leapt up onto him, clucking angrily.  

"Hey! Get off!" Chat Noir tried to swat them off of him as gently as he could. Ladybug simply stared, a bit in shock that the chickens had enough spirit still left in them to go after Chat Noir like that. It was kind of a pleasant surprise.

“LB. Care to help?” Chat Noir squeaked in surprise as the hens kept taking turns leaping at him, causing him to sprint around the room in an attempt to retreat. His sneezing fits kept throwing him off just enough that the chickens could catch up and attack again.

"Hey, I freed you! I'm your friend; your savior!" Chat Noir cried out as he started for the stairs. The hens were determined to get him for whatever offense he had done to them, and chased him out of the basement.

Ladybug felt a little guilty about it, but she didn't help him with the chickens. She couldn't. She was laughing too hard. She knew he wouldn't be hurt by the fowl. Their super suits made them near invulnerable, and poor Chat Noir just looked too ridiculous running from chickens after all of the akumatized villains they had gone up against. The whole scene – a hoard of chickens attacking a blonde hero – also reminded her of one of her favorite video games.

“Ladybug!” Chat Noir pleaded from upstairs.

Tears in her eyes, and sides hurting, Ladybug chased after her partner for the rescue. He had sprinted outside and climbed up a tree, shooing the chickens away as they leapt nearly four feet off the ground to try to get to him. Her kitty was literally stuck in a tree. She nearly burst into laughter all over again.

Taking a few centering breaths through her nose, she grabbed one of the baskets the owner had used for the harvested eggs and quickly scooped each chicken up from under the tree; herding them back into the house before scooping up the next one.

Once all three were safely locked into the house, Ladybug turned to let Chat Noir know it was safe to come down. He was already gone though. He must have escaped while she was rounding up the last hen. Climbing the tree herself, she sat on the branch he was trapped on and scanned for him.

He was long-gone. She felt even worse about laughing at his misfortune. He very rarely got a chance to feel like the prominent hero, and his big moment with freeing the chickens was instantly ruined by those he had saved. Ladybug wondered if that was somehow karma for using his power to release them in the first place when that wasn't what they were there to do.

“I don't think a blanket is a good enough gift,” she muttered to herself. “I'll have to find something even more special for him for Christmas.” The wheels again churned as she swung back home to start up a new list. Her gift had to be perfect for Chat Noir. She knew that much for sure.

Thank you for reading. Read Next Chapter

Read from the beginning: Chapter 1

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@discoveringmiraculouswriters

[mystic-mints]

Fool Me Once, Shame On Me

(Also posted on AO3.)

---

Groggily, Kaito opened his eyes, regaining consciousness bit by bit. His muscles protested as he tried to sit up, body still sore from being lifted like a ragdoll. The Exisal’s grip had been far from gentle, and he was sure he’d see bruising within a few hours. However, when he looked down to check, he finally realized…

He was tied to a chair.

“What the fuck?” he mouthed to himself, beginning to struggle. “What the fuck?!” he exclaimed when the ropes around him held firm.

Then it hit him… Kokichi. The mastermind of the killing game. Kokichi had captured him with the Exisal, meaning he must’ve been the one behind this, too. Righteous anger flooded his veins as his efforts to escape redoubled, and he privately swore he’d make the bastard pay for all the humiliation and suffering he’d inflicted.

Suddenly, he heard the door being unlocked, and he braced himself for a confrontation. He eyed the doorknob as it slowly turned open, then lifted his gaze to see…

“Shuichi?” Confusion, but more importantly relief, filled his heart. Even though they’d barely been on speaking terms since the last trial, he couldn’t deny that he was glad to see his sidekick again. “What are you doing here? Where’s Kokichi?”

“How much do you remember?” Shuichi asked quietly. It wasn’t the response Kaito expected, but he shrugged it off.

“Kokichi exposed himself as the mastermind and mocked us, then I tried to attack him, but he used the Exisal to grab me. I think I knocked out after that.”

“Oh, so you didn’t hear what that came after…”

“Came after? What happened? Did I miss something big?” Kaito’s earlier unease returned as Shuichi approached him. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut.

“Well, to sum things up, Kokichi was lying again. He isn’t actually the mastermind.” Now standing right in front of him, Shuichi leaned forward, closing the distance between them until his face was just inches away. Despite the circumstances, he looked calm. Far calmer than Kaito had ever seen him. “The truth is…”

Then, with only three words, he shattered Kaito’s reality.

“I’m the mastermind.”

Kaito didn’t know what expression he made, but his feelings must’ve shown on his face, because Shuichi immediately started cackling.

“There it is! There’s the look I wanted to see! The disbelief, the betrayal, THE DESPAIR!” His eyes shone with wicked glee, reminiscent of Kokichi yet… indescribably worse. “Buddying up to you really was my best idea yet!”

“W-What the hell is wrong with you?!” Kaito snapped once he found his voice, still not quite accepting the situation, yet unable to ignore the other’s behavior.

“Nothing,” Shuichi replied, then tilted his head in thought. “Or maybe everything, depending on your perspective. Either way, I’m having fun, and that’s really all that matters.”

Fury and horror battled for dominance within Kaito’s mind, though neither did him any good. Even with the mastermind standing right in front of him, he was helpless to take action, trapped and betrayed by the very person he’d trusted most.

“It’s sinking in, isn’t it?” Shuichi smiled. “Everything you’ve stood for… all the good you’ve tried to do… meaningless, because you decided to believe in me.” Insanity swirled in his eyes. “What are you gonna do now, hero? I’m absolutely dying to know.”

---

“Shit,” Kokichi cursed under his breath. “FUCKING SHIT!” he repeated, kicking over a chair.

The others watched on with varying levels of concern, uncertain how to approach him.

“Calm down,” Maki finally commanded, grabbing him by the shoulder. She caught his arm when he tried to lash out, neither surprised nor bothered. “We need to come up with a plan.”

Unhappy being ordered around by someone who’d nearly killed him twice, Kokichi was very tempted to struggle. However, he knew it would be futile, not to mention a waste of time. The fact was that she was right. They needed to regroup and think of a way to save Kaito.

Kaito…

Kokichi felt like kicking himself. He’d miscalculated badly, and now Kaito was the one paying for it. How many people had to suffer before he could do something right? How many had to die as a direct consequence of his own plans?

“Kokichi,” Kiibo suddenly addressed him. “You were the one in control of the Exisals until Shuichi reclaimed them. Is there any information you can provide that might be of use?”

He pushed the worst of his thoughts away. Right now, they had to work together. With the true mastermind revealed, they had a common enemy, and at the very least he finally knew who among them was trustworthy.

---

“Look at you,” Shuichi crooned, brushing his fingers against Kaito’s cheek. “You couldn’t be any less heroic if you tried.” His face split into a grin when Kaito flinched. “But you knew that already, didn’t you?”

“Don’t touch me!” Kaito barked, attempting to lean back, only to be impeded by the ropes coiled around him.

“It’s all your fault for believing in me, isn’t it? You overestimated your judgement, and that’s why people kept getting hurt. You contributed to this killing game just as much as I did.”

“SHUT UP!” Kaito finally shouted, only to trigger a violent coughing fit. Blood dripped down his chin and splattered against his shirt, even speckling the ropes with red.

Shuichi looked delighted.

“Hey, Kaito, you wanna live don’t you?” he whispered in his ear. “Why don’t you beg me for the cure to your illness? After all, I’m the one who made you sick, which means I’m also the one who can make you better.” He took hold of Kaito’s face, forcing him to meet his deranged eyes. “What do you think? Are you tempted?”

Kaito promptly spat in his face.

“Stubborn until the end, huh?” Shuichi mused, wiping himself with the dangling sleeve of Kaito’s jacket. For a brief second, he looked normal, just like the meek detective Kaito had known. Then his gaze sharpened, his hands clasped around Kaito’s neck… and he squeezed.

“Ghh!” Kaito choked, beginning to struggle as Shuichi strangled him. It wasn’t long before his lungs were aching worse than ever before.

“Well, aren’t you going to fight me?” Shuichi mocked. “You refused to beg, so I guess you don’t want the cure, but does that mean you’re ready to die?”

The realization that he was about to be killed… that the end was even sooner than expected… that the very last thing he’d see would be Shuichi- no, the mastermind’s demented grin…

In that moment, Kaito was truly afraid.

And then Shuichi let go.

“Did I scare you?” he asked, sounding almost pleasant. “You definitely looked scared.” Abandoning his seat on Kaito’s lap, he stood up and made his way towards the door. “Killing you right now would be easy, and I’m sure everyone’s despair once they found your corpse would be amazing, but… it’d be such a waste. Anyway, I’ve got some other business to take care of, so I won’t be back for a few hours. Try not to choke on your own blood before then.”

And then Kaito was completely alone, left only with his thoughts as company.

---

“You don’t think Shuichi’s hurting him, do you?” Tsumugi worried.

“We should hurry up,” Himiko frowned.

“I’m ready to go,” Maki stated, lifting up an electrohammer. “If Kiibo and I take care of all the Exisals, you’ll be able to handle Shuichi on your own, right?”

Kokichi nodded solemnly.

“I won’t let the mastermind get away this time.”

---

A long while later, though there was no telling how much time had actually passed, Kaito heard a commotion coming from outside. Physically and mentally drained from his extended confinement, he barely lifted his head when the door eventually swung open.

He sprang to life, however, as soon as he saw who was there.

“K-Kokichi!”

“Hiya, Kaito!” Kokichi greeted cheerfully. “Happy to see me?”

Kaito stared at him for several seconds, seeing but not quite believing, before his eyes welled up with tears. Kokichi instantly faltered, all emotion draining from his face.

“Uh, not quite the welcome I was expecting,” he reflexively quipped, only to trail off. Though he’d considered the possibility that Kaito might be shaken by the night’s events, to see his designated rival crying at the mere sight of him…

How was he supposed to react?

Gathering himself, Kokichi decided that releasing Kaito first would be the most practical course of action.

“I’m going to untie you, okay?” he reassured. He felt a twinge in his chest when Kaito squeezed his eyes shut, pushing out more tears as a result. “It’s… it’s okay. You’re safe now. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

Cautiously, Kokichi began untying the ropes around Kaito’s body, quickly freeing his arms. Once that was done, he got to work on the ropes around Kaito’s legs. The fact that Kaito didn’t say anything else only added to his discomfort. 

“Alright, that’s all of them. Can you stand?”

“I… don’t know.”

Pushing himself to his feet, Kaito attempted to walk forward, only to stumble as the feeling of pins and needles overwhelmed him. Kokichi caught him before he could hit the ground.

“Guess that’s a no,” Kokichi sighed, helping him sit against the wall instead. “Whatever. I’m sure Maki won’t have any trouble carrying you out of here. She was demolishing the other Exisals earlier, so she’ll probably join us real soon.”

“What happened to Shuichi?” Kaito couldn’t help but ask. “Is he-” Kaito stopped, realizing he was about to ask if Shuichi was alright. Even after everything, he was still struggling to accept the truth. 

The Shuichi he'd believed in had been a lie. Their entire friendship had been a lie. There was no point trying to help him anymore.

Kokichi scooted closer, bumping their knees together, seeming to understand what was going through Kaito’s mind.

“He’s alive. Unconscious, but alive. We’re going to interrogate him later.”

“Oh...”

An uncomfortable silence descended upon them, during which time tears continued rolling down Kaito’s cheeks. Wordlessly, Kokichi offered Kaito his scarf, only slightly surprised when Kaito actually took it.

He looked away when he heard sobbing.