Beeping. That's all she could hear. Beeping.
….beep….beep….beep….
It was familiar, but she couldn't place it. Her head was so foggy, and the more she thought about that annoyingly familiar sound, the more her cloudy mind beat like the foot pedal on a bass drum.
Her eyes opened just enough to see blurred lights and jumping blobs of grey and black far above her. She blinked several times, but her vision never cleared. Each time her eyes closed, it was noticeably more difficult to open them again. The darkness of sleep beckoned the Miraculous Ladybug, eager to ensnare her torpid state and drag her down.
Down.
Drown.
She was drowning.
She was drowning, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her mind had given up control of her limbs only moments ago and they floated still by her sides. Her voice was empty, listless. There weren't even small bubbles of air raising to the surface as proof of her attempt at calling for help. She watched the blobs continue their dance, the darker one seeming as if it was looking at her between moves. Maybe it was, but it didn't matter anymore. Not even the beeping mattered as her vision began to cloud, becoming as foggy as her mind. The edges of her vision darkened and spots took over the center. "Like Ladybug," she thought, comparing the darkened view to her polka-dotted costume.
The darkness grew closer and closer before she realized the black field wasn't the beckoning unconsciousness. The black blob from before was coming closer to her. She could make out more details, like the two smaller blobs of yellow near what she perceived to be his head. He was so close, but wasn't fast enough. The darkness collected it's victim, dragging her lower into the abyss when her eyes fluttered closed.
Fluid movements accented by sleek, black leather taunted the bumbling rock creature threatening the structure of the bridge. Chat Noir was unsure of how Ivan had once again become Stoneheart, but was determined to get him de-evilized as soon as possible. But he himself couldn't get rid of Akuma's. It was his partner, his love, Ladybug, who had the ability to restore things to normal and make everyone happy again. And she was currently sinking to the bottom of the Seine.
With no visible conclusion in sight, Chat Noir allowed Stoneheart to win their battle in favor of saving the queen of his heart from becoming the queen of the deep. He lead the monster away from civilians and into an unoccupied street before bounding off down the bridge. He scanned the water before shuddering, his cat-side rearing it's displeasing head at the presence of every feline's worst enemy. He took a deep breath and dove from the edge of the Pont d'Iena, braving the cold, dark blanket below to rescue Paris' heroic icon.
His form was perfect, thanks to years of teachings from professional swimmers and divers. His claws hit the surface first, tearing away the waves like dark blue curtains to make way for his body on the main stage. Senses heightened in this form, he saw his beloved bug as clear as the night above, peacefully floating just below him. The freezing water biting his skin under the suit was nothing compared to the chill that climbed into his core upon seeing her usually active form with a stone-like stillness. Her eyes barely cracked open as he finally reached her, then closing when he wrapped his black-clad arms around her iced-over form. The blue sheen of her pigtails mirrored her lips now, fueling the cat's panic even further.
He kept his hold on her as he swam to the open air. He gasped for the cool wind, looking down at Ladybug with despair. With every ounce of strength, he rushed her to the embankment. Grainy, beige globs stained his suit as he laid her there in the sand and hurriedly gave the kiss of life to his miraculous ladybug.
After several attempts at breathing life into his companion, she finally began to cough up all of the waves that had first taken her under. The treacherous liquid spat from her in volumes, firing like torpedoes in the space between the two heroes before splashing to the sands beside her convulsing form.
Blaring tones rang out in the space as she caught her breath, alerting the duo to their approaching Cinderella moment. He sucked in a breath as the beeping picked up, not allowing any more time for life-saving maneuvers. Green eyes resembled the moon in size as the signals prepared the heroes for the inevitable. A blinding pink glare emitted from the water-logged teen below him, transforming his partner from the Ladybug he loved into his friendly classmate, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Sitting over her in a stilled shock, he barely registered her small voice calling his name. Her tiny hand reached up shakily to touch his cheek, the contact freeing him from his stupor. She spoke his name once more, barely above a whisper and her arm fell from his face, only to be caught with help from the others' fast, feline reflexes. He glanced back and forth between her hand and her face, no more fight left on her perfect features.
This sent him into a panic once more. Lifting her from the soaked ground, he scaled the hill before them in a frantic run. "Marinette," he breathed, dodging pits in the ground and launching himself over the benches and barriers protecting the edge of the water. She needed medical attention, and was running out of time.
It was later, at the hospital, that Chat Noir learned the full extent of his partner's injuries. On top of being deprived of oxygen from drowning, she had also developed a skull fracture and concussion from the hit she took that sent her into the water.
He refused to leave her, remaining in costume for as long as he could. Pulling up a chair to the side of her bed, he rested his head on the mattress near her hand. He was silent, listening to the consistency of the machines around him, and watching the repetitive rise and fall of her chest. He knew he did the right thing, bringing her in after her miraculous failed. Though the hard part would be describing to her parents why she was out so late and how she managed to get involved in the fight and get hurt.
As if being called by his thoughts, the Dupain-Cheng's arrived silently. Sabine's hands flew to her mouth and she refused to go in, needing a moment to compose herself. Tom on the other hand approached the bed, placing a hand on Chat's shoulder.
Unaware of their presence, he jolted at the touch, turning with a hiss and readied claw. Upon seeing the surprise in Tom's face, he relaxed at the familiarity of his company. Guess his cat-like senses were clouded tonight.
He sputtered in embarrassment, "S-Sorry, Mr. Dupain-Cheng. I didn't hear you come in."
The older man smiled down at the young hero, "I should have announced myself, Chat. So, what happened to my little girl?"
Chat Noir stood, addressing the man at his true height. "Ladybug and I were dealing with Stoneheart, who is one of your daughter's peers. She was trying to watch us in action, I guess." Chat looked over to the sleeping girl, "I distracted her. I was trying to tell her to leave, to get somewhere safe, then she got hit by Stoney's backhand." Stepping aside, he offered his chair to the other man. "Marinette fell off the edge before I could get to her. She passed out when she hit the water."
Tom took Chat's seat with a weak smile. "I'm glad you were there, Chat Noir. Thank you for fishing her out of the bay." He looked over to his daughter, "and thank you for staying with her. That is incredibly kind of you. But what about Stoneheart?"
Chat's eyes widen outside of the adult's view. "Uh…." He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, "My lady went after him so I could bring her here. She will let me know if I am needed."
Mr. Dupain-Cheng raised an eyebrow at the teenage cat-boy, "I didn't realize you were so whipped, son. I thought you were partners, not a sidekick."
"I'll do anything my lady asks, that doesn't make me her sidekick, sir."
He laughed, "I was kidding, Chat. Please, go see if you can be of assistance. I've got her now."
Chat Noir nodded, giving a curt laugh at his joke. Making his way outside Marinette's room, he ran into Sabine, who was barely holding herself together against the wall. Chat frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder. She raised her head, grey eyes meeting green. The black cat gave her a small smile to ease her pain as much as he could, "She's okay, Miss. She's alive, she's safe, and she'll wake up soon, Sabine."
Without warning, her shaky appearance changed and she pulled the hero into a hug, the top of her head resting just under Chat's chin. He stood there with his hands by his sides, not entirely sure how to respond, and shocked Marinette's mom would embrace a complete stranger like this. Also….it had been so long since he felt any kind of affection like this, like from a mom.
She let him go after a moment and headed for the door to her daughter's room. Chat made it a few steps before she spoke, her words stopping him in his place, "Thank you, Adrien."