"This is the place where people lose their fears." The voice was eerily toneless as she faced him down; this was like no Akuma that she'd ever seen.
"If we don't feel fear even once in our lives, how are we to know whether to keep pushing and move past our fears or whether it is time to be cautious?" Ladybug stood her ground though her body trembled lightly as she stared at the blank canvas of a person.
"Well spoken, but you're in my domain, Ladybug." The voice scolded her, "Once you're here, I decide what happens." It grinned and just the sight of it sent shivers down Ladybug's spine that she couldn't quite control.
"You can't just push me around." Ladybug tried to remain calm and levelheaded, but all that she could think about is what could happen to Cat Noir since the last place before she woke up here was with Cat Noir fighting a nasty Akuma that had powers unlike those that they'd ever faced.
She'd had a hard time following the Akuma's motivations since it spoke in some foreign language that she either is not far enough along in studying to understand or has never studied in her life.
It was a little unnerving as well as relieving to hear this creature before her speak perfect French though the lack of any kind of regional accent left her more than a little unnerved.
"Ladybug," It cooed, "Marinette, you mustn't tell me what to do. I make the rules here."
"What are you planning?" She hissed through nearly breathless teeth, already worrying about just what this creature will do to her.
"I just want to take away your fears like that pesky Akuma had you step into, and then show you the world." The haunting smirk made Ladybug feel sick to her stomach.
"No, I don't want my fears taken away." She firmly spoke.
"Sorry, but you don't get a choice in that matter, Ladybug." The white shadow of a man before her spoke before she was dragged through black gates, and she screamed when her mind began to feel absolutely overwhelmed under the onslaught of information that she hadn't been ready for.
When Ladybug awoke next, she was laying in the middle of a Parisian street, next to Cat Noir that was holding an Akuma between two closed hands.
She sat up with a weary groan and nearly ended up not being able to stand, let alone purify the Akuma; she reaches out tentatively to purify the Akuma like she'd been entrusted to do though her mind was left in a dazed fog.
"Ladybug, are you alright?" Cat Noir asked her, voice soft and lacking a familiar pet name as worry kicked in far more than the need to flirt with her.
"Y-Yeah," Her head felt woozy, and suddenly it didn't matter if Hawkmoth sprang out and attacked her or if her Miraculous timed out right now or whether Cat Noir or Ladybug got into a dangerous situation right this minute.
"You look pale." He murmured anyway.
Ladybug nearly snorted at the thought; nothing was quite as pale as Truth after all.