A loud whirring, almost like an airplane that's about to crash, invades my ears. I dodge the giant fist headed towards me, back flipping into a small grove of trees. The faint scents of lilac and tree bark invade my nostrils, and my body relaxes.

The whirring gets louder. My stomach drops as I look up. A flaming cigarette is plummeting out of the sky, right above my temporary sanctuary.

'Oooh crap.' There's no time to dodge. I brace myself, but before the bomb makes contact with the ground, a familiar pair of leather-clad arms grab my waist. I twist around and wrap my arms around my partner's neck, holding on tight.

Chat Noir soars through the air, landing on a nearby building just before the bomb explodes. For a moment, our faces are bathed in red and orange light as we watch dirt and trees fly through the sky. The shockwave is enough to make my ears ring and skin tingle, but Chat had managed to clear the blast zone in time.

Chat sets me down, a light blush dusting his face as we scan the area. Massive craters litter the streets and fires rage in empty store fronts. Vehicles are crushed, buildings are collapsed, and the laughter of the current akuma victim echoes around the streets.

I turn from the destruction and force a smile onto my face. Chat does the same, but our pained smiles quickly fade as we stare at each other.

"Nice save." Chat smirks.

"I know. There's no way I'd let My Lady perish in something as trivial as an explosion. We're going to go down swinging in a blaze of glory, like all heroes should." I giggle. Chat laughs with me, but winces. I scan his body for injuries.

"Are you okay?" Chat opens his mouth, probably to come up with an excuse, but I glare at him. "None of that Chaton, we can't afford to hide our injuries." Chat sighs.

"Fine. My ribs are pretty bruised, but I don't think they're broken. Other than that, I'm fine. What about you?" He squints at me.

'He's probably trying to see if I'm hurt. I still don't understand how he can be so concerned about me when his ribs are bruised. They must be pretty bad if he's showing any signs of pain.'

"I'm fine, Chaton. I took a hard hit to the head, but I'm sure it's not a concussion. I only have a few scrapes and bruises." Chat's ears flick back.

'He doesn't believe me.'

"Come on Chat, do you really think-" An explosion shakes the building we're standing on. I shake my head. "Come on, we have to find a place to recuperate." Chat grabs my hand.

"I know where we can go. I found it on my way here."

I nod. Chat takes off, and I stay close. We jump over rooftops, nothing can be heard except for our footsteps pounding on the concrete and distant explosions. Soon enough, Chat leads us to the heart of Paris.

We stop on the roof of a factory, crouching behind a smokestack. The akuma victim is lumbering around, seemingly content with destroying everything in sight. I turn to Chat.

"It's a good thing we evacuated the city." He nods in agreement. "What did I miss while I was gone?"

Chat leans against the smokestack. "His name is Evan Quake. He calls himself 'The Smoker.' One of his friends was near the school trying to get him to calm down, but Evan wouldn't listen. I managed to get her out of trouble before The Smoker could injure her. Apparently, Evan was a teacher there, but was fired when he was caught smoking on school grounds. The woman wasn't there when he was akumatized, but she told me to look for an ashtray or a lighter on his costume. The akuma might be hiding in one of them.

When the akuma possessed him, this guy gained a lot of powers; super strength, a hulk-like body, even his senses were increased. We can't even sneak up on him. The Smoker throws bombs shaped like cigarettes, and they have a blast zone of about one hundred feet. This guy is by far the most powerful akuma we've ever faced."

I nod. "My report isn't much better. I managed to evacuate most of Paris, but a few people refused to leave their homes. A lot of our city is completely destroyed, I'm not sure if Lucky Charm is powerful enough to fix the damage. The police are creating barricades to keeps The Smoker out if we fail to stop him." Chat shivers at the prospect.

"We can't let this guy escape Paris. He'll easily break through the barricades. We need a plan." We fall silent.

'We can't sneak up on him, so a surprise attack is out. Getting too close would be a disaster, if one of us took a direct hit its over. Lighters and ashtrays would be tiny against his body, so we'll need to get up close and personal with The Smoker regardless of super strength. Unless...'

"Chat, where's the nearest tourist shop?"

"Um, right across the street, why?"

"We need a pair of binoculars." Chat gives me his signature smirk.

"On it." He swings away. The Smoker throws another bomb, and I throw myself to the ground. Concrete flies above my head. I peer around the smokestack and gulp.

The Smoker has gotten closer to my hiding spot, and I still, holding my breath.

'Why didn't I ask if we were out of hearing range! God, Marinette, you're so stupid!' A clawed finger taps my shoulder. I whirl around, glaring at Chat. He has a finger placed on his lips, and begins to move away from The Smoker. I follow, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Chat stops and turns around. "One pair of binoculars for the most beautiful girl in Paris." He bows and hands me the binoculars. I slap his hand away.

"What took you so long?"

"I left a note." Chat clears his throat. "Dear store owner, I'm pawsitively sorry, but my beautiful partner and I were in dire need of a pair of binoculars. We assure you that we're not cat burglars, and that our crime was for a good cause. Love, Chat Noir." I laugh again.

"Oh, stop it with the puns, Chaton." I try to fight the smile forming on my face, but Chat spots it. He grins and I turn to face The Smoker.

I adjust the settings on the binoculars. A lump forms in my throat as I scan The Smoker's body.

'Nothing. Where is it...' I gasp. A purple and black lighter is hanging from the akuma's belt. I grab Chat's arm.

"Chat, I found it! The lighter is hanging on his belt." A plan begins to form in my mind. "You distract him head on, but be careful. A direct hit from him could be the end of you." Chat nods. "I'll use Lucky Charm to dislodge the lighter from his belt. If I'm too far away, grab the lighter and throw it to me. From there, I'll destroy the akuma and attempt to fix the city." Chat smiles.

"Alright M'Lady! I'll try my best, but how about I get a kiss for good luck?" Chat puckers his lips and leans towards me.

"Not now Kitty!" I push his face away with my pointer finger. "We have work to do!"

"Fine," Chat sighs. "I'll see you soon LB." He winks and jumps away. Suddenly, my stomach lurches. My hand jerks out and I grab Chat's tail. He turns around, tilting his head.

"Chat," I hesitate. "Just be careful, okay?" I lean forward and peck his cheek. He turns bright red.

"When haven't I been careful?" Chat grins, flicks his tail, and jumps away. I blush.

'What the heck did I just do!? I mean, it's not like Chat isn't attractive, and funny, and...' I shake my head. 'What am I doing? Battle first, feelings later!'

"I have a bad feeling about this," I stand, get out my yo-yo, and swing towards The Smoker. I get into position, taking care not to make too much noise.

BAM!

I gasp as The Smoker throws Chat into a store window. Chat rolls over, groaning, and The Smoker begins to laugh. He jumps around, clearly performing some type of victory dance.

'Well, at least he has a giant ego. If we get lucky, he won't notice me until it's too late.'

"Lucky Charm!" I whisper into my hand. Instantly, a red and black object falls into my palm. I glance down and gasp.

'A Swiss Army knife! This can easily cut through that flimsy belt. Now, how do I get close enough to cut the lighter off?'

I look around. I spot an open canopy from a store front and grin. Several curses erupt from The Smoker. My head whips up. Chat had managed to get up and begin to fight The Smoker again. I smile.

"That's my Kitty," I jump off of the roof and onto the canopy. I bounce and throw the knife. It cuts through the belt and dislodges the lighter. It falls to the ground.

"Chat! Get the lighter!" I crash into the ground head first. Black spots erupt in my vision. My ears begin to ring, and I force myself to stand. Chat grabs the lighter and throws it at me. I fumble with it for a second, but I manage to snap it over my knee before The Smoker can throw another bomb or attack us.

I fall to my knees. The ground sways as I grab my yo-yo and purify the butterfly. I watch it float away, but my vision is blurry. My stomach lurches as I put my head in my hands.

I hear footsteps running towards me, but they're muted. Chat is shouting my name, but I can't move. Groaning and snapping sounds come from above, but I can't move my head to look. Something extremely heavy lands on top of me. I scream as concrete and metal pierce my body.

Chat shouts my name, but my eyes slip shut.

"LADYBUG!!"