Ladybug and Chat Noir surveyed the damage from the building tops nearby, while Rena Rouge flew in for a closer look. She had the chance to get in close and count how many of their classmates were still in the building. Carapace was trying to keep track of where the akuma was in the city now, but it was difficult. They wouldn't stop moving. Rena landed beside him, flawlessly. On reflex he reached out to stop her falling. He felt his hand on her waist, and blushed, but she didn't push him away.

"Four are still there. Kim, Rose, Chloe and Max. Juleka and Alix were downstairs, I just got them out, but the others are upstairs, and the stairs are just bricks," she explained.

"Right, so we evacuated from the second floor up," Ladybug declared.

"Fifth. Floors one to five are rigged with explosives, and empty," Rena corrected.

"You didn't feel the need to mention the bombs?" Carapace said, his voice edged with nerve.

He was their newest recruit and didn't take to it as easily as Rena had. Ladybug tried telling him that she had been like that and it was Chat who helped her, so he should try to listen to Rena, but Rena was still a little too cock sure. Half a year working beside Ladybug had boosted both her and Ladybug's confidence. Not that hers needed much elevating. Her eyes sparkled as she reached out to tap Carapace's nose.

"Must have slipped my mind." The truth was she didn't want him to worry. That turtle didn't need to be any slower. "There's at least ten minutes left before it goes, we can get everyone out in plenty of time."

"Lead the way," Ladybug said.

They followed her in through a window on the fifth floor. She was right. Inside was practically rubble. The ceiling was in lumps on the floor, and they could see the next two floors above them. Rose, Kim and Max were huddled together one floor up. The only exit was here. Every other window was nailed shut. They needed to get everyone out of it and to safety in the next ten minutes.

Carapace gave a low whistle. "Who caused this?" He asked, more to himself than to the others.

Ladybug spotted Chloe huddled in the corner alone, and huffed, "I've got a pretty good idea."

"We don't know it was Chloe!" Chat Noir argued, defensively.

"Probably was though," Rena muttered.

"Not helpful Rena," Carapace said.

Rena shrugged. "I'm just saying, the bugs probably right."

"Thanks, foxy," Ladybug grinned.

"I got your back girl," Rena winked.

Ladybug laughed. Chat frowned, pretending to be more hurt than he actually was by the way Ladybugs attentions were going.

"So when she flirts its ok, but when I do it, it's distracting?"

"Shh Chat, you're distracting me," Ladybug shushed.

Chat blabbed with offence for a moment, before catching her hidden smirk. His shoulders sagged at the relief and embarrassment that she had gotten him back. As soon as they got everyone out, this was going to be a piece of cake.

"Chloe, is this everyone?" Ladybug called.

Chloe huffed, "How should I know?!"

"How many staff are here?" Carapace asked.

"Just one. The akuma!" Kim called.

"What are you lot doing here then?" Chat Noir asked.

"The safety inspector brought us in, he said the mayor said it was ok!" Rose called.

"I bet he did," Ladybug muttered.

Chat shot her a look. He knew Marinette didn't much like Chloe, but she shouldn't have kept allowing it to sway her opinion as Ladybug. And Alya - and Rena Rouge - shouldn't keep encouraging her. Or maybe it was the other way around. Rena had only been with them half a year, maybe Ladybug was still showing her the ropes.

"Where's he now?" Carapace called.

"The akuma took him," Max said.

Chat grinned. The akuma took the safety inspector! He grinned at Ladybug. "I told you Chloe didn't cause the akuma this time!"

Ladybug huffed and muttered, "This time."

"This whole place is gonna blow any minute," Rena warned.

"Let's get going then," Ladybug said, "Chat you're strongest, take Kim, Carapace get Rose, I'll take Max, Rena, you get Chloe."

"Delightful," Rena tutted.

"We aren't leaving Chloe!" Ladybug warned.

"I never suggested we should!" Rena argued. Then, after Ladybug was already spinning her yo-yo, muttered, "Although..."

Chloe stood up when she heard a hero land on her floor, flinging her hand over her head and crying dramatically that she was saved. Rena rolled her eyes. Then she noticed the teddy bear Chloe was clutching. She smirked.

"Cute toy."

"Oh, it's you. I want a real hero, where's Ladybug?!" Chloe huffed.

"Listen, I'm not thrilled either, but we're in enough trouble as it is, so let's not be too egotistical about who has to save you," Rena tutted.

"Who gets to save me! I'm the mayor's daughter, it's an honour to save me!" Chloe argued.

"Oh please! You're a brat kid who got her friends - if they are your friends - trapped up here with bombs about to go off downstairs! It's not an honour, it's a chore. A repetitive one," Rena spat.

"How dare you?! I would rather die than be saved by you!" Chloe huffed.

Rena grit her teeth. "That can be arranged."

When Ladybug landed beside Kim, she immediately saw the problem. Kim was trapped behind a piece of the fallen that had trapped Max's arm underneath it.

"Chat, I need you!" She called.

"At once my lady!" He said, obediently.

Chat appeared seconds later, baton in hand. Ladybug's eyes closed on that first. She pointed to the bottom of the rock.

"Put the baton there and lever the rock. I'll pull Max out to safety. Be careful not to hurt Kim too," she ordered.

Chat flashed Kim a smile. "Don't worry, I'll crumble it."

"Chat no!"

"Cataclysm!"

The rock turned black and crumbled apart into dust. Ladybug spun her yoyo as fast as possible to save Max from the debris falling from the ceiling that had been held up by the rock. She glared at Chat once they were safe, while Kim coughed violently.

"Well done, now we've got five minutes to get everyone to safety!" She spat.

Chat gave a sheepish smile, "Oh yeah..."

Ladybug groaned. She loved her boyfriend but sometimes he forgot to think. "Our time just halved guys and Max is injured! We have to get him to safety first!"

"Rena is fastest! She can take him!" Chat said.

Rena was delighted to leave Chloe in the literal dust. "Copy that Chat!"

She down up to the same level as the others. The only person not having any trouble was Carapace. He had Rose in his arms, and she clung to his shell shield for safety.

"Ready to go, where are we taking them?" He asked.

"Um, Chat you take Rose to the roof top because you've only got a few minutes left, and recharge quick! There's still an akuma to catch,"

"As you wish," Chat nodded.

Rose felt like a pass the parcel as Carapace handed her to Chat. He flashed her the warmest smile he could, one that was so familiar it niggled at her.

"Don't worry, you're in good paws," he said.

"That you are, pretty flower. I won't let you down," Chat promised.

Rose giggled. She felt a lot safer already. Rena followed Chat, holding Max as carefully as she could, and over took Chat as soon as she realised where they were heading.

"Come on Kim, we reds have to stick together," Ladybug said.

"Hey! What about me?!" Chloe cried.

"Rena left Chloe? Oh that fox! Carapace, do you mind?" Ladybug asked. Kim was already clinging to her for dear life.

Carapace smiled. "Not at all."

"You?! I get both brand knockoffs?!" Chloe scoffed.

"Don't worry Chloe, slow and steady wins the race," Carapace promised.

Chloe scowled. "Whoopee."

Carapace was already on his way out when he ran into Rena heading back towards the danger. Chloe was in his arms. She refused to hold the shield for safety, so it was back on his back. He paused to stop Rena.

"Everyone's out of there. Just in the nick of time too," he said.

"Alright, need a hand?" She asked.

"No thanks miss fox, you've been fantastic enough already," Carapace winked.

Rena felt a rush of guilt. She hadn't done anything. Or rather, she hadn't done anything fantastic. The akuma was only for ten minutes and the place was rigged with explosives, and she left Chloe to suffer that. That wasn't the hero's way.
Then Chloe gagged.
It had only been a small show of affection, a mere compliment, and Chloe gagged. Rena suddenly remembered why she left Chloe.

"I'll meet you back there," she said.

Rena shot on ahead. The others were already practically back at the safety zone. All the had left was Chloe, and she was behind her. At least she was, until...

"MR CUDDLY!"

Rena glanced back at the cry. Chloe had dropped her teddy bear. Everyone else ignored it. It was just a teddy bear. Just a yellow dot falling back towards a danger zone. Rena was about to ignore it too, until she glanced back at Chloe. Chloe had never looked so pain stricken before. Rena felt it tug at her heart strings. Or it could have been the guilt again. Maybe she wasn't the nicest person in the world, or even in their class, but this was important to her. It mattered. And Rena was a hero. She had to help.
Carapace gasped as Rena turned tail and dove straight back down towards the building that was rigged to blow.

"RENA!" He screamed.

Ladybug's attention flicked back, drawn by the fear in his tone. She spotted the orange blur shooting back towards the danger too. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"CHAT!" She cried.

Chat placed Rose on the rooftop gently and promised to be back, before leaping over to the next roof top where Ladybug stood beside Kim and Max.

"What's going on?" Chat asked.

Ladybug pointed out towards the building, past Chloe and Carapace, who had paused mid-air. "Rena! She's gone back to-"

BOOM!

A great plume of grey smoke burst through the air and the ground shook as the building exploded, tearing apart great chunks of concrete and metal and glass, and throwing them into the air.

"RENA!" Carapace and Ladybug screamed at the same time.

Ladybug ran forward, ready to fly into action to save her. Chat urgently grabbed hold of her, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her back. He struggled to get the yo-yo out of her hand, and threw it down at the roof top. It rolled towards the edge. Kim grabbed it by the string just before it fell, and pulled it back up.
The building crumbled away. A chunk of brick came zooming past Carapace so fast he barely had time to turn around, so it hit his shell shield instead of Chloe.
He was so far away too.
Further away than Rena.
She was swallowed by a cloud of dust too thick to see through.
There was no way he could get in to save her. Not in time. Especially since Chole was still in his arms. He had to get her to safety. Carapace covered Chole's head with his shoulders and whisked her over to this roof top. He laid her on the roof, and turned to face Ladybug.
He couldn't see her face properly. Her eyes were fixed on the spot where Rena had disappeared. Without her yoyo she was powerless to help her. Ladybug's eyes filled with tears she finally turned to face him. Carapace's head drooped. His heart was gone. It didn't hurt. He wasn't sad. He felt nothing. Just numb with fear. Ladybug leapt forward, and gathered him into her arms. They clung onto one another, too broken-hearted to make a sound.

Rena couldn't have escaped.

Leaving them to mourn, Chat focused on the civilians. He couldn't bear to even think about losing a friend. He'd never felt pain like it. Not since his mother left. He thought that would be the worst pain he could ever fill. Somehow this was worse. Rena had so much of her life ahead of her, now gone. His mother was still living hers somewhere. He couldn't think about it. Chat took Max and Chole to where Rose was, and went back for Kim. He used his staff as a fireman's pole, and let all of them slide straight down to the street, until Kim was left.

"I, err..." Kim stammered.

He wasn't very good with words, but he felt something had to be said. But what could you say? Nothing like this had ever happened before. It was a tragedy. Kim gave up. He held out the yo-yo sheepishly, and turned his head away. He said the only thing he could think of.

"I'm sorry."

Chat's ears were flat against his head. He took the yo-yo and blinked away the tears in his eyes. He remembered when his mother left. His father said just to thank everyone for their sympathy. Well Chat didn't have any other plan.

"Thank you."

"Anything I can..." Kim trailed off. He was just a kid? What could he do?

"You're a good man Kim. Just... remember her," Chat shrugged.

It sounded stupid. No one was going to forget the first hero of Paris to die saving them. At least they though she had died saving them. Chat's ring beeped for the final time on that roof. He was stranded there now. Just him and Plagg. Plagg didn't know what to say.

"Oh Adrien... I... I'm so sorry."

Adrien sniffed. "Can you feel her? Trixx, can you feel her?"

Plagg felt a stab of pain in his stomach. "Kwamis don't die Adrien. Not like that anyway."

"Then... then we have to find her. We have to get the necklace... even if Alya... Trixx will need us," Adrien bowed his head too.

Plagg's eyes brimmed with tears and he nodded. Sometimes Adrien really reminded him of Tikki. Adrien wiped his tears on his arm and sniffed hard.

"I know you're hungry, but I only have a little cheese. Will it be enough?" He asked.

"I'll make it work," Plagg nodded.

There was, after all, still an akuma to catch.

...

Only Chloe knew she had gone back for the bear. The shocked guilt in her chest kept her silence.
Rena Rouge had died, saving her teddy bear...
Chole felt numb. She walked home, slowly, in silence, away from the drama. Away from the crowds and the paramedics and the hero's flying off to continue the fight even after their loss. Paris's bravest they would be called on the news that night. So brave to keep fighting even after that.
On her walk, Chloe thought of everything mean she had ever done, and how the reasons all seemed so stupid now. Guilt turned into a dull ache in her chest. The pain of losing Mr Cuddly was amplified higher than she ever imagined. It was almost insignificant now. It wasn't like she could kick up a fuss and have her daddy buy a new Rena Rouge. She was one of a kind. She was unique.
She was... Miraculous.
Chloe shut her bedroom door quietly. She hadn't realised where she was. It had been an automatic reaction to just walk into the hotel, and straight up to her room, ignoring the fact she was supposed to be in school. Chloe's hand lingered on the closed door. The ball in her throat was too big to ignore now. Hot, guilty tears rolled silently down her cheeks. She slid down onto the floor, collapsing with no one to help her back up. Silent tears turned into sniffing, then sobs. Her face turned red and blotchy and her nose ran, and her eyes were red raw, and her make-up was washed clean off, exposing her. Those sobs didn't stop when she ran out of tears. They didn't stop for hours.
They didn't stop until she had cried herself to sleep again. In the middle of the floor.

Alone.