"Mum!" yelled Adrien as he struggled against his seatbelt but with each movement the car swayed uncertainly, inching ever closer over the edge.
"Adrien don't move." The older woman panted, blood dripped down the side of his mother's face. Her beautiful face was covered in scratches from when the windscreen had shattered. A particularly large piece of glass had embedded itself in her shoulder, staining her white blouse a horrid pink. She couldn't move it and it must have really hurt because her breathing was coming out short and ragged. However, her eyes never left his. Adrien too could feel his face sting from where the glass had scratched it but, miraculously, he felt fine apart from that.
"Mum." He began but she silenced him with her eyes, her mind racing. Their closest aid was the drunk driver who had hit them and who was now vomiting over the side of his window, oblivious to the dire situation he had put them in.
"Adrien don't move unless I tell you to." She ordered softly as she slowly extended her uninjured arm. The car swayed again and Marie caught a brief glimpse of the dark water that lied beneath them. She struggled against the glass that pinned her to her seat, feeling it tear at her flesh as she extended her other arm. With a shallow breath and biting her lip so not to shriek in pain, she released her son's seatbelt. The teenager turned as if to do the same but Marie shook her head, it wouldn't do her any good. She glanced down at the brooch on her chest even it couldn't help her out of this situation. No, she had to get Adrien out of this.
"H-honey, can you reach the door handle?" she stammered, as she continued to fight against the pain, she had stars in her vision and a ringing in her ears.
"Yes." Adrien breathed as, with barely a movement, he grasped the handle.
"Good. Adrien I need you to open it and jump out as quickly as you can."
"No mum! The car will fall!" he instantly protested.
"I can't move Adrien, it has to be you." she answered him honestly, though even if she hadn't been injured she would still have insisted that he'd get out first. "I need you to call for help. Use that man's phone if you can."
"But…"
She shook his head at him. "You've got to be strong, for me Adrien. You have to do this. I can't be strong so be strong for me."
That liar, Adrien would always remember himself thinking those words, even then she was being strong, stronger than he'd ever be. So with a slight nod, he opened the car door slowly. The car rocked forward again.
"Now!" yelled his mother and as if moving under a reflex he slid out of the car, his feet dangling over the damaged edge of the bridge.
"I'm out!" he remembered yelling, a fleeting moment of relief flooded over him, he'd always feel guilty for that. That feeling that he was safe but his mum wasn't. She gave him a tired smile, and made as if to say something else but the car gave one last screech- it had finally given up.
It slid forward into the dark abyss below.
"Mum!" Adrien shrieked staggering to his feet and looking over the edge, almost falling forward. The car had landed head first into the deep dark waters below and was sinking fast. He couldn't see his mother and soon even the rear lights were submerged. With tears running down his face he ran towards the only other stationary car on the road, that of the drunkard who was still vomiting and staggering beside it.
That was usually when he'd wake up, panting and dripping sweat. In the first few weeks after they had pulled the wreck out of the water, he'd dream of it even when he was awake. It would feel like he was more awake in the dream then when he was actually awake. It was always the same, occasionally he'd imagine a flash of light just as the car hit the water but the doctors had assured him it was a trick of his mind while while it tried to deal with what happened. But he knew the facts- those would never change.
Adrien had called for help and they had come.
They had pulled out the car but they had never found his mother. Her window had been broken. They assumed the currents must have washed her away.
They never found her.
This had happened in august, two days after his birthday. Adrien's father sent him to the help he needed but he himself sunk into his work. The September of after he applied to Collège Françoise Dupont and days into his first term he found Plagg and took up the mantle of Chat Noir. That's what saved him, that finally brought him out of his darkness. He had something to live for. His mother's last words to him had been to be strong. He couldn't be her strength, but he could be that of others.
However, he still had dreams about that night, when his mind felt vacant but they happened less often now, at least. Though, it seemed to happen at the worst of times too.
"Chat Noir!" yelled Ladybug quickly bringing him back to the current situation. He and Ladybug were dangling over the Sien river, his staff the only thing stopping them from falling into the churning waters below. Above them smirking, was their foe, one of Hawk Moth's victims, Ferryman.
"Sorry." Joked Chat as with one hand he pulled both himself and Ladybug onto his staff. "Was just remembering how I fell for you, milady."
But his mouth felt dry even as he said the joke. This whole scene triggered all sorts of bad memories.
Ladybug rolled her eyes, oblivious, and she steadied herself on the slightly wobbling staff. She looked up at where Ferryman stood upon the Pont des Arts.
"Not the time, Chat." She scolded but her voice faltered when she saw his face. He looked distracted as he looked down at the blue water below; Ladybug had never seen his emerald eyes look so sad. Over the months since they had teamed up she had seen many sides of Chat Noir and they rarely ever deviated much from happy. But today, at that particular moment, it seemed he had forgotten what happiness was.
Chat was remembering something all right, but it was not her. As she looked on at him she felt the urge to give him a hug, the same way you'd reassure a young child that everything would be fine soon. The problem was, Ladybug didn't even know what the problem was.
"So you think we should send him packing?" asked Chat, his excitement returning to his voice as if, whatever had been bothering him had been forgotten. But even as Ladybug nodded her head she couldn't help wonder at what had gotten Chat so down.
"The akuma is in his neck-scarff." Said Ladybug as the two heroes jumped off the staff and onto the bridge. Police blocked either end but Ferryman didn't seem to care. With an almost ninja like skill he began to throw exploding coins their way but the two heroes dodged with very little effort. From her pocket Ladybug pulled out the ball of yarn her Lucky Charm had conjured up.
"What am I meant to do with this?" she sighed.
"Ah Ladybug? you don't have much time left." He said pointing at the two remaining dots on her earrings. And neither did he, he thought as he saw the time on a nearby street clock. It was 10 to seven; he was going to be late for the party!
Ladybug looked around her desperately but on the deserted bridge there wasn't much to work with.
"Sometimes, milady, the old fashioned ways are best." Noted Chat Noir as he began to run towards ferryman. "Cataclysm!"
Ferryman, sneering sent a barrage of exploding coins at Chat but skilfully hd dodged them all. With a small smile he grabbed at the scarf around the akuma victim's neck and it instantly disintegrated under his grip. The akuma gracefully emerged from it. Slightly stunned at the efficiency of Chat's actions Ladybug caught the akuma and sent her Lucky Charm flying into the air, fixing all the damage that had befallen Paris.
"Awesome!" congratulated Chat preparing to fist bump Ladybug but the latter just kept him hanging. He gave her a quizzical look.
"What just happened there?" she asked, astonished.
"I got the bad guy?" he answered confused, tilting his head to one side.
"Yes but no stupid puns, or snarky comments, not even a single cat joke!"
"I'm a bit tight on time." He admitted, his eyes flickering on the street clock 7 minutes to go.
Reluctantly, Ladybug bumped fists with Chat Noir who with a salute and a smile went jumping off across the bridge, Ladybug did a similar thing but at a slower pace the two were heading in a similar direction that day.
Ladybug landed with a sigh on the roof of her room just as her transformation wore off. She sighed exhausted but she turned to face the floating kwami. "What do you think was wrong with Chat Noir?" she asked sounding slightly worried.
"I don't know." Admitted the little kwami, landing on Marinette's shoulder, "but deal with that tomorrow, today's your birthday, you should enjoy it!"
"Or what's left of it." She yawned stretching. Thanks to Hawkmoth she had spent most of it dealing with Ferryman.
"Marinette!" her mother called from downstairs, "dinner's ready!"
"At least go enjoy some time with your parents then." Tikki wisely said flying into her small bag as Marinette smiled down at her.
"You're right." she said looking up at the crimson sky above but her worries for Chat Noir, for some reason refused to vanish.
And that's the first chapter! This is the second time i've written about this series but totally love it :3 with season 2 slowly being released i thought why not give another story another shot XD i really hope you guys enjoyed it, reviews are always welcome and i'll try update asap :D- Luna Pendragon