Having your lower half trapped under a pile of fallen beams during an akuma attack could have been worse, Ladybug supposed, However the second that thought raced through her dazed head her transformation released and Marinette lay in her place.

Tikki fell to the ground a few feet away exhausted, as Marinette, without the magic of the suit to protect her, yelled out in pain as she felt the crushing weight of the beams at full force. Fortunately her cries fell on the sharp ears of Chat Noir who was leaping around the damaged building making sure everyone ok.

"Princess!" He shouted when he saw his smallest and kindest friend laying on the ground bloodied and bruised. Had she even been there when the akuma attacked? Why was she laying down? "What are you still doing here!!" He ran towards her stumbling a bit as the building shook with another hit from the earthquake themed akuma.

"C-chat? I can't exactly leave." She ground out with a bitter smile gesturing to the pile of rubble hiding her lower half. She sounded so weak. Chat hated it.

"That's an easy fix!" Chat said after assessing the pile. "CATACLYSM!" With a swipe of his hand the rubble was gone and he could see her adorable, though ruined, familiar pink capris and flats.

"Thanks Chat" Marinette smiled as she attempted to stand. The smile slipped from her face however when she lost her footing and began to tumble down. Squeezing her eyes shut in preparation for an impact that never came because of a certain leather covered arm around her middle.

"Princess I don't think this is the time or place to be falling for me." He winked with a wide grin. She would have been mad had he not just saved her. "Okey dokey! Time to get you home! The battlefeild's no place for a princess!" He exclamed scooping her up.

"Wha!? No Chat! Just take me outside or something?" She protested her hands naturally finding purchase around his neck.

"No can do! You're not getting into anymore trouble today!" He sing songed at her. "Besides you're hurt pretty badly." He said more seriously. Her comeback died in her throat at his tone and any further protests she had were quelled with quick glance at his face. With Marinette secured in his arms he began leaping through the crumbling building to get outside. A sudden realization hit Marinette.

"Wait! My purse!" She exclamed wiggling in his arms. Tikki was still back there!

"Woah Mari, we'll get it after the akuma's defeated." He struggled to keep her in his grasp as she wriggled around. Suddenly she froze as she felt a small movement on the back if her neck under her jacket. All the tension left her body with a sigh and she calmed her arms resuming their place around Chat's neck.

"I suppose you're right." She said. Chat looked at her with his head tilted then shrugged and carried on.

Jumping out onto the roof the two could see the akumas trail of distruction leading a little bit away from their location. Tightening his grip on her he quickly extended his baton sending them flying into the air.

"C-chat!" Marinette exclamed squeezing closer to him as they vaulted across Paris.

"What never been flying before?" He chuckled. Of course he had no way of knowing she had, but swinging from a magic yo yo in a super suit was very different from clinging to someone as they alternated free falling and being flung into the air by a spring loaded stick! Before she could reply he had landed gracefully in front of the bakery.

"Chat not the front door! Put me on my balcony!" She panicked.

"Oh? And how would you get down?" He said smugly still holding her tightly.

Her parents took that moment to burst out of the bakery having finally noticed their injured daughter.

"Thank you chat Noir!" Tom and Sabine Dupain-cheng took turnes fussing as Tom took his daughter into his arms, making her look even smaller than Chat had. "How can we repay you?" Sabine asked with water eyes.

"No need! All in a day's work!" He sang, saluting them with is baton then springing off. She really hated that thing.