"LADYBUG!"

Bile rises in my throat as I sprint towards Ladybug. She looks up, and for a brief second, we make eye contact. The building tips over and collides with her body. Tears fill my eyes as my Lady's beautiful face contorts into a blood curdling scream.

I scan the area, desperately searching for help.

'Ugh, it's no use! All of the paramedics have already evacuated the city! We don't have enough time to retrieve them. The only person even here is that guy dressed in that creepy costume- wait.'

Red coats my vision. Hawkmoth is slinking towards Ladybug with a victorious grin on his face. His gang of purple butterflies flutter around him, creating a barrier around his body.

I growl and force my legs to go faster. Hawkmoth turns and waves. He reaches Ladybug's body and kicks her head. My hands clench into fists as he bends down to take her miraculous.

"At last, the Ladybug miraculous is mine!"

I scream and launch myself through the air. Hawkmoth freezes and I pin him into the ground. Fear flashes in his eyes, but confidence quickly replaces it. Hawkmoth begins to laugh.

"You wouldn't kill me, Chat Noir. Throughout my time as a super villain, I've discovered something. You and your precious partner have a no kill policy. You've never once hurt any of my victims unless it was absolutely necessary.

Why is that? Is it because you're scared? Or is it because you don't want any blood on your hands? You know, if you kill me, you'll become just as bad as me. You're not a superhero, you're just a scared little boy who wants to act fierce in front of your girlfriend. You might want to check on her, I can see the life leaving her body as I speak-"

"Cataclysm!" I raise my hand and grin as black power surrounds me. My eyes glow as I bring my hand down. I scrape along Hawkmoth's chest. Instantly, rot forms on the open wound. Black goop leaks from the gouges in the place of blood.

Hawkmoth's back rises from the ground. He screams and writhes. Foam leaks from his open mouth and his pupils shrink to the size of needle points. I stare into his eyes.

"Th-this isn't the end of m-me, Ch-chat Noir. I'll get my revenge s-some day."

Instantly, I jump off of Hawkmoth's convulsing body. I stare at my hands in horror as I recall the rush of euphoria I got when I ripped a hole in Hawkmoth's chest. I back away and begin to tremble.

'Oh my god, I just killed Hawkmoth... and I liked it! What have I done? Maybe he's still alive, I should go and check on him... No, NO! He's dead, and it's my fault. God, Hawkmoth was right, I'm just a scared little boy playing dress up...'

A groan startles me out of my thoughts. 'Oh, crap! Ladybug!'

I stumble over to her body and collapse next to her. My ribs groan in protest, but I ignore the pain. Frantically, I scan her body, taking in the damage. I sob, finally letting my tears go.

The lower half of her body is completely buried by the remains of the building that had fallen on her. Her head is oozing with blood from a large gash on the back of her head. I brush my fingers over the injury, and wince when I pull them back covered in blood.

'Okay, so she probably has a concussion, possibly brain damage, but there's no way to tell the extent of the damage to the rest of her body. I don't even know if she's alive... A pulse! Get it together, Adrien, you need to feel for a pulse!'

Gently, I grab her arm and place my trembling fingers onto her wrist. One second passes. Two. Three... Nothing.

"Come on, come on! You can't die on me yet, M'Lady! Who will I tell my cat puns to? I need you, please don't be dead!"

Another second of silence. Suddenly, a faint pulse emerges from her wrist. I sob as relief rushes through my veins.

"Don't worry LB, I'll get you out of here in no time."

I jump up and shuffle over to the rubble covering her body. I grab a slab of concrete and pull. Jagged edges cut into my leather gloves. My feet slide against the road as I wrench the concrete off of my partner. My chest heaves as I greedily take in air.

'One down, about a hundred more to go.'

Slowly but surely I pull piece after piece of building away from Ladybug. My ribs groan under the pressure, but I forge on. Finally, the vibrant red of her suit shines through the rubble.

I brush the remaining debris away, taking care not to look at her injuries. Her breaths are shallow, but any breathing is good right now. I carefully gather her into my arms, bridal style.

We stumble away from the building and collapse under the canopy of a nearby store. I try to ignore the blood soaking into my suit. I shuffle around and lean against a lamppost. Eventually, I settle Ladybug onto my lap, but despite my best efforts, she still cries out in her sleep.

I stare at her body and cringe. Her costume is soaked with her blood and ripped in several places. Bones stick out of her legs. A small metal pole is imbedded in her stomach, and several pieces of shrapnel have impaled her abdomen.

My body is numb. Scratch that, everything is numb. I stare at the ruins of my home.

A small beep cuts through the silence. I glance at my ring. Three paw prints blink back at me.

'That's not me, I still have three minutes left.' I crane my neck and freeze when I spot Ladybug's earrings. 'Two spots left. Ladybug is going to go back to her civilian self in two minutes.

What do I do? M'Lady has made it pretty clear that she doesn't want me to know her identity, but if I leave her to get help, something could happen! She'd be completely defenseless against any threats.'

Another beep. I look at my ring.

'Two minutes. If I don't leave now, it'll take forever to retrieve the paramedics. Oh, screw it! Ladybug is getting worse, she needs help now!'

A final beep cuts through the air. I whip my head down. One spot remains on Ladybug's earrings.