Chapter Three
A/N: Kind of a short chapter...and very whumpish...I love hurt/comfort don't judge me XD
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Guest (1): AAA! I'm sorry! XD
Little White Comet: Thank you, I'm really glad you're liking them! And yeah, I'm pretty wrapped up in this little AU I've got going XD
Guest (2): Fear not! Here is the next chapter! (And thank you!)
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
Marinette sighs in relief, watching the blood red web melt away as her healing light restores everything back to normal. The people who were trapped inside safely materialize on their feet and everything that was destroyed magically heals. Even Charlotte blinks in confusion to find herself suddenly laying on a roof with Ladybug offering her a hand.
The dancer takes it gratefully, wincing at the soreness of her broken arm cradled within the splint. "Thank you," she says. "But what...happened?"
"Let's get you down from here first, then I'll explain." Ladybug is just wrapping an arm around her waist when Charlotte goes stiff...and screams. The hero jumps back, afraid she might have hurt the girl's arm...
But then she notices her eyes are locked on something behind Ladybug. And Marinette whips around, heart thumping in her chest.
And there's Cat Noir, wincing in pain with one arm bent behind his back, his chin forced up with a blade held to his throat... And behind him, holding him so viciously...
Is a second akuma.
And Ladybug's earrings beep in protest.
Oh no...Adrien...! "Let him go!" Ladybug shouts furiously, refusing to show the fear pounding in her heart. Behind her, Charlotte is trembling at the sight of the akuma. This one is a boy. Tall and strong beneath his muddy-red, skin tight suit. The blades on his forearms-one of which is pressed to Cat Noir's throat, the other against the hero's ribs-look razor sharp and wink brightly in the fading sunlight.
Between the sleekness of his suit, the wing-like blades, the long tail sweeping the roof between his feet, and the way his entire face is covered - the helmet part slicked back like a dorsal din... he reminds her of a dinosaur. The kind she's seen in horror movies.
A velociraptor, maybe.
"I'll let him go," comes a raspy voice from beneath the suit. "In exchange for your Miraculous." In puncuation to his threat, the akuma angles the blade at Cat Noir's throat and presses down slightly, making the hero squirm in his grip.
But despite the pain and fear, Adrien still glares at Ladybug defiantly. "Don't listen to him, Ladybug-UGH!" he yelps in pain, his knees knocking together as the akuma digs in the blade at his ribs. It's only because of the villain's merciless grip on his arm that he doesn't fall.
"Hand it over now or else."
"No!" Cat Noir yells. "Get out of here before you transform, Ladybug! I can handle this clown!" Even so, his own ring gives an angry beep. Two minutes left.
"Shut up!" The akuma presses the wing blade harder against his ribs...and this time, Cat feels the leather of his suit beginning to split.
Oh...this isn't good...if my suit is ripping then Plagg must be running out of strength! He tries to struggle but gasps at the stab of protest his arm gives at being twisted. Adrien opens his eyes, not having noticed he'd closed them, and finds Ladybug still standing there, hands clasped tightly together over her heart...a painfully conflicted expression on her face. "What are you waiting for you?!" he grinds out. "Just trust me!"
"I..." Ladybug stares helplessly at her partner, squriming in the akuma's grip. Her earrings beep again. Three minutes for her. If only she hadn't used her Lucky Charm...if only Cat hadn't already used Cataclysm...
"Ladybug," the villain growls, twisting Cat's arm a little more so he yelps and stops fighting momentarily. "This is your last chance. Give me your Miraculous and I'll spare his life. Otherwise..."
Cat Noir's eyes widen and his heart gives a sudden jerk when the blade at his throat suddenly slides a little to the right...and something warm spills down his neck.
Charlotte screams again and Ladybug visibly pales.
"NO!" she cries, holding out her hands in a calming motion. "No, don't hurt him..."
"Ladybug..." he whispers, silently pleading with her not to do what he thinks she's doing.
"Okay..." she says, ignoring the look in Adrien's eyes. "Okay...I'll give you my Miraculous...just...don't hurt him..."
The akuma nods but doesn't loosen his hold on Cat Noir. If anything, the grip on the hero's wrist gets tighter. Ladybug slowly approaches them, lifting her hands toward her ears.
"Ladybug...no...!" he hisses.
"Cat...I don't really have a choice here. I'm sorry." Out comes one earring...
And then Adrien has a really crazy thought. It's a terrible idea, really. But it's the only way to save Ladybug. Just as the second earring is about to come off...Cat Noir throws himself to the left. The akuma yells in surprise and Cat ducks, his throat just centimeters far enough not to get slit at that very moment. His ribs, however, are not so lucky. But in the heat of the moment, he doesn't even feel the pain.
Adrien drives his elbow into the side of the akuma's head and grabs his shoulder, flipping him over his outstretched leg and then kneels on his chest, reeling back an arm to hit him. But blood is leaking onto the akuma's suit and Cat Noir is suddenly extremely dizzy...
Thankfully, Ladybug yanks her partner backwards just in time to save him from getting punched in the jaw.
With a vicious glare, the akuma springs to his feet. In the blink of an eye, he's at Charlotte's side, looming over her. And in the next second, they're gone. Both of them.
"Wow...he's fast..." Cat Noir comments, wavering on his feet.
"Cat...Noir..." Ladybug's voice shakes and for a moment, he fears he's made her cry with his stupid, reckless stunt. Surely enough, there are tears in her eyes...but they haven't spilled yet. And her gaze is locked on ribs. "You're bleeding..." she breathes.
Adrien looks down. There's blood pouring from a rip in his suit, running down his left leg and dripping onto the roof. "Oh." With that, his knees buckle and everything goes dark for a moment. His ears ring so loudly he almost can't hear Ladybug calling his name. But he feels her shaking his shoulders. And when his vision slowly comes back, he finds that he's staring up at the sky.
Strange. He doesn't remember falling.
"Cat Noir?!"
He flinches as a drop of water lands on his cheek. And then his stomach churns. Marinette is crying. Dammit. He tries to reach up to wipe the tears away but his arm feels too weak. His ring is gives a loud, threatening beep and he hears a helicoptor in the near distance. "Ladybug," he says as evenly as he can. "We have to get out of here...before we transform."
She's staring down at him with watery blue eyes, still sniffling, but nods her head. "Can you stand?"
Cat Noir tells her he can but as soon as he gets to his knees, the world tips it feels like his eyes are going crossed. Thankfully, Marinette is there. She loops his arm over her shoulders and steadily rises to her feet, pulling him up with her.
And then the helicoptor arrives, a camera crew poised and already filming. "Ladybug! Cat Noir! What happened with the akuma?! There were reports of-"
"Not now!" Ladybug snaps, not caring if she seems rude. She swings her yoyo and it wraps around a distance fixture. Cat Noir holds on as tightly as he can.
"Wait...Cat Noir, are you injured?!"
Neither hero responds. Ladybug tugs the string and they swing away, leaving the news crew far behind.
Charlotte screams and thrashes in the akuma's arms, fighting to get away. He's carrying her over his shoulder, calmly walking down an empty back street. For a second, she fears no one can hear her cries...but then-
"Hey! You!"
The akuma stops and turns. There's a police officer standing behind them and Charlotte almost weeps with joy.
"Who are you?! What are you doing with that girl?!"
The dancer gasps as she's unceremoniously dropped to the ground, but she wastes no time in backpeddling away until she hits a wall behind her.
The cop stiffens and pulls a gun when the akuma takes a confident step forward. "Stop! Put your hands where I can see them!"
The villain obediently raises his hands and the cop nods. He's about to say something else...when suddenly there's a deep slash across his chest and he collapses. Charlotte shrieks in terror when the akuma strides away from the unconscious man and returns to her side. She kicks and pushes him away but he doesn't try to pick her up again.
Instead, he kneels down in front of her and catches her wrist, holding it tightly but not painfully. "Charlotte," he says, almost gently. "Don't you recognize me?"
"I-I..." She's shivering in fear and her eyes burn with tears...but suddenly... "B-Blaise...?"
The part of his suit that covers his mouth twists a little like he's smiling...and then her vision turns grey and her head lulls against her chest. A glowing, violet mask appears over the akuma's face.
"Excellent work, Velocity. You've managed to injure Cat Noir, Ladybug's will to fight is crushed...and now you've got your partner back. Keep this up, and their Miraculouses will surely be ours."
Charlotte gently takes her partner's hand and they stand up together, a bubbling cloud of black magic spreading from Velocity's hand into Charlotte's. And when it clears, her body is wrapped in blood red ribbons once more.
"Go, Calypso, Velocity...and get me their Miraculouses!"
A/N: Yes, Velocity's name is a pun. It comes from velociraptor and the fact that he is very speedy XD Again. Waaayyy too much time spent on akumas. XD