It was blindingly white again.
All Marinette could see was uniform white and it was beginning to give her a major headache. Or was that the tight bandaging around her head? Honestly, she wasn't sure of anything anymore. Lifting her head groggily, Marinette glanced cautiously around, inspecting the new yet familiar room. After her frantic escape, the hospital personnel must have placed her somewhere different, not that that was really going to help.
The tightness around her wrists was new, though. Looking down, sure enough there were bindings tied to the best post, loose enough to be confortable but just tight enough to cut off any chance of escape. Glad to know she was trusted. Testing the restraints, Marinette pulled harshly, rubbing her skin a slightly raw red. She twisted and curled her hands in an attempt to squeeze out a wrist but whoever was in charge of buying the cuffs in this hospital might want to ask for a raise because Marinette wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Sighing through her noise heavily, Marinette slumped into her bed.
Then immediately shot back up as quickly as a bullet. She looked around frantically, swinging her head back and forth; twisting her body as far as it would go with the restrictions of her restraints.
Tikki! How could she forget about Tikki?
"Tikki! Tikki! Are you here? Please, Tikki! Answer me!" Marinette strained her voice into a whisper scream, hoping her Kwami of luck would answer but hopefully not the hospital workers. Her prayers were answered when a tiny red blur shot out from under the bed and right into her face.
"Marinette! I'm so glad you're awake! I was getting so worried! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do those restraints hurt?" Tikki hovered in front of Marinette's face talking a mile a minute. Marinette allowed herself a little chuckle at her Kwami's worried antics.
"I'm fine, Tikki. My head hurts a little but other than that I'm okay. Where have you been this whole time? No one saw you, right?" Marinette kept her voice as low as possible, just barely above a whisper. Tikki shook her head, looking back up at Marinette.
"No, after you fainted, I hid in your jacket, once we got to the hospital and they started getting a little too hands on for me to maintain my cover I moved from your jacket to under the bed when they weren't looking. They didn't see me Marinette, your secret is safe."
Marinette let out a long sigh of relief. That was one less thing to worry about.
Worry about… Adrien was still somewhere in the hospital… Marinette still needed to find him.
Suddenly, there was a sharp pang in her head. Marinette gripped her hair tightly, squinting her eyes in pain. It was only for a second, but something echoed in her head; Marinette wasn't sure what exactly, though. The pain faded and all she was left with was a dull ache. Rubbing her head, Marinette gazed down at the worried eyes of Tikki.
"I'm alright, Tikki, it's probably from the two falls I had earlier, its nothing to worry about. Do you think you can get these restraints off? I need to find Adrien." Marinette shook her cuffs slightly and the sound of hard plastic against metal rang out in the silence. Tikki's eyes drifted from the cuffs back up to Marinette's pleading expression.
"I'm not sure about that Marinette, if I let you out then the doctors and nurses might find you and restrain you again, this time even worse. I think it's best if you just wait until you're feeling better and given permission to visit Adrien." Tikki reasoned, hoping Marinette would be persuaded by logic.
"Tikki, who knows how long that will take. I need to see if Adrien is okay now. Please Tikki, he needs me," there was a pain in Marinette's voice, a pain that Tikki knew well. She wasn't sure how good of an idea this was, but Marinette needed this, she could make an exception.
Quick as lightning, Tikki flew into the cuffs and unlocked them from the inside, falling around Marinette's hands in a heap. Rubbing her slightly raw wrists, Marinette swung her legs off the bed, careful of creaking noises and headed for the door, ripping off her bandages in one swift movement. Tikki followed after her, flying towards her jacket and nestling deep in the crook. Marinette gave her a slight glance before easing open the door and slipping through.
The problem was finding Adrien's room without getting caught. Normally that would be tricky, but when you have an age old being of luck cuddled in your shirt, there's more than one way to get around a crowded area unseen. Carefully, Marinette maneuvered around the door and looked cautiously to the left and right of the hallway. It was thankfully empty, but she couldn't know for how long.
She needed to find a place to transform fast.
The rattle of wheels and wood clanking against each other resounded through the empty hall and Marinette panicked for a second. She relaxed shortly after when a janitor turned the corner and walked into a supply closet to the right of the hall, going in for a second and coming out shortly after. He turned the corner and Marinette was left alone once again.
Perfect.
Marinette sidled over to closet and slid inside the door, mindful of how much noise she was making. Inside the closet there were an assortment of brooms, mops, and cleaning supplies. From the window, loud clapping thunder rang out; the bright luminescence of lighting encasing the small janitors closet in a flash of white.
Marinette did not flinch.
There was a small window just big enough for Marinette to squeeze through at the far end of the closet, trapped behind dusty boxes and old discarded cleaning tools. Jerking her shirt aside, Marinette didn't even wait for Tikki to fly out before she turned her head upward and said the magic words.
"Tikki, transform me!" Power engulfed her as she transformed from Marinette to Ladybug in an instant. There was no time for poses, she was on a mission. Roughly pushing aside the boxes and tools, Marinette jumped out the window, immediately throwing her yoyo onto the adjacent building and grappled onto the roof. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Ladybug's yoyo zipped back into her hand. It was immediately switched into telescope mode and Ladybug used it to look into the hospital rooms.
Heavy rain was plastering her hair against her face and falling into her eyes. Ladybug roughly swiped at the droplets of water obstructing her vision. She paid no mind the wetness seeping into her suit and the cold numbness of her face. The grip on her yoyo was bone breaking as she prayed for Adrien's blinds to be open. She needed to see he was okay. She needed…she needed…please…she needed Adrien.
Her head throbbed.
Ladybug scanned the area, each mop of blonde hair making her jump, before she examines closer and slumps back down. It was agonizing; she was so close and yet so far away. What if Adrien was in pain? What if he was not being properly taken cared for? What if the doctors found his Kwami? The questions were bombarding her; the anxiety of not knowing making her breath quicken with each incorrect patient. There was no way she could know what was happening to Adrien and it was making her freak out. Her head pounded, but she ignored the throb. If she didn't find Adrien now, it was just going to get worse.
Finally, her yoyo landed on another blonde patient. They were looking through the window, gazing blankly to the building that Ladybug was currently stationed at. It was him. No question about it. She could never forget those blazing emerald eyes.
But they weren't as bright as she remembered
They were much duller, placid and empty; almost like the life had been sucked out of them, leaving only a shadow of the beautiful colour they used to be. The bright eyes that Marinette had fallen in love with on that one rainy day much like this one were no longer there. Gone without a single trace and what remained was a husk of what they once were; the beast after the beauty.
Thunder clapped loudly as Ladybug shut her yoyo closed. She was thoroughly drenched but she didn't care. She had found him. Finally.
It was all a blur to her as she swung towards his room, landing on the window sill and gazing longingly at the boy who stole her heart.
It wasn't meant to be this way. She wasn't supposed to find out. They were to stay partners until Hawkmoth was defeated and then part ways; if there was any chance for an identity reveal, it wasn't supposed to be now. Not this way. But here she was, outside the window of the other half of Paris's superhero duo, looking at the boy behind the black mask; and he was in a hospital.
It didn't feel right.
There was a bitter taste in her mouth that wouldn't go away. It hurt. Oh, it definitely hurt. But she needed to be here for Adrien and she would be of no use if she stayed resentful. She would put away her feelings of anger, malice, and hate for the world if only for a moment. She would lock away the burning revenge for the boy that hurt her partner. She would do it all for him. Only for him.
Ladybug raised her hand and delicately tapped the window. It was quiet and tiny but it was enough to catch Adrien's attention as he turned toward the window and gazed at Ladybug with…with…Marinette wasn't sure exactly what Adrien looked at her with.
He didn't seem to make any sign of movement to the window and Ladybug was beginning to think she would have to break it to get in but Adrien slowly got up. His wince in pain at the small movement made her wince in pain as if they were connected; synchronized by the agony that invades their bodies.
His is worse than yours, don't be so selfish.
It wasn't her voice and yet it was.
He opened the window for her, letting her drop in and allowing the rain that she was drenched in to puddle onto the floor. He gazed at her and she gazed back, her heart aching for the blonde boy. His eyes were too empty, even more so up close. They were nothing like they used to be, looking past her shoulder and into somewhere unknown.
"Adrien…" he did not respond, not even a flinch. Ladybug tried again, voice strained and cracking,
"Adrien…please…will you look at me?" Cold. That was what Marinette felt. Cold and numb.
The rain slid off in rivulets.
"Adrien… I…I know you're hurting…and I know that…that… that it's bad…but please…please…look at me…Adrien?" Ladybug reached out, desperately wanting to comfort and touch him but the second her hand brushed his clothed shoulder, he flinched as if he'd been scalded by fire. Ladybug retracted her arm quickly, as if she too had felt the same shock. Adrien curled in onto himself, hugging his hands close to his chest and stared at Ladybug with fear-stricken eyes. Tears were building around his eyes as he looked off into the distance and past Ladybug, reliving a horror that not even Ladybug could imagine.
"N-no…P-please, No! Let me go! I don't want this! G-get away…get away…get…away…please…" Adrien sank to the ground, holding his body protectively as if Ladybug was going to hurt him the way that Stalker had. It stung Ladybug so deep that it sent her reeling to the side; her hands grappling the drapes of the window to keep herself steady.
He didn't think she would…?
"Chaton, please… I'm not going to hurt you. Kitty?" Ladybug tried desperately to get Adrien to calm down, though it was taking all she had not to go into a panic attack herself. She must have said the wrong words because Adrien's breath quickened. It came out short and raspy as he clutched his chest, clawing into the fabric of his hospital gown.
"NO! GET AWAY! STOP, IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" Adrien screamed, completely lost in the horrific memories of his rape. Ladybug was reeling. Her head throbbed and her chest squeezed tightly.
"Adrien…" she strained, reaching her hand forward to do something- anything- to help Adrien but her hand was roughly batted to the side. She watched helplessly as Adrien rocked back and forth, breathing erratically until finally, he fell unconscious, slumping to the ground in a boneless heap. Ladybug could only stand and stare, eyes raw and red as the thunder of rain and footsteps got louder and louder.
Marinette knew that the water dribbling down her face wasn't from the rain.