The rain continued to lash down on the group as they dashed across the rooftops. Their progress was slowed by a mixture of the conditions which made it slightly more complicated to maintain their footing, that and they had a passenger with them. With her arms wrapped firmly around Nino's neck, Marinette held on for dear life. She didn't want to be a burden but was only too aware that she was making matters a little more complicated for them. Giving her a piggyback caused Carapace to have to adapt his speed so as to ensure that he didn't lose her half-way along. Otherwise, they would have been practically flying along. Already up ahead, Queen Bee and Rena Rouge's feet were barely even touching the roof tops as they leaped along. It was something of a bumpy roller coaster ride but one which the teenagers of Paris had become somewhat accustomed to since all of this madness with superheroes had started. More than one of them had been whisked away at the last second by a well intentioned hero in order to flee an akuma with a vendetta. The only thing which felt odd was that she wasn't in Cat Noir's arms. It was usually her partner who had her back after all.
The Agreste Mansion was well within sight. It was dark and showed no signs of life. Instinctively, Marinette's eyes searched for the light of Adrien's bedroom. She knew off by heart which of the numerous windows belonged to his private space having spent far too long staring up at them longingly. They too showed no signs of being occupied. That left them with only a few select options: the family had abruptly left (unlikely given Gabriel's notorious reluctance to step foot outside of his home), they were all asleep (which would have been early by anyone's standards) or they were trying to hide something. None of the approaching group wanted it to be the latter but there was no denying that right now, it was looking like potentially the most likely scenario.
They scaled the gates with the greatest of ease, ignoring the security systems. The feeling which had started in Nino's apartment had only grown. Master Fu had chosen to remain there, he would only slow them down he claimed. There was little doubt in her mind that this was where she needed to be. This was the point of origin of her troubles. Although closer, she still couldn't have said what it was. There was a certain sense of foreboding as they stood in front of the large set of doors. This mansion - for all that she cared for one of its occupants – had never been the most welcoming of places, there was always something lifeless and rather unsettling about the place which gave her and many others the creeps for lack of a better word. Just how it's environment could have produced someone like Adrien was beyond most people.
"You're sure about this?" Rena Rouge spoke quietly as they fixed the door.
"Yeah. Mr. Agreste will have our heads..." Nino reminded her looking around nervously. "Even if he isn't Hawk Moth."
"He can't be Hawk Moth…" Marinette muttered quietly under her breath. "We fought him once when he was akumatized."
"So what? You think it's Adrien?!"
She didn't respond to that one. The thought had crossed her mind before, unfortunately on more than one occasion. She liked it about as much as the next person. Almost anyone else in Paris would have been a better candidate but right now she couldn't deny the facts. Tikki was here, she could feel it in every fibre of her body. Cat Noir had brought them here to someone, Hawk Moth as far as any of them could guess. Unlike his father, he couldn't claim to have ever been akumatized and then there were all those times he mysteriously "vanished". She didn't want to face the thought of the boy she had been chasing for so long being anyone other than a kind and caring individual, what she couldn't afford to do however was refuse to look simply because her heart wouldn't admit the truth. She nodded slowly, encouraging them to continue on.
The door was given no quarter, knocked down quickly. A lucky charm, she reasoned could fix the problem at the end of the day if it was required. Besides, it wasn't as if the Agreste's were short of money and couldn't afford to have it replaced.
They entered rapidly, keen to take full advantage of the element of surprise. Marinette followed the three heroes aware that she wouldn't be able to put up half as much of a fight like this. She tread carefully, hesitating with each step. Her eyes flickered round the main hall, searching for something, anything. Inside, all was still and dark. They must have been aware of the intrusion given the lack of delicateness they had demonstrated. So the fact that Adrien's monster of a bodyguard wasn't currently charging in was concerning in its own way. They held their breaths as they entered, taking baby steps. This would be a brilliant spot for an ambush. True, the odds were ever-so-slightly in their favour with three miraculous holders and a hanger on but that was all dependant on whether or not Cat Noir was in league with Hawk Moth and if he had handed over both the cat and ladybug jewels to their enemy. If he had, they would stand little to no chance. They could only hope that wasn't the case.
The light suddenly turned on causing the intruders to leap into the air. They stood, battle ready and weapons drawn, eyes frantically searching for their enemy. They fell upon the figure of a tall and slender woman. She peered at them through her glasses, not even flinching. Her entire demeanour was professional but relaxed. She carefully closed the door behind her before taking a few steps forwards, greeting them as she would any other guests at the house. The damage done to the door didn't even seem to have registered. Her eyes trailed over the group, briefly drifting outside to where the rain continued to lash down:
"The heroes of Paris… To what do we owe the visit?"
"We're um..." Their lack of planning shone through in an instant as Rena Rouge struggled to find a way of phrasing it, looking to her friends for help. "We uh- know that Cat Noir came here!" A lie given that they were going on essentially a hunch.
"Care to be more specific?" Nathalie raised an eyebrow, unmoved. "He's visited a number of times over the past few months."
"Don't play dumb. You know what we mean..."
Despite the fact that she had spoken up, Marinette's voice remained quiet. It was enough however to attract the undivided attention of Nathalie. The woman scowled, her eyes running up and down the bedraggled civilian teen. There was no doubt that she recognized the girl from the few times she had visited the house or events such as the hat competition she had won. The question was just what such a seemingly average girl was doing here in the company of these heroes. There was little doubting from her overall appearance that she had been in some kind of scuffle or trouble. The damage had been treated but remained visible none-the-less. Without her disguise, Ladybug felt on show, vulnerable. There was a part of her which was rather more inclined to stay behind those who did still have their miraculouses and let them deal with the situation. The knowledge that at least a part of this could easily be her fault prevented her from doing so however. Making her stand her ground and look the P.A. in the eye, refusing to back down.
"Of course… He's not here right now-"
"-But you know where he is." Queen Bee cut her short, a knowing look on her face. "You're Nathalie Sancoeur, I wouldn't be surprised if you had Hawk Moth himself on speed dial in case Gabriel wanted to use one of his akumas for a new beret."
The woman paused. The absence of anyone else from the household was rather noticeable. Gabriel and Adrien must have been aware that they had guests. It was hard to conceive of anyone missing the sound of the door being barged down. The sight of a small red light in the upper corner of the room served as a reminder that they needn't leave the comfort of their rooms to see just what was happening. The mansion had a formidable security system which they had been able to see in action on more than one occasion. Marinette turned her attention towards the camera, ensuring that she was looking right down the lens. She might not be able to see just who lay behind it, watching through a screen but she could let them know that she was here. They had come for the miraculouses. They had come for Cat Noir. They had come for Hawk Moth.
Nathalie shifted once more, looking slightly more ill-at-ease. The heroes managed to keep their patience, despite everything. Waiting until the woman decided on her next course of action. It was clear that she was fully aware that the ball was in her court. Send them away, lie or give them what they wanted, her options were comparatively limited and yet could lead to a wide variety of potential results. For all that they were heroes, the group before her maintained enough hostility to dispel any notions of resorting to force. She would realize that if she did chose to call the police, they were unlikely to pick her side. Even if they did, it could potentially only lead to yet more questions, this time from officials with more authority than a mask and some superpowers. Finally, the woman let out a heavy sigh, defeated but perhaps not entirely:
"Look, I can't tell you anything..."
"So you do know something!" Rena Rouge pounced quickly not about to let the woman adopt a position which would allow her to recover.
"I never claimed that I didn't." Replied the secretary maintaining the up-most calm. "I'm not authorized to tell you, Adrien however may be more willing to explain."
"He's here?!" Marinette jumped forwards at the mere prospect.
"He's been confined to his room – by choice" Nathalie was quick to add the last part. "–for a few hours now."
"Well come on then! Let's get this whole thing cleared up!"
Caution was abandoned as they made their way through the mansion. Nathalie was eager to lead the way, walking briskly in front of them, ensuring that they didn't get lost and that no "sight seeing" was done. Marinette had had the occasion to visit her crush's home on more than one occasion, mainly in order to try and protect it and/or its occupants from an akuma attack. As such, she was more than a little familiar with its layout and knew exactly where Adrien's room could be found. The guide wasn't necessary. She suspected that like her, the others would have their suspicions about all of this. For each second they lost dealing with Nathalie and now perhaps even their classmate, it gave Hawk Moth and Cat Noir an extra opportunity to slip away. For the moment however, they had little choice given that this was their only lead. They moved quickly enough at any rate, arriving in front of the large doors.
A large man stood in front of them, preventing any unwanted guests from entering and its sole occupant from leaving. His eyes widened as he set sights on the group of heroes following the secretary. With a snarl, he stepped forwards. Clenched fists indicated a willingness to fight. The giant ape of a man didn't care who stood before him, he had been given orders and intended to carry them out, even if he stood little to no chance of being able to do so in the face of such opponents. A simple raise of a hand from Nathalie was enough to stop him. He hesitated fixing her with incomprehension for a moment before nodding slowly. He took a couple of steps to the side, allowing them to pass. The door was swung open without so much as a knock. No care was taken as to whether or not Adrien wanted visitors or was in a state to receive them. His privacy barely even seemed to constitute a minor concern in his own home it would seem.
The group entered the room briskly, giving little to no warning that they were indeed coming in in such numbers. Marinette half expected to hear wails of protest, the likes of which she would no doubt have given if it had been her room they were invading on mass. They were met with only silence however. The lights were on but the room was remarkably empty. It took a moment for everyone to notice it. Instinctively, their gazes scanned the room, searching for the familiar figure of the teen. He should have been there, alerted by the presence of newcomers. Instead, the room was marked by his absence. The group spread out inside the room but still didn't receive a welcome, warm or otherwise. They began to search its entirety, starting with the obvious places such as the en suite before moving onto the less likely such as his cupboards and under the bed.
"Adrien!"
Nathalie's cry was full of an honest concern, calling out for him to show himself. It dismissed any notions that they might have had that this was some sort of a ruse. Their panic was too real to be fake. The two assistants exchanged worried looks, with Gorilla going so far as to physically overturn the boy's bed in a desperate bid to locate him. The other heroes soon joined in, trying to locate him not out of anger but worry. Marinette alone maintained a certain distance from the group. Instead, she wandered near to his desk, remembering the time that she had stood there as Ladybug waiting for the teen to emerge from his shower. Her eyes rested upon the photos which lay discarded somewhat carelessly atop his desk. She approached slowly. Almost all of them were the same or rather showed the same person: a beautiful woman with long golden hair and stunning green eyes. In many, she was joined by a lad, sometimes he was a child in others, a pre-teen. In a few, even rarer images three people were present. It wasn't the same goofy family photos which lay around the Dupain-Cheng household but there was none-the-less an obvious amount of tender affection, at least between mother and son.
It was with a heavy sigh that she allowed his head to fall down, resting it against the desk. It was so painfully obvious now that she found herself here. The purest of intentions could likely lead to the most terrible of consequences. The others were still desperately searching in the background by the time that Marinette was largely convinced that she knew they wouldn't find the teen at home. She raised her head a moment later to look towards the group, although Nathalie more particularly:
"He just wants his mother back." The comment was enough to draw the secretary's attention. "That's what this is all about, right?"
"Yes." The woman nodded once to confirm the statement. "Adrien contacted Cat Noir for something. It just stemmed from that..."
"-But if they try and bring back Mrs. Agreste..." Rena Rouge stopped her frantic searching as she slowly began to catch on. "Doesn't that mean-"
"None of them realize that the price for that is someone else's life." Marinette filled in for them.
Cat Noir didn't know. Adrien she was willing to bet was unaware as well. Hawk Moth, she wouldn't like to say. There was a part of her, innocent, which liked to believe that no human being would ever chose to take another's life, not for any reason. Unfortunately, she knew better. If nothing else, the recent akuma attacks had proved that their enemy gave little thought to the potential consequences of his actions on the lives of the inhabitants of Paris. The fact that there had been no fatalities remained something of a minor miracle in her eyes. As such, she wouldn't call it impossible for him to be only too willing to sacrifice another if it suited his ultimate goal. Her eyes flicked back towards the photos of her friend. She wasn't about the question just how he had come by Cat Noir's number, it wasn't all that complicated she supposed. Fitting the moth miraculous holder into the equation was somewhat harder but as she stared at the pictures featuring the entire Agreste family, she felt that it became a little clearer.
Nathalie had turned a little paler with the realization. Only Gorilla continued frantically to search for the missing teenager turning over literally every inch of a room which he had never seen the boy leave. The secretary hesitated, for the first time visibly torn. She stood there, still clutching some of her paperwork against her chest as if it served as something of a shield. Her attention also focused on the photos for a moment. Losing herself in them for a few moments. Marinette waited. There was only one person here at the moment who could help them. The question was if they would accept to do so now that they knew what was truly at stake. The woman seemed to sense the girl's attention resting on her, her gaze flickering round to meet that of the teen before she promptly averted her eyes once more.
Disappointment struck Marinette like a knife. Could these people – ordinary people, whom wouldn't get so much as a second glance on the street – really be so unfazed by the prospect of killing another? She opened her mouth, anger beginning to boil over eager to be released. A terrible cry cut her off. It was one of a mixture of pain and desperation which seemed to echo around the entire building, coming from somewhere above them. It was enough to turn her blood cold as to her horror, she found herself recognizing the voice:
"Cat Noir!"
She called out, somehow hoping that he might hear her or that she would otherwise be able to summon him. Silence was the only answer she received. They waited, looking around the room as if they half expected to find their friend. The lights flickered abruptly, turning on and off over the course of a few seconds. A chill had descended on the house, seeping down from the ceiling and causing those present to shiver. There was something which could best be described as an electric current which seemed to be passing through the building. The hair on the back of their necks and arms was sticking on end. Something wasn't right. The feeling was present in all of their bones. A deep sense of foreboding gave a clear message that tonight, something unnatural had taken hold of the Agreste household.
Marinette was pretty close to climbing the walls in an attempt to tear down the ceiling in an attempt to locate her friend. She'd never heard him make a sound quite like like that one before. It was enough to prompt her to abandon all caution. Anger taking hold driven by the injustice of what she felt was about to happen and now she feared might have already occurred, she found herself no longer simply irritated by Gabriel's assistant's somewhat disconnected attitude but instead found herself to be infuriated by it. Fists clenched, she prepared to enter into action, unsure just what exactly that would entail. As luck would have it, she found herself being beaten to the punch by Queen Bee of all people. The blonde girl was over in a flash, her hands wrapping themselves around the woman's collar. She raised her up as much as possible, forcing Nathalie to stand on her tiptoes. Gorilla let out a disapproving growl, taking a step forwards ready to intervene. A single raised hand was enough to stop him. The secretary shook her head, signalling him to stand down before turning back so as to peer down at her attacker, uneasy but still maintaining silence.
"No more fun and games, where are they?!"
"In Hawk Moth's lair but you won't stand a chance against him!" Despite everything, she maintained her calm and cold exterior.
"So how do we get there?!" Carapace was quick to join in hoping to finally get some clear answers. "Put me down and I'll show you."
Chloe, somewhat begrudgingly, agreed. Her fingers loosened around the fabric of the woman's clothes. She was quick to put some distance between herself and the bee themed hero. No attempt to flee was made however. She straightened herself out, ensuring that her collar wasn't somehow creased or out of order before abruptly turning around. She walked briskly not even bothering to check if they were following or not. The group were quick to speed up, ensuring that they didn't allow the woman to slip away from them. Her shoes clicked loudly as they rushed through the corridors. Whilst it might not be an actual run, there was a clear amount of panic there which was enough to allow Marinette to realize that Gabriel's secretary's change of heart had very little to do with the threats of a 14 year old (even one with powers).
They followed the woman into the same room that she had initially emerged from when they had arrived. It appeared no different to many of the other grandiose and luxurious parts of the mansion. Glancing around, Marinette tried to guess just what the purpose of this place was. It looked like an office of some guide. Gabriel Agreste's no doubt. Everything was neat and in order, if there had been some kind of a fight or a struggle between Hawk Moth and Cat Noir which had prompted the latter to scream the way he had, this was not where it had taken place. Their attention was quickly grabbed by the portrait which Nathalie was approaching, it took pride of place in the room, dominating it literally. Mrs. Agreste… She truly was beautiful and from where she stood, she was impossible to ignore, maintaining a real and powerful presence in the room. In some ways, it was daunting.
"Stand there!" Their guide gestured at a space on the floor. "Two of you at a time, otherwise you'll get stuck."
"Uh… What is this?" Rena Rouge eyed the spot on the floor somewhat dubiously.
"An elevator. It will take you to Hawk Moth. Now come on!"
It was Carapace and Queen Bee who cautiously stepped forwards, exchanging an uncertain look as they did so. Under other circumstances they might have proceeded after checking everything out in some more detail so as to ensure that they weren't in for any unpleasant surprises. In the current circumstances however they had no choice. Back to back, they waited patiently. Nathalie approached the portrait of Mrs. Agreste, pausing a moment in front of it before applying pressure to several points of the work. Under there feet, something moved. A split second later, Nino and Chloe were descending into the ground. It was well hidden, nobody would ever have guessed such a passage could be found here. It sealed itself over only a few seconds later leaving no trace of it whatsoever. With two of her friends who had already disappeared into the abyss, Marinette found herself with only Rena Rouge for company. It left them waiting patiently so that the elevator could drop off the heroes and then return for a second run. The awkwardness of the situation made it almost impossible to envisage a conversation. The rain outside drowned everything else out.
Marinette closed her eyes. Waiting didn't suit her. The nerves were bad enough. It required a fair amount of self-control for her not to start pacing up and down, instinctively imagining the worst possible scenarios. Fear kept her rooted to the spot. Whilst a part of her found the silence easier to bear than her friend's cries, at least they were proof that he was still alive. Her ears listened attentively, searching for the faintest sound that could potentially clue them in to what was going on. The same old silence reigned, with only the rain hitting the windows to challenge it. Deep breaths served to calm herself just enough to prevent full on panic from setting in. She simply wished that she had her miraculous with her in hand both for Tikki's words of wisdom and the feeling that there was actually something that she could do.
"It's back." Nathalie announced, adding little else as she presumed they wouldn't need to be told twice what they had to do.
"What about Adrien?" Marinette couldn't help but wonder about the blonde haired green eyed boy.
"This isn't exactly the first time he's run off." Nathalie responded turning her back to them so as to face the painting once more. "For the life of me, I don't know how he does it but he usually comes back of his own accord."
"Looks like he's going to miss most of the action then..." Rena Rouge commented keeping her voice quiet. "No bad thing..."
"Maybe..." Her friend muttered quietly under her breath.
"If he does return I'll ensure he stays out of harm's way. In the meantime, watch out for the missiles."
A second later they were plunged into darkness as the elevator descended. Instinctively, Marinette found herself backing up. There was no doubt that this thing had been designed for one person at a time. If they were a little older and therefore larger, it was unlikely that two of them would have fit quite as well. As it was, the teen fancied that if she did so much as to lean forwards another inch her nose would be brushing against the exterior of the shaft. It was something of a dizzying experience. Up, down, left or right became abstract as she struggled to keep track of just where they were heading. It wasn't as if it mattered all that much given that their vision was largely nil. Her heart continued to thunder in her chest as she sensed that they would be arriving soon. Next to her, Alya shifted somewhat nervously, the cause of her concern she soon made clear:
"Did she say "watch out for the missiles"?"
A shrug was the sole answer that she could muster. That last comment of the secretary had been a somewhat troublesome one. They could only hope that it had been some manner of an exaggeration or a joke. Not that the woman had come across as being anything other than professional, especially given the nature of the current situation…
There was a hiss of hydraulics from above them as the doors opened, finally casting some light. The sound of furious yelling and what could best be described as explosions became audible. It was a few seconds worth of warning. They could expect a fight. It wasn't entirely unexpected. After everything that they had been through with Hawk Moth, the chances of him readily giving up and handing over the miraculouses were few. Marinette readied herself as best as possible, adopting a fighting stance she ordinarily used as Ladybug. Behind her, Rena Rouge did the same, drawing her flute. Crouched slightly and with her hands balled into fists, she tried her best to ensure that she could move quickly and efficiently as soon as they emerged into the room above them. In those few moments as they continued to rise, she found herself feeling truly vulnerable without her earrings. What she wouldn't have given for their protection and the power that they offered her.
They were plunged into the battlefield a mere heartbeat later.
Dazed, like a deer staring into the headlights, she could only stare. There was Hawk Moth, in the flesh. Their enemy was armed. In his right hand, he held a thin sword which had been drawn from his cane. He used it to batter against Carapace's shield. Nino desperately attempted to block the attacks, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge of the blade as he was pushed backwards. Hoping for assistance from Queen Bee was pointless as she was far more occupied ensuring that none of the missiles made contact with anyone else in the room. It was as if the entire lair had come alive. It attacked the intruders without remorse. Strangely, as she stood there, Marinette found herself wondering just how much time, effort and money their enemy had put into this place. Surely, a builder somewhere, at some point must have asked a question or two…
Her attention became drawn suddenly by a strange mass in the corner of the room. To her, it looked like some sort of mixture between light and smoke, although try as she might to fix it, her eyes struggled to make anything of it. The lines on the floor were far clearer, neatly drawn and glowing with an unearthly light. There was something unnatural about the whole thing. It caused her to shudder. Something told her to turn her head. The teen struggled with the urge to shrink away and hide in a corner. It was the purest of instincts which drove her, screamed at her that her life was in danger and that she should run and/or hide. It was like a small portion of the universe had been torn open in this small space in Paris. Ironically, she found herself powerless but to stare, becoming gradually more absorbed by the phenomena. Her thoughts ground to a halt. Everything around her just fazed out so that it no longer mattered.
She was brought back into the real world in a flash. Alya tackled her to the ground, sending them both rolling away from the elevator. She felt the shockwave from the explosion mere seconds later as a missile struck the spot where they had been standing. Gasping from a mixture of shock and the violence of the attack, she struggled to get to get feet in time to run from yet another blast. It was Rena Rouge who pulled her to her feet this time and forced her to run. It was quite quickly that the realization that there was nowhere up here for them to possibly seek shelter hit them. The room was essentially a large empty space, evidently a refuge from the security system hadn't featured as a part of the designs.
Dazed, she hit the floor following yet another blast. The room seemed to be spinning. She shook her head, trying to bring herself back to her senses. It was only as her vision was refocusing that her eyes fell upon the figure of a young man. He was lying down with his back to them. Even from the distance they were currently at, she could tell that something was very wrong. He was shaking from head to foot, trembling as if he had been struck down by some kind of fever. Despite that, he made no attempt to shield himself from any of the chaos surrounding him. She could make out a mop of familiar golden blonde hair. Staring in horror, it took a moment for her to notice just where he was resting. The presence of one of the mystic circle things directly beneath him could have been a coincidence, she supposed however given the circumstances she found it to be a rather unlikely scenario. Alya rested a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention abruptly. Rena Rouge's attention wasn't so much on her as the surrounding struggle, ensuring that they were safe for a few moments, long enough to come up with a strategy at any rate:
"You get him! I'll help the others!"
She nodded once, no time for any other form of reply. She rushed out, trusting in the others to protect her. She didn't look, fearing that it would cause her to come to a stop if she even did so much as to pause so as to take note of the danger that she was currently in. Heart racing, her vision narrowed so that she only had eyes on her target. She wasn't even too sure if she breathed as she covered the relatively short distance separating them. It felt like a leap of faith, a desperate struggle to make it without being killed. As a result, the teen practically threw herself down next to him, her knees grazing across the floor as she went. The action was painful, causing her to wince briefly. The severity of the current situation was enough to prevent her on dwelling on her own discomfort and to focus solely on the task at hand.
She straightened herself as she turned to look at the injured young man. At least that was her initial diagnosis. The way he was shaking quickly called it into question however. The shivers were almost unnatural in their violence. It was obvious that at least part of the reason they were afflicting him was because of the cold. He lay curled up in a little ball, his arms folded across his chest in an attempt to keep himself just a little bit warmer. For all that, his body continued to tremble. Now that Marinette was closer, the sound of chattering teeth and the occasional weak but pained whimper became audible. His eyes were screwed shut, attempting to block out the world around him. It made it difficult to tell for sure if he was indeed still conscious. His concerning state caused the teenager to hesitate, unsure just what to do. Whilst instinct told her to try and carry him out of there and to safety, she was nervous about doing so for fear of unintentionally injuring him further. Hesitating, she decided to simply check if he was still in a state to respond. She reached out cautiously. Every fibre in her body was busy reminding her that this wasn't somewhere she wanted to be at the moment. Her fingers hovered less than an inch above his shoulder. Even touching him felt like something which she shouldn't have been doing, as if simply brushing her skin against his would cause her to go up in a plume of smoke.
Taking a deep breath, she summoned her courage before reaching out. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, simply checking for a response. He was frozen in every sense of the word. The few bits of skin she was touching were ice cold. His muscles were tense to an extent that must have been painful. It took a moment for him to grimace. Very slowly, eyelids creaked open, the stiffness made her think of rusted metal which was close to locking in place. He was disorientated, that much was clear by the way that his green orbs drifted listlessly round the room, out of focus and closing periodically as she struggled to remain awake. It took a few seconds for them to finally rest on her. Even then, there was a haze to them which spoke of a lack of awareness of his surroundings. He groaned, blinking a few times. Marinette hesitated. She could recognize those green eyes. They were duller, less aware and a little more human than she was accustomed to but there could be little doubt as to who their owner was.
"Cat Noir?" It was almost a whisper but all that she could manage.
"Marin- Lady..." He closed his eyes taking a few more deep breaths.
It was him. A quick glance down to his hand confirmed that he didn't have his miraculous. He was like her, little more than a human. Weak, his eyes fluttered once more but he managed to pull enough of his wits together to remain conscious. Marinette's eyes travelled over her friend. Anxious, she searched for any sign of injury which could potentially account for his current state. To her surprise, she found that he was largely unscathed. There were no obvious wounds which could have caused him to suffer as much as he obviously was right now. Even as she knelt down besides him, he continued to shiver, an act which was beyond his control. The teen found herself increasingly concerned by what was going on. The battle still raging on proved to be rather difficult to ignore. Summoning her courage, she forced herself to concentrate only on the matter at hand. Thinking logically was an essential part of finding a solution to the problem at hand. The first step was figuring out just what the problem was…
Given their surroundings, she was willing to bet that the illness which had struck down her usually resilient friend was something to do with whatever was going on here. She was going to have to assume that their initial fears had been founded. Hawk Moth had made his wish. Cat Noir was paying the price.
"Silly kitty…" The words were spoken gently with true affection and concern which she didn't attempt to mask. "What have you done?"
He averted his gaze from her. Despite everything, the shame he felt was obvious. It was proof enough for her that although he had played a part in this, it wasn't a malicious one. Forgiveness might take some time but it would come eventually. His shivering was dying down gradually. His motions became less uncontrolled and his limbs heavier. Glancing around, she searched for a solution. Had she had her powers, it would have been cause for a "Lucky Charm" without fail. Lacking them, she didn't know what to do. Was there any way to break the spell which bound the universe to rebalance itself once a wish was made? Her eyes frantically searched for a solution, even it was just one to buy them some more time it would be worth while.
Behind her, there was a yell as Carapace was sent flying into Queen Bee. For all that Hawk Moth appeared to be a rather thin man, he did pack quite the punch it would seem. One blow from the back of his hand was enough to stun the young hero. They picked themselves up quickly. Gathering their wits just in time to be able to dive away from an incoming missile, landing only just out of its range. Their enemy's head snapped around, his eyes came to rest on Marinette and the still suffering Cat Noir. His rage was obvious immediately. He took a couple of steps towards them, walking briskly. She felt herself shrink away, realizing that as it was she had no way of defending herself. She knew only too well from her own experience that for the most part, individuals without miraculouses couldn't stand up to those who had them. If nothing else, she found herself lacking a sword or anything to counter his weapon. There was a loud battle cry. Their foe's attention snapped round. He raised his blade in a split second, countering the intended blow from Rena Rouge.
Marinette forced herself to turn away, every second she spent distracted was another that they lost. Her attention locked on to two small pieces of jewellery floating, suspended somehow only a few feet away. The miraculouses were there, not just her earrings but also Cat Noir's ring. If she could get them, then maybe she could end this or at the very least help her friends. The lines drawn on the floor remained present in her mind. Although they were a mystery to her, her bones were telling her not to cross them. Her ally was on the other side and his condition was worrying to say the least. She might get away with a limb but she most definitely didn't want to risk setting foot on the other side. She stretched out her arm whilst the other remained on the ground, carefully positioned her side of the lines. Reaching out, she strained her muscles. Her fingers encountered little else but thin air. She winced straining as much as physically possible, until she was struggling to maintain her balance and not to topple forwards. The blonde haired boy watched her attempt painfully but otherwise didn't react. After a few seconds, she was forced to admit defeat. She was only an inch or so short. For a moment, she considered trying her luck and seeing what would happen if she dared take one step too many. She thought better of it however. For the time being, Cat Noir was more important:
"Hold on!" She instructed summoning her strength. "I'm getting you out of here!"
She slipped her arms underneath his, planning to drag him. She could already tell that she was going to be unlikely to be able to carry him as she would have if she were Ladybug. For the time being, her plan was a simple one: get Cat Noir out of here. If she could get him back over to the elevator then she might be able to send him back to Nathalie who would hopefully be better suited to looking after him. He was heavy in her arms. His feet moved, dragging on the floor as he tried to help her. It was clear that his legs were unlikely to bear his own weight but that didn't prevent him from trying to push himself along, making things easier for her in the process. She could feel the limpness in his body, as if all of his strength had been drained. It was a strain on her back but the desperation of the situation caused adrenaline to course through her veins giving her extra strength and the willingness to fight through the pain.
"Get away from him!"
An angry cry caused the teen to turn. She discovered Rena Rouge on the floor. Curled up in a ball, she was obviously in some pain. A quick glance confirmed that the fox themed hero was stunned but thankfully not any more injured than that. Hawk Moth however found himself suddenly without an opponent and Marinette without anyone to protect her. Panic stricken, her eyes darted around looking for something, anything to use as a shield. Her instincts told her to run for cover. The body in her arms prevented her from doing so not by its weight – she could have discarded it had she wanted – but by the affection and loyalty which she was bound to it. There was no doubt that if she chose to abandon him, he would be a sitting duck. Perhaps that's what their enemy intended, simply to frighten her away. They were both aware that like this, she wasn't much of a challenger for him. If he chose to, he could quite easily kill her.
The decision was a quick and easy one to make. She placed her friend back down, easing him to the ground as if he were made out of glass. He let out a weak groan but otherwise didn't react. Summoning her course, Marinette turned to face Hawk Moth. The man continued to advance with no sign of remorse or compassion. She spread her arms, presenting herself as a clear barrier between him and Cat Noir. She would be a paper thin one but none-the-less one which represented someone willing to fight to the bitter end to protect her friend. Their enemy didn't slow or even react. He came right over to her, stopping mere inches in front. He towered over the teen, casting a long and imposing shadow as he did so. Cold eyes glared down at her, at Marinette not Ladybug.
"The hat designer? How pathetic…" A raised hand held a sword menacingly. "Get out of the way!"
"He's sick..." She spoke softly, risking another brief glance to Cat Noir. "You made the wish, right?"
"Yes and he is the one paying the price." The man's eyes narrowed considerably as he raised his voice. "I won't ask again!"
"Please… Adrien wouldn't want this. I don't think your wife wo-"
She cut herself short. She managed to throw herself backwards just in the knick of time to protect her throat from the tip of the man's blade. She couldn't help but let out a shriek of surprise none-the-less. A sharp pain had begun to radiate from her right shoulder. Instinctively, she grasped at the point with her left hand, desperately trying to ease the burning sensation which had erupted. Her eyes remain locked on Hawk Moth, his blade was still raised but he hesitated to deal yet another blow. Already, some blood began to pour from the injury. It was a relatively long cut, a few inches to be certain but thankfully, not all that deep. A warning: stand aside or else. She grit her teeth, fear and her own self-preservation instinct demanding that she run but morality and the knowledge that her friend would die if she did nothing ordering her to remain put. Summoning what remained of her courage, she looked up into the man's eyes. Sending as clear a message as she could, letting him know that she wasn't moving.
He'll kill her… It was a painful realization. He'll kill all of them…
It was almost completely dark now. The world had taken on a decidedly faint and blurry aspect which made it almost impossible to make anything out. Even the noises were distorted by a sensation similar to being under water. A part of him felt as if he were drowning and demanded that he removed his mask so that he might be able to breathe. It was made irrelevant however by the tiredness which had overcome him, making keeping his eyes open feel like an impossible challenge. All he wanted to do was to sleep. If he just closed his eyes and rested then everything would be better. Taking deep breaths, he forced himself to remain conscious. It seemed as if the oxygen his lungs were supplying was never quite enough. His attention wondered over to the floating jewels not all that far away.
It was with a groan and the last of his strength that Cat Noir turned himself over so that he rested on his stomach. His movements were small, scarcely noticed by Hawk Moth overcome by rage at being disturbed so close to his moment of salvation or Marinette, no doubt fearing for her own life in those few moments. He was dying. He knew that much. With what little he had left to give, he crawled less than half a yard. His right arm seemed to have given up almost entirely, his remaining one was forced to do most of the work. Reaching out proved to be as much of a challenge. He was taller than his friend, that gave him the advantage of longer limbs. Just enough to enable him to pluck the ring from its invisible support. His arm fell heavily. Pulling it back to the rest of his body proved to be a challenge in itself. Trembling fingers made it complicated to slip the ring on, causing him to have to restart a couple of times. Finally, his miraculous was returned to the spot he was accustomed to seeing it.
A familiar, strange cat-like creature materialized a moment later. Its green eyes rested pitifully on him for a few seconds. Doubtlessly, he could piece together what had happened and realize the price that was about to be paid.
"Plagg…" His voice was raspy, he couldn't manage anything more than a whisper. "Claws-"
"No way kid!" The kwami cut him short, speaking softly in turn to avoid drawing attention. "You're way too weak to-"
"Please..." He close his eyes, gasping desperately for air. "Let me put it right..."
A green flash of light illuminated the room for the briefest of seconds.
Everything seemed to stop dead. In the case of Marinette, she noticed that Hawk Moth, who had been practically unblinking was no longer paying attention to her. His eyes rested on a figure behind her. She turned her head slowly. Cat Noir wasn't standing, his strength was spent, for the most part at least. Gasping for air, he propped himself up to the best of his ability. Green orbs rested on them, pained and full of regret. He was met only with stares from the rest of those gathered in the room. Time seemed to stand still. His friend and partner knew in those few seconds full-well what was about to occur. She felt that she could see everything to come with a certain amount of clarity, able to sense every motion before it happened. Yet for all that, she was powerless to do anything, incapable even of protesting at what she knew he was about to do:
"Cat-a-clysm..."
It wasn't his usual battlecry, more of a desperate attempt to get the syllables out. A familiar and somewhat sinister dark glow formed around his hand. Hawk Moth's screams of anger and rage, realizing what was about to happen threatened to deafen her. She was shoved roughly to the side, crashing to the floor. Stunned, she landed roughly on her side. The impact was somewhat rougher than she had perhaps anticipated causing her to need to take a few deep breaths in order to recover. Her already aching ribs didn't particularly care for being thrown around much more than she already was. Letting out a groan, she struggled to come to terms with what had just happened. Then it came back to her in a split second.
She raised her head, locking eyes with her friend as she looked up. It was only then that she spotted the darkness and decay beginning to spread. His hand had touched the floor, causing the inevitable destruction to spread like a plague in the form of a dark shadow throughout the room. It started on the ground but was quick to begin to affect the walls as well. Its effect was already being felt as the structure began to tremble, its skeleton creaked and groaned as the rot began to settle in. Marinette was unable to tear her attention off of Cat Noir. He was panting, gasping desperately for enough breath. A single word hung on the edge of his tongue, it took him a moment to choke it out to the best of ability. He filled his lungs in order to let out:
"Run..."
Shaking, she got to her feet. The terror she felt was tangible. Cat Noir's Cataclysm was known about and feared throughout Paris. Ladybug had witnessed its destructive power more times than she cared to count. She knew that the building was done for, at least this particular part of it. Anything that had turned dark with the devastation would be nothing more than a pile of dust as soon as the attack was finished. Cat Noir couldn't move. He was too weak. That realization hit her in a matter of moments. He couldn't escape, not without help at least. Instinctively, she rushed forwards. She would have to drag him out of here. The floorboards creaked and groaned, already weak from the fighting and now the destructive magic. Her second step caused her foot to fall clean through. No doubt the rest of her body would have followed were it not for Queen Bee's quick reflexes. A surprisingly strong grip pulled the teen back away from the collapsing building. They were joined by Carapace and Rena Rouge a split second later.
"We've got to run!" Nino pushed them all back as yet more of the floor crumbled. "This whole place is going to come down!"
"But Cat-" She began looking desperately at her friend.
She turned back to the cat themed hero. He lay there, still somehow managing to prop himself up on the hand which was still allowing the destruction to spread. His eyes rested on her, unblinking. It somehow generated the illusion that he was far closer than he was. Without quite realizing it, she reached out her hand, offering it to him so that she might be able to pull him up and take him with her. Time seemed to stand still for an instant, just long enough enough for her to see the pain and regret which were clear behind those emerald orbs of his. Cat Noir looked away. The spell was broken. The ceiling began to fall, large pieces of stone and slate fell, piling up and causing the floor to give way. A second later, he was gone alongside Hawk Moth either buried or dragged down into the depths of the building. A scream caught in her throat, refusing to come as every muscle and bone in her body froze solid. Her heart stopped. Everything seemed to become irrelevant as her mind struggled to process the sudden absence.
Marinette felt herself get tugged backwards. The building continued to tremble, dust fell from the ceiling as large cracks began to form.. They crashed to the ground loudly dragging ever more the building with them. The teens only just had enough time to stagger backwards as a large part of the floor collapsed creating an ever greater chasm. Tears threatened to come as blue eyes frantically searched for any sign of her friend. She called for him at the top of her lungs. With every unanswered cry, she gave another, louder. Her throat aching throat barely even seemed to register. Neither did the hands which had gripped her, pulling her backwards, away from the destruction. The voices of her friends were like a white noise.
Even as they erupted into the open air, she didn't look away from the building. Desperately searching for the faintest trace of her friend. He couldn't be gone… He simply could be...
