As some of you might have already seen, I got gifted another story written in the Breeze Universe for me! And it's super awesome!
If I didn't have as many ideas for Breeze as I still have, I'd totally make this the ending, for real.
Here's the link!
- https;/www,fanfiction,net/s/12681740/1/No-More-Fear-A-Breeze-Oneshot (just replace the ; with : and the , with . and put another / before www then it'll work)
It's written by my friend synovelle and it'd be just perfect if Breeze took a light turn now, really, I cried my eyes out. Go read it! She'll even write a third chapter, yay!

Adrien recoiled at the sharp smell of the gas the Akuma had thrown in but he fought his way through, keeping one hand on his mouth and nose with his white jacket pulled up to give him some sort of protection. His other hand was pressed to the tiny bulge on his chest, trying to hold off the most for Plagg, His Kwami squirmed and curled up in a ball in his hand.

Adrien made his way up the stairs and cursed that he had stayed transformed all night. Plagg was exhausted, as was he, and he hadn't had a chance to give his Kwami some cheese yet.

The boy bolted up the stairs, slamming open the door to the living room of the baker family to see one of Monsieur Dupain's arms slumped over the backrest of the couch but nothing more. He grabbed into his jacket, pulled out his Kwami and shoved him towards the fridge, hoping Marinette and her parents kept some cheese in there, before bolting for the persons behind the couch. They had all lost their consciousness and laid slumped on the couch and floor.

But before he could react in any way and get them out or at least check their vital signs, the Akuma outside caught his attention. She scowled at him and readied another gas bomb with one hand, letting a lighter click in the other. Adrien's eyes widened and he felt himself freeze in place, felt death's cold hands reaching out to his neck, letting the soft, little hairs stand up straight. His eyes widened and he felt his body denying any command as fear took over his muscles, letting them harden and tremble.

But just before the Akuma threw, just before the certain death of four people and one Kwami (could Plagg die? He really didn't know, probably not), he saw a tiny object flying up and hitting the Akuma's head. He barely recognized it as a tiny hand mirror before it tumbled out of view to the street below. The Akuma turned and Adrien took a few steps to the side, glancing out of the shattered window to see Alya and Nino standing tall to face the Akuma.

"Congratulations, Alya, you really did a number on her. Hitting her with a hand mirror.", Nino commented dryly, obviously unaware of the Akuma's attention.

Alya shrugged, turned to him and apparently didn't notice the Akuma either.

"I didn't have anything else! And it bought us a bit-… Time…", she had finally looked back at the Akuma who was now floating closer to the two disturbers, her head tilted and her fists trembling in anger. Adrien just so heard their terrified screams and the drumming of footsteps as Alya, Nino and the crowd of people fled. He, however, took advantage of the small distraction to check if Plagg was finally finished searching for food, already grabbing Madame Cheng's petite form.

"Hurry, Plagg!", he hissed at the Kwami as he pulled the woman outside, knowing Alya and Nino would be fine. The Akuma was after Marinette, after all.

"I'm eating as fast as I can!", the Kwami replied in a hushed tone, gulping down another piece of parmesan cheese, "But I gotta eat more of this stuff since they don't have camembert and it doesn't restore my energy as well."

Adrien huffed as he got Madame Cheng to the start of the stairs, laying her down gently and running back to grab Monsieur Dupain, thanking his strict work out plan and extracurricular activities as a superhero so he was able to pull the man out into the hallway. He left the door ajar as a safety measure, in case the Akuma decided to be faster than he was able to pull Marinette out.

Which, as Adrien noticed when he turned back towards the front of the house, was the case – unfortunately.

He gulped when the Akuma lifted her arm with the gas bomb and quickly got to Marinette, starting to pull her out behind the couch.

"Plagg!", he yelled, already seeing the Akuma clicking the lighter to flicker on.

She threw the bomb and he didn't have the time for Plagg to fully charge up anymore.

"Plagg, claws out!"

The Kwami just rushed into his ring as the bomb exploded on the couch behind which Adrien crouched down.

The gas filled his lungs and he felt his eyes watering at the sharp, stinging sensation. The magic washed over his body and he hoped, prayed, he would be fully transformed before the Akuma would set the whole thing ablaze.

He bent over Marinette's limp body to shield her from the hit as he heard the rushing, loud sound of flames igniting the gas in the room. It was a quick explosion and he felt the couch fly against his shoulder while he himself got ripped back, trying to keep his hold on Marinette but feeling her slip out of his fingers.

For the endless time of maybe a second, all he was feeling was the hot sensation of flames licking on his suit. All he was seeing was scorching white heat. His eyes burned and his body slammed against something before slumping to the floor as the wall of heat was over. He coughed blindly, his limbs not obeying him as he tried getting to all four. His vision was completely whitened, his ears tingling and his movements uncoordinated. He didn't understand what had just happened. What had just taken place here.

He tried shaking his head but his body wouldn't do anything. Only now he began seeing clearly again, even if his ears still let him hear a constant beeping noise. The couch had settled on top of him. They must've both slammed into the wall and he hadn't even noticed the weight because of his superhero strength. The Akuma came floating in and grinned at her work, obviously satisfied.

"I killed her, Hawkmoth. Her and the boy.", her eyes were fixed on something out of his view and he panicked. Did she-… Did she really succeed? Was Marinette dead?!

"Yes. I will go after Chat Noir now. I will not fail you, Hawkmoth."

With that, the Akuma was off, not even suspecting that her target had been here all along.

Chat coughed and sat up when the coast was clear, pushing the couch off of him. Everything hurt and his entire body was trembling as his vision was freckled with dark dots because he had sat up too early for his body to adjust. He groaned and blinked a few times before trying to stand up, stumbling over to the window. The smoke finally lifted a little the longer the explosion laid back and Chat was able to see the crowd of people returning. Alya and Nino were up front, Nino just barely restraining his crying and sobbing mess of a friend as she wanted to run into the bakery. He kept yelling it was too dangerous and that she didn't want to see what had happened but she just screamed and pleaded, all in one word. Her name. Marinette's name.

Finally, Chat turned again and just then he saw Marinette, on the floor and unmoving.

"M-Marinette…", he forced out as he fell to his knees next to her. Half of her body was buried beneath the other, smaller part of the couch, but luckily it had fallen upside down so that it put weight on her with the cushioned side. He quickly pushed the furniture off and turned her, cradling her head in his lap.

"Marinette?"

She didn't answer. Her body stayed unmoving, her eyes closed and her mouth half opened. Chat felt a sob building up in his throat, as well as his eyes watering. He gulped away his tears and brushed a strand of hair out of her calm face, biting his lip. She didn't flinch one bit at his touch.

"C-Come on-… D-Don't do this to me… Marinette? Marinette! C'mon!"

He started yelling before he even noticed it. His voice got louder, his shakes more desperate and he soon drowned out the soft crackling of the little flames that the explosion had left. He hugged her tightly, pressing his cheek against her forehead as he rocked back and forth, not wanting to believe that she was just gone. Even after checking her pulse, even after testing if she was breathing and having to realize that neither of them was present, he still refused.

She couldn't just be gone. She couldn't!

He whimpered and kneeled, lifting her up in bridal style before taking a leap out of the window with her in his arms, already seeing an ambulance rushing closer.

Chat barely heard Alya's cry as she saw them over his own sobbing. He gently touched down on the ground and let Marinette's lifeless form slide to the asphalt of the street, somehow finding that this surface was way too rough and hard for her.

Just when he straightened up again, still kneeling next to her, Alya reached them with Nino hot on her heels. They both fell down next to Marinette, Alya quickly checking what Chat had already confirmed. No heartbeat, no breathing. Alya's head fell onto Marinette's chest as she sobbed, her tone somehow having changed but Chat didn't care. He had to pull Madame Cheng and Monsieur Dupain out.

And most importantly, he had to go after that Akuma.

Chat Noir stood, letting Alya and Nino take over, as he jumped back into the building where a few tiny flames danced around on easily set aflame fabric. He quickly put them out by dabbing them out, thankful that it had apparently been an easily ignited gas which was burning up just as fast as it came. Leaving not enough time to actually set something to flames.

With a quick push the couch was out of the way and he had access to the hallway where he had gotten Marinette's parents to safety. The wall and door had luckily prevented most of the burst from the explosion so that they had been relatively safe. He pulled Monsieur Dupain on his shoulders and brought him down to emerge from the bakery at the front, already aiming for the next ambulance. The emergency doctors came rushing to him and asked him how many persons were still remaining in the building.

"Two.", he said, "Madame Cheng and Adrien Agreste. The boy just woke up so I'll be sending him out with the woman. I gotta go after the Akuma."

The doctors nodded without asking further questions and he jumped back in, detransforming with a whisper.

"Plagg, claws in…"

The familiar green flash lightly blinded him and he immediately felt worse than before, now that his superhero strength was missing. He slumped to the ground next to the woman and sighed deeply. How would he tell her he had been too incompetent to save her daughter? How would he tell a mother she had just lost her child?

How would he tell her it was his fault? That he hadn't been fast enough, hadn't been good enough. That he was to blame for Marinette's death, just when he had given them a chance with her again?

He didn't know. And he wouldn't know for a long time, probably.

Adrien sighed as his Kwami snuggled against his neck, trying to comfort him. But he didn't need comfort. It wouldn't matter anyway.

He gently locked his arms under Madame Cheng's knees and back, lifting her up and grimacing at her weight. She was light as a feather but the guilt weighed down heavily.

He wouldn't be able to endure her pain. He wouldn't be able to see her suffering because she lost her child. He couldn't.

As soon as Sabine was out and in the care of emergency doctors, he numbly turned to the spot where he had put Marinette down. The emergency doctors there were busy lifting her away on a litter, carrying her into the ambulance. Someone asked him if he was okay and he nodded absently, following Marinette with his eyes. He'd have to say goodbye. And worry about how to come to her funeral as both Chat as well as Adrien.

His gaze shifted again and he saw Alya and Nino still kneeling at the spot where Marinette had been after he had brought her out, tightly embracing the other like they were the only steady hold in their world. He gulped and went over to them, not exactly expecting them to jump up when they noticed him and hugging him as well. He sniffled and buried his face on Nino's shoulder, his arms weakly finding their way around their waists.

"… 'M s-sorry-…", he finally cried, allowing his tears to fall, "… 'M s-so sorry I wasn't f-fast enough…"

He felt Alya shrug and hug him tighter, then Nino shook his head.

"Nothing to be sorry for, bro. She lives. Marinette lives and she's going to be okay. It's just a mild concussion and a few bruises as well as gas poisoning. She'll be back up again in a few days."

Adrien felt like there was a huge weight being lifted off his chest. He lost all tension in his body and just slumped against them, letting out his fears and worries in the form of tears.

His friends comforted him and whispered to him that she'd be okay, that they were so glad that he survived and that it'd be okay again. He absently nodded while he cried everything out, the tension, the loss of Ladybug and his worries about Marinette.

An angry teenager stayed back.

"I gotta-… Gotta go now…", he said, clenching his teeth at the thought of what he had to do now. Alya and Nino looked at each other when he parted from them, furrowing their eyebrows.

"What? What's so important that you'd need to go now? We need to get to the hospital, we gotta check on Marinette and her parents!"

"No, I-…", he stammered, looking into the direction of where the Akuma vanished. Their gazes followed his and he shook his head, "… Home-… Wanna-… Relax…"

"Your home is that way, bro.", Nino pointed in the other direction of where Adrien had looked, squaring his shoulders, "Listen, you're keeping something from us. But if you wanna help Marinette I will not let you do it when you're not honest. I will not let you get close to her until you spill."

Adrien groaned and clenched his fists, fighting a staring battle with Nino until he had to look away.

"I can't tell you. I'll go now.", he tried but Nino crossed his arms and huffed.

"Have you looked at yourself the past weeks? You're exhausted, you're always too late for everything and you can't even think straight. I can tell you're not going home and I won't let you out of my sight."

Adrien was ready to retort something he'd probably regret as Alya stepped between them with a soft expression.

"Nino wants to say we're worrying about you. We-… We don't want you to break down or something. Please come with us where we can care for you."

Adrien's gaze flickered down and he noticed Alya leaning her back against Nino's chest for comfort. The hand of his best friend had already gone up to her hip, hinting to an embrace.

So this was what had been between them the past weeks. Their dynamics had changed.

He looked up again to shake his head, managing a smile.

"You'll understand one day. But I really gotta go now. Stay safe, you two."

"No, Adrien, wa-", Nino began but Alya took a step forward and grabbed his wrist, holding him back and causing him to turn towards her again.

She caught his gaze and he immediately felt scanned. Under her searching eyes he shrank into himself and she slowly nodded. She knew. She knew it was him.

Adrien didn't have any doubt she had figured it out. She had probably thought about it for months, maybe even years. He had known whenever she had interviewed him as Chat Noir, she had suspected it. The last months had probably been a final proof.

She had figured him out.

He let his hand slip out of her grip and she sent him a gentle smile, sad and somehow scared.

"Take care, Adrien."

He had a feeling he wouldn't be completely through. He'd have to talk to her about it and he'd have to tell Nino. He knew she wouldn't tell him, even if they had gotten a significant bit closer to each other. But she wouldn't just call him out, he'd have to do that himself.

And he was infinitely thankful for that.

"I will, thanks."

He turned and walked away, patting Plagg beneath his shirt.

"We gotta go, buddy…", he whispered, "Got enough energy?"

"Yeah…", his Kwami whispered quietly and Adrien sighed.

"We'll get through this no matter what. I'll try to be quick and then you'll get as much camembert as you want."