Hey everyone! Thank you for all the reviews, favs, and follows! You guys are amazing and deserve all the Melty Camembert Hearts the world has!
And a VERY special thank you to my beta, SunshineMLB, who I would have been completely lost without! LOTS OF LOVE!
You know the drill, I don't own the characters, just the plot!^-^ And a quick A/N: the chapter title is a big hint of what's to come, so be ready.
Sacrifice
She tried to walk confidently down the third-floor hall, subtly looking for anything that would help her find Plagg. She had already checked the upper floors, but hadn't found anything. Not even an Akuma.
She turned a sudden right corner and instantly turned back to hide. The same Akuma that had been in the Atrium, who had created the manacles around her wrists, was standing guard at the far door.
Plagg had to be there. He had to be.
She took a deep breath.
She could do this. She had to do this.
Just be confident. She told herself.
She nodded once and moved back into the hall, walking towards the door as though nothing was wrong.
The Akuma was so focused on his tablet that he wasn't paying any attention to her as she approached.
A clear wall suddenly erupted between her and the Akuma, and he told her softly without looking up from his tablet, "Can't let you pass."
She touched the wall carefully, asking trying not to let her voice shake, "O-Oh?"
He glanced up at her, his eyes darting back to her as he realized who she was. The wall came down and he asked quietly, "You got out. What are you still doing here?"
She didn't know why, but he gave her a different feeling than the other Akuma's.
She took a chance and told him the truth, "I'm looking for the creature that was stolen out of the Black Cat's ring."
He gave her a shy smile, pointing towards the door with his stylus, "He's here."
She waited, her heart pounding in anticipation of being captured, but he made no such move as he simply stood there watching her anxiety rise.
He finally asked her curious, "Are you wondering yet why I haven't trapped you the way I trapped Chat Noir?"
She nodded subtly and he asked her another question, "Are you really Ladybug?"
She stayed quiet, and he glanced behind her before looking back into her eyes, "Are you?"
"Maybe." She admitted.
He smiled slightly, "Can you purify my akuma?"
Her eyes widened in shock, "You, WANT, your akuma to be purified?"
He nodded and she asked confused, "Why? Aren't you in a deal with Hawkmoth?"
He huffed slightly, "Deal, more like taken advantage of in a moment of weakness, but he won't release my akuma." He sighed, sounding defeated, "And even if I break my object myself, he'll just send it back to me because of my powers."
He showed her his stylus, which had a subtle purple tinge to it.
"What are your powers?" She asked carefully.
"Animation, in a nutshell. Anything I draw can be brought to life, like the manacles earlier, and like Chat Noir's cage." He explained. "I even drew a copy of you that they used against Chat Noir at the Eiffel Tower."
She frowned slightly, "Why are you telling me this?"
He turned towards the door and swiped at his tablet, the door slowly erasing as his hand moved in the same sweeping motion. He motioned for her to enter and she did hesitantly. She saw a large golden bird cage on the far side of the room and rushed up to it as she saw him floating there, "PLAGG!"
He instantly turned to her, "Lady! Lady are you okay? Did you find my kitten? We were trying to find you,"
"I'm okay Plagg. Chat found me and helped me escape, but we have to get out of here." She told him, showing him her hand subtly where the Black Cat's Miraculous sat.
Plagg's eyes widened, but he nodded knowingly before telling her, "I can't get out."
She reached up to the cage, it shocking her before she could make contact. She gave a short yelp as she shook out her hand until the stinging faded.
"Oh, sorry." The Akuma said, sounding embarrassed.
The same swiping motion ran down the cage, getting rid of the subtle static magic that had been keeping Plagg in. The second it was gone Plagg crashed into her shoulder, rubbing his face against her shirt, "Will my kitten be okay?"
She held him gently, telling him softly, "He will. He says he's sorry."
Plagg huffed, "Oh he's not sorry yet, but he will be." He glanced over at the Akuma, asking not so subtly, "What's the artist doing here?"
The Akuma told him quietly, drawing on his tablet quickly, "Evillustrator, not named by choice, believe me." What looked like an image of Plagg reappeared inside of the gilded cage as Evillustrator told them, "I'm just trying to help."
Plagg growled a low sound, "Says the guy who trapped my holder."
Evillustrator looked down, "It's not like I have much say in the matter." He looked up at her from underneath his bangs, resolve in his eyes, "Ladybug,"
She hesitated before looking at him, but he was holding out his stylus to her, "When and if you get the chance, will you purify my akuma, please?"
She took the stylus, nodding slowly, "I will. Thank you, for helping me."
He warned her seriously, "Hawkmoth is going to realize what happened, so you don't have time to stand around. Can you find your way out?"
She nodded and he told her with a small smile, "Good. Go, before you can't."
He moved out of the way and she left the room quickly with Plagg on her shoulder, going straight for the elevator. The second she was inside she asked Plagg, "Are you ready?"
Plagg smirked, "Are you? It's been a long time since I've had a female holder."
She told him the truth, "No, but we have to get out so that we can get to the others, so that they can come and free Chat Noir."
Plagg sighed, "Work, work, work, you are just as bad as Chat Noir," he started to smirk, "Lady Noir."
She smiled at him, knowing that they were both as ready for this as they could be, "Plagg, Claws Out!"
Her entire body was flooded from head to toe with an intense, powerful stream of magic. It was magic meant to protect, magic meant to give her the strength to do just that.
It gave her an overwhelming sense of confidence, and as it settled inside of her, she looked down at herself with a smile. Her hair had turned into a long braid that was easily three times the length of her natural hair, giving her the appearance of having a tail. What surprised her more than anything was how different her outfit was from Chat Noir's.
She was in a skintight vest with a high collar that had bright green accents along the outside, with no bell. Her clawed hands were tinged with the same bright green at their tips, the gloves fit like a second skin going nearly up the entire length of her arm, leaving only the barest sliver of skin showing between the vest and her shoulder. A pair of tight black shorts stopped a few inches above her knees, and her black boots went up just past them, leaving the same sliver of skin between the shorts and boots. She turned slightly, feeling her cat ears twitch as the elevator came to a stop.
A small voice echoed in her head, 'Be ready kitten.'
She reached to the small of her back, instantly grabbing the baton and planting her feet slightly apart to brace herself for whatever was on the other side. The baton was steady between her hands, pointed towards the door ready to strike.
The elevator opened on the bottom floor, revealing an extremely large yellow and black humanoid spider standing there somewhat surprised before it began to smirk, "Well, imagine my luck."
Her eyes widened as she reacted instinctually, seeing the path the spider's fists were making towards her face. She ducked down to avoid them and then jumped towards the Akuma face, vaulting herself over its head as it ducked to avoid her and landing neatly behind it. She found herself on all fours, running with ease towards the end of the hall that would lead to the tall painting. She managed to avoid all the sprayed shots of webbing being thrown at her, jumping up and running on two feet as she turned the corner triumphantly, seeing the painting she was looking for.
She was almost out, but the spider was on her tail.
'Call the power, drag it across the wall and across the painting.' The same inner voice told her.
"Cataclysm!" She cried, the pain in her shoulder flaring as soon as the power gathered in her hand.
Slamming her hand into the wall, she started running, refusing to let the pain drag her down. She ran her hand along the walls' length and across the painting as she came up to it. She lifted the baton and slammed it into the decaying painting, watching it turn to dust that set off a chain reaction around her.
The walls crumbled in on the giant spider just as she slipped back into the dark tunnel, taking off at a run as she told herself, go straight. Running, especially with the Black Cat's speed on her side, it wouldn't be more than two minutes she was sure. She followed the order she memorized backwards, and found herself back at the tunnel entrance Blanc had taken her into.
The ring beeped out a warning at her, one of the green pads flashing before going out.
'Clock's ticking, get moving.' The voice told her.
She lifted herself out of the hidden tunnel behind Montparnasse Tower, closing the hatch and using the baton to vault herself up to the nearest rooftop. She'd barely started running towards Campus when the ring beeped at her again, the voice pushing her, 'Faster kitten.'
She felt like she was flying across the rooftops, her breath coming in heavy pants as she dropped into the alley that would lead her back onto Campus. She touched the door with one pad left, saying it breathless, "L-Luck is of, our own making."
Nothing happened.
She said it again, "Luck is of our own making."
The door didn't respond to her.
"Only someone with magic can open the door." Chat Noir explained as they ran across the rooftops, "Even if a normal person knew a holder's phrase and touched the door, it wouldn't react. The barrier spell only allows those with both a Miraculous and the corresponding Miraculous magic to enter."
She stared at the rapidly flashing ring on her finger, saying it shakily as she remembered his words, "Destruction comes at a price."
The door began to flash and shimmer, revealing the familiar sleek black entrance to Campus.
She wrenched the door open and stepped in, dropping to her knees in the circular room as the transformation fell. The pain in her shoulder was ten times worse than it had been at Sanctuary, her eyes filling with tears and spilling over in seconds.
"Lady! Lady I'm sorry, I was trying to hold it back as long as I could," Plagg said hovering near her head, watching her shaking in pain without being able to do anything to help her.
She forced it out even though the pain was refusing to subside, "It's, okay Plagg. Thank you, you, helped me a lot. Was, that your voice?"
He nodded, telling her when he realized her eyes were squeezed shut from the pain, "Yes. I wanted to make sure you could get out."
"Plagg, Lady! Oh thank goodness!"
"Tikki?" Plagg asked shocked, rushing over to her, "What are you doing out here?"
Lady looked up, Tikki's eyes widening as she saw Lady, "You used the Black Cat's ring, didn't you?"
Lady nodded and Tikki looked straight at Plagg worried, "Where's your kitten?"
"Trapped." Lady told her instead, finally able to push past the pain.
She forced herself to get up, and Tikki told them quickly, "We can't stay here. There are Akuma's on Campus that are turning everyone into their slaves before turning them into pink crystal statues!"
Plagg asked hard, "How did Akuma's get through the barrier?"
Lady started moving, following the kwami's down the hall and seeing some of the pink crystal statues Tikki had been talking about.
They were leading her to Master Fu's office, she realized. She threw open the doors, but Master Fu wasn't there.
Plagg and Tikki touched the door at the same time, and a static power ran like bars across the doors in spirals of red and black.
Plagg asked Tikki again, "Sugarcube, how did Akuma's,"
"It was that awful Lady Chance!" Tikki told him angrily, "After Chat Noir and the others went after all of those Akuma's, I went to find her. Master Fu and I didn't trust her, and I was keeping an eye on her. I had to search nearly the entire school before I found her at the entrance, standing there smiling like she was waiting for something."
Tikki looked down, shaking her head with a frown, "She started talking to herself, 'The Guardian's barrier will allow Akuma to pass.' She touched the crystal on the stand and seconds later, there were three Akuma standing with her and no alarm went off. I went straight to Master Fu to let him know what happened, but as he went to warn the others, the Akuma with the star on her face caught him with her whip," Tikki stopped and Plagg hugged her in the air tightly, "It wasn't your fault."
"I couldn't do anything to stop them! I had to stay hidden and watch as they captured everyone!" Tikki said, upset with herself that she couldn't do more without a holder.
Lady winced, the pain spiking for a second again as she told them, "You guys, we have a really big problem. I need Master Fu, this thing on my shoulder, it's a power seal. Hawkmoth is trying to draw the power out of me to make himself stronger. Chat said that Master Fu could break it but if he's trapped like everyone else,"
Tikki looked at Plagg who was already frowning, telling her shaking his head, "It's not a good idea Sugarcube."
"Cataclysm can destroy the seal." Tikki said quickly, ignoring his subtle warning, "She used your power, you don't have long before it fades from her system, especially if that power seal is draining her own power. She'll be safe from it while it's still fresh."
Lady caught Plagg's worried glance, asking quickly, "You can get rid of it?"
He frowned, groaning as he admitted it, "Yes, but it is going to be extremely painful for you."
She said it instantly, "Do it, please. I don't care about the pain, I'll fight through it. If Master Fu and the holders here can't help us, we are going to have to go back for Chat Noir ourselves."
Tikki told her quickly, "The Zodiac's are still out. They never made it back to Campus. They can help you."
She frowned, "But we didn't see any Akuma's on our way here."
Tikki flew over to Master Fu's desk, landing on the remote and turning on the TV hanging on the far wall. Lady's eyes widened as she saw the news report, a horde of Akuma's were gathered at the Eiffel Tower. The clip moved closer and her heart fell, seeing half of the Zodiac's tied up directly underneath the tower itself.
She noted it out loud, "Viperion's not there, and neither is Rena, Carapace, Bee, or Ryuko."
"They must have avoided capture and are regrouping, trying to figure out a plan." Tikki explained.
Her hand flew to her shoulder again as the pain flared, grabbing the end of Master's desk to keep herself upright, "Plagg, please, I don't know how much longer I can take this."
Plagg hesitated before telling her, "Lady, if I do this, you won't be able to turn back into Lady Noir. I used a lot of my own power to help you get out of that awful place, but you aren't my true holder. I may be the source of the Black Cat's power, but its strength comes from Chat Noir. His power balances mine, without him,"
"I don't have enough of my own magic to reignite yours." She said, remembering something Madame Bustier had explained to her in one of her private lessons.
Plagg nodded, "It's not your fault but,"
"I still have power." Tikki said quietly.
Plagg glared at her, "Not happening."
"Plagg,"
"No. Your Miraculous is BOUND. If Lady tries to use it,"
"I could die. I don't care." She said without a hint of wavering. "I can't stand here and do nothing while half of the holders are being held captive by all those Akuma's. I won't leave the others to fend for themselves, and I sure as hell am not going to leave Adrien to suffer at Hawkmoth's hands."
Tikki and Plagg simultaneously asked her shocked, "You know Adrien is Chat Noir?"
She nodded, taking off her mask and smiling at them, "Yes, we know who the other is now."
Plagg busted out laughing, grabbing at his stomach as he floated on his back, "I KNEW IT!"
She smiled at his cackling, Tikki asking her shyly, "Can I know your real name?"
"Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
Tikki smiled at her brightly, asking her softly, "Are you sure you want to do this? You know that my Miraculous is bound, it could kill you just as easily as Plagg's cataclysm."
Plagg instantly sobered, saying it hard, "Adrien will kill me if he finds out I let something happen to his Lady."
Marinette said it before they could get into a back and forth, "Plagg, this is my choice. I am not going to be the reason something happens to Chat Noir, or to the other holders, not when I have the chance to at least do something. If it doesn't work, and I end up sacrificing myself, at least the Miraculous will be unbound and Chat Noir will be able to find his true Ladybug. He'll be happy,"
"Not without you." Plagg told her seriously. "Kitten has never been this happy in his entire life, maybe for a brief time in high school, but you've brought real joy into his heart that he has never had." He flew up to her face, his bright green eyes holding hers, "He won't be happy if he finds out you sacrificed yourself to try to save him."
She scratched behind his ears gently, smiling as she told him again, "It's my choice."
Plagg sighed defeated when she looked at Tikki, "Where is the Miraculous?"
Tikki flew over to the bookshelf and she followed, Tikki pointing to a black book that had the red Miraculous Box symbol etched on its spine.
She pulled the book out and smiled at it.
This was the same book that had caught her attention the first time she had ever come into Master Fu's office. Was this fate really, that she would be drawn to the very book that had been holding the Miraculous that was eventually going to be in her hands like this?
She opened the book, seeing that the inside was hollow space, holding an octangular box. She pulled the box out and opened it, a pair of red earrings with black spots glinting up at her. She smiled at them as Tikki told her excitedly, "Put them on."
"And take off your overshirt. If we are going to do this, we are going to get rid of that seal so that Hawkmoth can't hurt you anymore." Plagg told her, flying over to them as she put the earrings on. Tikki was practically beaming at her as she took off her overshirt, glad that she had a tank-top on underneath.
There was a slight stinging at her ears from the earrings themselves, almost like they didn't want to be worn, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her shoulder. She could ignore it. She had to do this.
Plagg moved behind her and took a deep breath, "Sit down pigtails, if you pass out at least you won't hit anything but the floor."
She nodded, trying not to be worried as she sat down with her legs folded underneath her.
"Oh, wait a second!" Tikki told them, flying over to the gramophone before flying back carrying something in her paws. Tikki smiled at her, holding the familiar little charm out to her, "My lucky charm, I thought I had lost it for good."
She ran her hand down the line of familiar beads, her heart skipping a beat as she stared at the last bead. It was shiny bright red, covered in back spots, exactly like a, "Ladybug." She whispered, looking up at Tikki, "This isn't," she held it up, her voice shaking, "Where did you get this?"
Tikki glanced at Plagg who recognized the charm instantly, "That's Adrien's charm, he's carried it around with him since the day he woke up after destroying the park." Plagg pointed it at, "That bead, that's why he has always been so sure that his Ladybug was out there. He was sure that she had given that to him, as a way to let him know that she had been there with him."
She clutched the little charm in her hand, holding it to her chest with her eyes closed.
What were the odds? It was impossible, she didn't ever remember making this charm, but she must have. Otherwise, how could she have one just like it?
A deep pain started at the back of her head, making her groan as she leaned over slightly.
She was sitting on the floor of her room, finding just the right beads to put together. She made two identical little charms, humming to herself.
To the end of one, she added a cute little red bead with black spots. It looked like a little Ladybug. She was sure that would help ward off his bad luck. She found another bead that was black and had little neon green lightning cracks all over it. It reminded her of a green-eyed black cat she once saw.
She added the bead to hers with a nod, "I'll take all your bad luck, I promise."
"Marinette!" "Marinette, are you okay!" Plagg and Tikki were asking near her as her eyes snapped open, breathing heavily.
What the hell, was that just now?
She stared down at the little charm in her hand. It was the same, the same one she had just seen. It had to be a memory, but if it was, it meant that SHE had been the one to make this charm.
How could she not remember something like this?
"Tikki, you, you said Adrien, he left this for me?" She asked breathlessly, looking up at the worried kwami's.
Tikki told her softly with a nod, "Yes, he left that for you when he went after the Akuma's. He took the one you showed me, with the little black cat bead on the end. He said it was time he took that bad luck back, and asked me to give this one to you when I saw you again."
She said it knowingly, trying to pull herself together, "He really did go out to that fight planning to get captured. He knew that if they had me, he was going to make me leave without him. He had it all planned out."
Tikki glanced at a guilty looking Plagg before saying it, "I'm pretty sure he did."
She lifted the little charm and kissed it, promising him, "You always try to protect me Kitty. Now it's my turn, and I won't lose, not to anyone."
She looked up at Plagg, telling him confidently, "Do it."
Plagg took another deep breath before looking worriedly at Tikki who gave him an encouraging smile. He flew behind her, frowning at what he saw. The butterfly mark on her shoulder had spirals of purple colored vines branching out of it now, no doubt anchoring into the magic that flowed through her veins. This wasn't going to be easy on her.
"Adrien is going to be so mad at me." He muttered to himself before calling it, "On three, brace yourself. One, two," he took a deep breath in and breathed out over the center of the butterfly mark instead of saying three. Lady's eyes widened as pain shot through her more ferociously than any lightning strike. She screamed bloody murder, falling to the floor as she grabbed at her shoulder, not hearing the two small kwami's screaming her name in fear for her life.
She could feel the little charm in her hand, indenting its shape into her palm as she unconsciously squeezed it with all her might.
Tikki and Plagg watched helpless as Lady thrashed and writhed on the floor in unimaginable pain.
Plagg could actually feel himself shaking, if he killed Marinette trying to get that seal off of her, Adrien would never forgive him. He'd renounce his Miraculous in a heartbeat, knowing that it was the cause of the death of the girl he loved.
Tikki had large silent tears falling from her eyes, watching the kind hearted girl who was willing to sacrifice herself for the great Black Cat go through this kind of pain, all because she wanted to help him. There was no doubt in her mind now that Marinette was meant to be her holder. Only a true Ladybug would sacrifice themselves for their Black Cat, not caring that their life was the price, not if it meant sparing the Black Cat's life in their place.
It was nearly ten minutes later before Marinette's blood curdling screams softened into painful cries, before turning into shaking whimpers as her body convulsed on the floor in random spasms.
Tikki and Plagg were in each other's arms, watching Marinette's breathing slow dramatically. She was lying flat against the floor now, her hand clutching the little charm was still shaking.
"Marinette?" Plagg tried, noticing that she hadn't moved in a minute, her chest barely rising and falling. He flew down to her with Tikki, who called her name again, "Marinette?"
Her grip on the little charm slackened slowly, and Plagg rushed to her chest, putting his ear against where her heart was barely beating.
"Tikki, we are losing her." Plagg said in horror.
Tikki flew down next to him and listened to her slowing heartbeat, her eyes widening in fear as her eyes filled with tears, "No, no don't do this. Come on Marinette, fight it. Fight it!" Tikki started shaking her shoulder, "Don't let go! Adrien needs you!"
"Tikki stop," Plagg begged his other half, trying to pull her away from the dying girl.
"NO! Marinette, he needs you! He needs you to be the light in his life! You can't give up! You can't let go!" Tikki was screaming, ignoring the relentless tugging of her counterpart, "Tikki stop it! There is nothing we can do!"
Tikki ignored him, tears flowing past her eyes, "We just found you! You can't leave us now! You are supposed to be my holder! You are supposed to be Ladybug! We were all going to be happy together! You can't leave! You can't! Marinette! MARINETTE!"
Her heart gave a final soft thump, her last breath leaving in a soft whisper that wasn't heard by either kwami.
Tikki was crying uncontrollably into her shoulder for the holder she hadn't had the chance to bond with. Plagg was hugging Tikki tightly from behind as the tears fell from his eyes for the girl who had changed his kitten's life.
As the two kwami's cried out their grief, the little charm in her unmoving hand began flickering to life, glowing a brilliant bright red.
...
Chat kept his face buried in his knees. She was going to get out. She was going to be okay. She would come back for him. His Lady could do this. He had nothing but confidence in her.
He let out a shaky breath, saying it to himself, "Please m'Lady, please be safe."
It hadn't even been an hour that she had been gone, but he missed her presence already.
The Atrium door opened and Blanc walked in scowling, going straight up to the clear box and kicking it roughly, "I hate you."
Chat Noir smirked, "The feeling's mutual."
Blanc raised his hand, white static magic rising at his fingertips, "Cataclysm." He called with a sneer.
Chat Noir's eyes widened as Blanc touched the clear cage. It disintegrated around him in seconds, and he moved instantly, dropping into a low crouch as Blanc huffed unamused, "As much as I'd love to kick your ass, we don't have time for this. Get the hell up before I change my mind and leave your ass here."
Blanc's tail snapped annoyed behind him, Chat Noir not moving out of his position, "What are you up to?"
"Do you want the mothman to come back here himself when he finds out you gave your Miraculous to Lady so that she could escape and get that power seal removed?" Blanc asked point blank, without so much as a single emotion crossing his features.
Chat Noir stood from his crouch, saying it lightly, "No idea what you mean."
Blanc huffed, "Oh, so the ring on your finger was just a figment of my imagination, right? You aren't fooling anyone. I'll give it to you, I don't know how you pulled it off, but it worked and Lady escaped Sanctuary. Unfortunately, your plan has a vital flaw, one that you didn't take into account when you sent her off. Now, I have to help you get to her before it's too late."
Blanc turned to leave, rushing out of the room knowing that Chat Noir would be right on his heels.
And he was. Chat had no intention of letting Blanc go without explaining what the hell he was talking about.
"Get to her? She'll be fine, the Guardian will take care of her." Chat Noir said confidently.
Blanc barely looked back at him as they made their way to the bottom floor, explaining immediately, "Lady Chance was an Akuma given the ability to make anything she said become true. She gave herself powers that mirrored the Ladybug Miraculous to fool you. She gave herself the power to control you with her touch so that you would take her onto your stupid 'Campus'. Once inside, she had one job, open the gate so that Akuma's could get through the barrier. Thirty minutes ago, about when I suspect Lady was escaping from here, I got the confirmation call that the holder's inside Campus had been nullified as a threat, and the great Guardian was among the captured."
Chat Noir slammed Blanc against the elevator wall, glaring at him, "What did you do?"
Blanc knocked his hands away hard with a low growl, "Shut the hell up and listen. Half of the Zodiac holders are being held captive underneath the Eiffel Tower, the other half haven't been found but weren't among the captured at Campus. If Lady went to Campus to have that seal broken, there is no Guardian there to help her. The only being left that could destroy that seal would be,"
"Plagg." Chat Noir whispered in fear, Blanc stopping the elevator doors from opening with a nod, "Your kwami of destruction who won't have his holder there to dampen his powers. If she knows that is what it will take to come and break you out of here, she'll let him try to break it, even if it means,"
"sacrificing herself." He said in horror, understanding more than Blanc did at that moment.
Marinette wasn't the true Black Cat holder. Plagg would have been using much more of his own power than he normally would have to not only hold the transformation, but to create a Cataclysm if she needed it, and to protect her until they got to Campus. Plagg would be drained without him there to refuel the power with his own magic. She wouldn't be able to transform with the Black Cat Miraculous a second time, and if Master Fu was out of commission, she would only be left with one other option to be able to come after him.
The bound Ladybug Miraculous.
If she talked Tikki into letting her wear the earrings, and Plagg into destroying the seal, if one act didn't take her life, the other surely would.
Blanc told him quickly, bringing him out of his thoughts, "I don't give a damn about you Noir, but I care about her. That's the only reason I'm doing this. You have to get to her, now, before she does something irreversible."
Blanc slammed his fist on the emergency button, and the elevator doors opened. They both rushed out without another word, Chat Noir letting Blanc lead him to a hallway that was in ruins, destroyed by what could only have been a Cataclysm. They climbed over the rubble and ended up in a dark tunnel.
He followed Blanc blindly, fear coursing through him that pushed him faster.
He knew Marinette would do it. She would take the risk to her own life if it meant she could help him.
They came up out of a tunnel just outside of Montparnasse Tower. Blanc grabbed his arm and vaulted them to the rooftops where they took off running. It only took a few minutes of running before a familiar rush of orange shot past him, knocking Blanc back away from him.
"Rena!" Chat said in half shock, half relief.
"Chat get out of here! I'll hold him back!" She called back, trying to keep Blanc down.
"STUPID FOX I'M TRYING TO HELP HIM!"
Viperion and Carapace dropped down on either side of him, Viperion noticing right away, "Where's,"
"With Lady." He said simply, shaking his head, "Let Blanc go, he helped me escape. We need to get to Campus, now. Lady she, she is going to sacrifice herself to unbind the Ladybug Miraculous if we don't stop her!"
Rena instantly let Blanc go, "But Master would never,"
"The Guardian was captured by Akuma's Lady Chance let onto your Campus." Blanc said bored, glaring at him, "Give them the run down on the way, get your tail moving!"
He reached into his pocket, grabbing at the little charm before looking at Viperion, "Get me there."
Viper nodded, grabbing his arm and getting ready to take off when an intense pain in his stomach dropped him to his knees.
"Chat!" His friends all yelled out, the intense pain climbing as it assaulted every part of him. He finally couldn't hold it in anymore and screamed at the top of his lungs.
He fell to the ground, his hands flying to his head as a relentless fire burned inside of him, more agonizing than any wound he had ever received, worse than the pure destruction that flowed through his veins.
He could feel the charm still clutched in his hand as he writhed in unbearable pain, losing himself as it refused to show mercy for even the briefest second.
An ice cold blast of power washed over him, the voices around him scattered points of panic, "Guys his heart is slowing down." "Chat Noir you have to fight it!" "We are losing him, guys we have to do something now!"
He was starting to lose feeling all over his body, but tried to keep his hand clutched around her little charm.
He was too late, his subconscious told him. His Lady was fading, and now, so was he.
He thought he heard someone calling his name, but he couldn't fight it. He lost what little grip he had left on the charm as a whispered breath left him.
Rena was shaking his shoulder, feeling her friends power fading, "CHAT NOIR! DON'T LET GO! FIGHT IT!"
Viperion looked away, squeezing his eyes shut as his eyes started to burn.
Carapace was pulling Rena into his arms, burying himself in her shaking shoulder as the words left him, "He's gone. He's really gone."
Blanc's hands were shaking fists at his side. He had been too late. He had hesitated too long to go get the Black Cat from his cage.
He stared at Chat Noir's unmoving form, his eyes widening as he called out to them, "Holders, what the hell is that?"
The three holders looked up, but all of their eyes were focused in shock on the little beaded charm in Chat Noir's unmoving hand, flickering to life until it began glowing with an intense, brilliant red light.
Thanks for reading! More is coming soon so don't fret! Just wait for it! Things are happening!
Feel free to leave a comment or review if you want! Just let it out! I can take it!(Also, the next chapter will be out Monday. Please don't hurt me.)
Au Revoir for now!
