Flutter

Chapter 12

Suffocate

"Chat?" Marinette called out, standing at the base of the Eiffel Tower. She knew he hung around there on Thursdays. Shit, it was only Thursday. The week just seemed to drag on. "Chat Noir! It's me, Ladybug!"

"Bugaboo, what's with the change of costume?" Chat dropped down with the help of his baton behind her, causing the bluenette to spin around in haste. He eyed her over, examining the black long sleeved turtle neck, gloves, and leggings. She was wearing a pair of flat, black leather boots she'd made a few months prior just to see if she could. The black mask she'd put together was pressed against her face, covering the skin around her eyes and nose.

"I can't find Tikki," the words were breathed out in impatience, her foot tapping hastily as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"What's a 'Tikki'?"

"My Kwamii," Ladybug hissed, looking down and wiping the tears from her eyes in an attempt to keep herself together. It wasn't working very well. "She…last night, after you patched me up, she disappeared. I can't find her."

"Ladybug," Chat's voice was light as a feather, drawing her attention up to his. He had tears sparking in his own eyes, sparkling green behind his tinted mask. "Are you ok? Are you…can you still heal?"

Wordlessly, Ladybug lifted her shirt, displaying the yellow and green bruise to her partner. "It was black yesterday. Something's speeding it up."

"Good," Chat breathed the word out, hand coming instinctively to her side and brushing lightly against the discolored skin. "Good."

Ladybug watched him, mouth agape as he brushed his clawed, gloved hand gently against her side. Before she could control herself, she found her eyes lingering on his lips, pursed in a mix of frustration and concentration. His hair was a mess, his eyes wide and full of tender care. He was beautiful. Completely beautiful. She took a step towards him, and Chat lightly gripped her hip, just below the bruise. He kept his gaze on her exposed skin, breath hitching in his throat.

"Ladybug."

"Chat."

They didn't say anything else, Chat's eyes meeting her own. His gaze flickered down to her lips before meeting her eyes once more. Pulling her closer, their faces rested just an inch or two away from each others'. Ladybug got on her toes, bringing their flushed faces together and nearly pressing her lips to his.

"Lady," Chat sighed, turning away and letting go of her left hip. "We can't do this. There's something wrong with you. We should be focusing on that."

Ladybug nodded slowly, taking a few steps back and shivering at the lack of warmth on her hip. "You're right. Does that have anything to do with what you needed to talk about yesterday?"

Chat looked back at her, ears pinning themselves back against his head. "No, that's something else. I- I'm concerned about a classmate of mine. She…something's happening with the Akuma attacks. I think she might have been infected somehow, like you were."

Ladybug stared at him in silent shock, fiddling with her gloved hands absently. "How do you mean?"

"I…I don't know how to explain it," Chat huffed, beginning to pace in front of her. "She's been angry, and scared, and she looks sicker then hell. She's…I don't know, keeping secrets, I think." He met her eyes now, holding the contact in determination. "Something's seriously wrong. And it has to be connected to what's happening to you."

Marinette didn't have a very good memory of what happened after Chat explained the situation. Her theory was that she was so stressed and overwhelmed, she partially dissociated to keep from overreacting. While the reaction helped keep Chat centered and focused on the problem at hand, it also meant that Marinette had an immediate panic attack upon getting back to her room.

"Fuck!" Marinette threw her pillow against the wall, watching it bounce off soundlessly. She had somehow managed to get her breathing under control, though her slight asthma was triggered to the point of a closed up throat. She rushed to the bathroom, grabbing her blue albuterol inhaler and taking two puffs. After a minute or so, her breathing was fully regulated, allowing her to lie down on her bed and sob silently. "Shit…"

This was not good. Not at all. Chat was on to her. He must have been in her class, that was the only explanation. Every time she tried to think of who he might be, her mind grew increasingly fuzzy and achy — a side effect of the Miraculous' obscuring spell. With a long sigh, Marinette flipped onto her uninjured right side, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest.

"Goodnight, Tikki," Marinette whimpered to the missing Kwamii before shutting off her bedside lamp, and subsequently her consciousness.

The nightmare Marinette had that night is, to this day, the one she regards as her single worst. Strangely enough, it started out as a rather pleasant dream, Tikki floating a few feet away from her as they were both bathed in an almost blinding, warm light.

"Tikki!" Marinette called out, pushing herself forward and letting Tikki settle into her hands.

"Marinette," Tikki cooed, nuzzling into the heroine's hands gently. "I don't have much time — it's taking all of my energy to be here at all."

"Ok," Marinette breathed out gently, looking intently at the Kwamii in her hands. "What is it?"

"You're right," Tikki said the words with so much conviction, Marinette couldn't help but believe them. "It isn't Hawkmoth. Your dream last night was real. That was really Hawkmoth."

"Then what is it? What's poisoning me?"

Tikki paused, as if she didn't want to say what she was about to. "They're an ancient evil. One Plagg and I thought was eradicated long ago."

"Why is it targeting me, then?"

"It's a Kwamii Eater, Marinette."

The words sent a stiffening chill up her spine, her eyes going wide at her Kwamii. "Tikki—"

"I've managed to preserve myself by retreating into your body, but listen, Marinette—"

Just as Tikki was going to continue, Marinette felt a shiver of pure terror wash over her. Tikki noticed, flying up to her face and placing a single hand on her left cheek.

"It's coming. I'm so sorry, but you're going to have to make it through this," Tikki cooed lightly.

"But- what- what's going—"

"You'll know soon enough," Tikki looked so sad as she spoke, it was hard not to comfort her, despite the situation being the other way around. "Just remember, I'm here with you. You're still Ladybug, no matter what."

"But how do I transform if you aren't—" Marinette began, being promptly cut off by a searing pain in her lungs. Suddenly, the warm light washed away, replaced by inky black darkness. The darkness washed Tikki's image away, though Marinette could still feel her, deep within herself, as promised.

Marinette stumbled back into the infinite darkness, the pain in her lungs intensifying. She tried desperately to suck in a breath, but realized with a start that she wasn't able. She couldn't breathe. She was suffocating.

"Help— me—" she croaked out, and the darkness snickered at her, growing somehow darker and more intense.

"Young Ladybug, don't worry," it spoke in its distorted, broken voice.

"St- st- stop!" Marinette clawed in desperation at her throat, her senses burning and crying for oxygen. She couldn't breathe!

"He'll be gone soon enough," the thing around her cooed. "And soon, all but you will be, too."

"Kwamii— Eater—"

"Smart girl."

"What— want— me— for—?" Marinette's words were more strangled gasps at this point.

"Darling," that broken machine voice tried to sound comforting, "you're going to become me."

At that point, Marinette's vision was a mess of white stars and black, inky blotches. Out of the blotches, a figure formed — an eight legged figure with two red triangles, points touching, on its thorax.

"Black Widow," the thing hissed its rancid laugh at her, poisoning Marinette's mind further. "Call me Black Widow, darling."

With that, Marinette gasped in a painful breath of air, sitting upright in her bed. The light from the window burned her eyes, the spider's body etched into her vision as she closed her eyes tightly. She could feel the poison resting on her skin, but it didn't sting anymore. As the oxygen returned to her lungs, she realized that it almost felt good.

"What…" Marinette gasped aloud, "what am I turning into?"

Hey all! What do you think?

! What do you think happened to Hawkmoth? All will be revealed soon, but I love watching you guys guess :)

Also, a super huge thank you to everyone who reads, favorites, follows, and especially to those who review! It honestly always makes my day 3

Until Sunday,

~Ashtyn