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Paris, France

September 20

23:56

The nightmare started as it usually did.

Ladybug's fingers held nothing when Chat Noir's ring crumbled in her grasp.

She watched the fear in his eye when he realized he had been too late, his eyes desperate and apologetic. Ladybug felt a cry build in her throat as his chest turned to black and green ash in her hands before it dissolved into the wind.

As his shoulders crumbled, Chat spoke softly to her. His eyes were full of genuine, gentle affection as his lips tilted upward, chapped and pink from the cold. His hair tousled wildly with the wind and his voice was melodic and hoarse. Ladybug sat inches from his face, her hands clinging to any part of him that remained.

"My Lady…"

Ladybug breathed in a shuttered breath as tears stung her eyes.

Her lips mouthed his name, but her voice didn't leave her mouth.

Just before his throat dissolved, he spoke words that warmed the crevasses of her trembling heart.

"I love you."

Seconds later, his lips disintegrated, but his eyes gleamed at her with the love and affection he had just expressed to her. Ladybug sucked in a breath, her heart imploding with raw affection for this man. She moved her mouth as if to speak, but his human ears dissolved. He would hear nothing she could say now. His cat ears were the last that remained of him. Ladybug had a few milliseconds to brush them tenderly before they dissolved on her fingertips.

Seconds passed.

A chill of pure ice seemed to penetrate her veins as the reality suffocated her. Mere words could not describe the burning ache that built in her chest as the cold seeped into every other part of her. There was a pounding in her ears as blood to rush to her head. Her hands desperately roamed the area Chat had vacated, struggling to cling to his lingering body heat on the ground. Curling in a ball where Chat had held her, Ladybug sobbed.

Then the voices come…

"My Lady...," his voice echoed in her mind.

She whimpered and trembled.

"I love you," came Chat's whisper.

Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut with a strangled cry.

"My loves…," her papa's voice came.

Ladybug put her hands over her ears, wishing her mind would stop.

"Please…," came Alya's frantic voice.

Ladybug shuttered as she took in a ragged breath from the pain.

"Ladybug will fix it," her maman's voice said with hope.

She gritted her teeth; failure ever-present.

"My Lady…"

"No," Ladybug cried.

"I love you."

Ladybugs felt a scream tear through her throat.

Marinette bolted upright in her bed and gasped as tears fell down her cheeks. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Marinette felt her body tremble as the echoes of her nightmare lingered in the darkness of her room.

Except it wasn't a nightmare, it was a memory. A memory that had haunted her dreams these last seven nights.

She felt the weight of Tikki's paw on her cheek before she cradled her friend close. They did not speak because there were no more words; just understanding.

...

Tikki felt her small body tremble in grief and frustration as Marinette held her. Chat Noir was not the only one lost that terrible day. Plagg had left with him, something Tikki felt deeply.

When the Cat Miraculous had crumpled out of existence, Tikki had felt deep pain that screamed for justice. When Ladybug laid curled in a ball over where Chat had been sitting, Tikki had wanted to wallow and revel in the deep cold she felt. But, wallowing wouldn't bring them back.

It had taken extreme measures to get Ladybug off the Eiffel Tower that day. Tikki had resorted to releasing the transformation, leaving an unguarded Marinette to withstand the frosty air.

Eventually, they numbly found their way home. The house had been empty and quiet, so strikingly different from the warmth Tikki had become accustomed to. When Tikki released the transformation, Marinette had crumbled to the floor and curled into a tight ball. Tikki had been desperate for answers…

Tikki opened the compartment in Marinette's closet and pulled out the miraculous case. Bringing the ladybug-themed shell to her holder, Tikki urged Marinette to open it and put on the objects. Marinette mindlessly obeyed.

As each of the kwamis appeared, Tikki looked upon her fellow kwamis with desperation. Each of their expressions were forlorn and saddened. Marinette looked between the kwamis in question while tears rolled down her cheek.

With a sigh, Wayzz said, "I don't feel him, Tikki."

"Neither can I," Trixx said.

Each of the kwamis chimed in their consensus.

"It appears the Black Cat Miraculous is no longer in existence," Sass said.

Tikki felt her coat become a light pink instead of a vibrant red while her lips trembled. Her fears had been confirmed.

Marinette cupped her hands around Tikki in that moment to comfort her. Tikki nuzzled against Marinette's palm.

"The balance of creation and destruction will collapse if it is not restored soon," Wayzz said.

"How long do we have," Mullo asked.

"Not long," Pollen said.

Marinette came alive as the conversation between kwami's continued. Eventually, she asked, "What happens if the balance is not restored in time?"

There was a silence before Wayzz said, "Chaos will ensue around the world until humanity is no more."

"It very well could be that Papillion knows this," Longg chimed in. "The question is why he would wish to destroy humanity, it's destruction would bring his own demise."

"Unless he plans to use this as leverage over the Guardian," Kaalki said.

The kwami's were silent at the horse kwami's suggestion, each glancing at one another forlornly.

"But why?! What would he have to gain?! He has always wanted both the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous," Tikki cut in with exacerbation.

"Maybe he has a different plan now," Xuppu gently suggested while sympathetically looking at Tikki.

Wayzz sighed before saying, "No matter Papillion's aim, we will defeat him. We will get Plagg back."

Each of the kwamis silently agreed with determination and promised to do their part to help when needed.

"How much longer can Papillion maintain this akuma? The longest akuma we've encountered lasted four days," Marinette asked.

Wayzz shook his head wearily in defeat. "As long as Nooroo is being consistently recharged, the akuma can be maintained. Papillon will know this and make a point to keep his kwami fed. It's a delicate balance, but after six years active, Papillon likely understands it well."

Tikki nodded her agreement while frowning.

After a time, the Guardian put away the miraculous objects one by one, saying goodbye to each. Before leaving, Wayzz said, "Tikki, I cannot understand how you are feeling entirely but know that we are here."

Tikki appreciated Wayzz's sentiment and gave him a thankful nod before he was gone.

Marinette and Tikki looked at each other then and slowly started to cry. Before long, they were curled up together as the burden of humanity's demise and the weight of their grief assaulted them. Eventually, they made their way to Marinette's bed and allowed their exhaustion to take them into a restless sleep.

As a result of that day, Tikki had bonded with her charge on an emotional level that was rare between kwami and human. They each had lost something vital and precious to them.

In being Ladybug, Marinette shares a connection with Tikki. As a result, Marinette is indirectly connected to Plagg and, in turn, deeply feels the remnants of Tikki's incomplete state. In ways, Marinette empathizes more with Tikki's pain than her fellow kwamis, making her all the more precious to Tikki. Never before had Tikki been without Plagg. This… this was unprecedented.

And, Tikki was sure Marinette's pain was indescribable. Marinette had lost her best friend and parents along with her crime-fighting partner. She had lost most of her support system, minus Tikki.

So, as the week passed, both kwami and human wept at night in their despair and frustration as they shared in their grief and anger toward the man yielding the butterfly miraculous. And, eventually, their exhaustion would always take them into a fitful sleep with painful nightmares.

Then, when the dawn of the next day came, they would arise and continue working to bring everyone back; together.

...

The day Chat had disappeared was the last wave Paris experienced for a time. The akuma did not make any move to show himself or announce his intentions. Paris had waited with anticipation as the days rolled by. As a result, the nameless akuma became known as Crainte among the people. Several days after what they now call The Fourth Wave, Paris started becoming restless. The people wanted answers.

The news reporters were eating Ladybug alive after a week of no akuma defeat. Standing at the white podium with white flashes blinding her, Ladybug wishes she had Chat to lean on. He had a natural way of appeasing the media. With a tight smile, Ladybug did her best to listen and appear strong.

"Ladybug, are you any closer to finding Crainte?"

"Where is Chat Noir?"

"Is there anything you would like to say to the people of Paris?"

The people continued shouting in outrage. It was clear they wondered why Ladybug hadn't defeated the akuma yet. After the fifth reporter asked about Chat's whereabouts, Ladybug snapped.

She glared at the reporter before turning her face to the camera, recording her every action and word.

"I'm sorry, I have not defeated the akuma. I am doing my best to track his whereabouts but have continued to come up empty. With the interest of Paris in mind, I would like to ask the people for help. I can't have my eyes everywhere at once, I need help if we are going to take down this akuma."

Ladybug was about to continue, but a gutsy reporter cut her off.

"You keep referring only to yourself. Where is Chat Noir?"

Ladybug breathed deeply, fighting the tears that wanted to fall. "Chat Noir…"

Everyone waited in tense anticipation for Ladybug to continue.

"Chat Noir is no longer in the picture."

In a roar, the reporters fought for answers, their voices layering over each other as they expressed their dissatisfaction with her response. Ladybug had debated long and hard if she should share what happened with the public. On one hand, it was the truth and Paris had a right to feel the loss of their leather-clad hero. On the other, she was sure Papillion was watching. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her struggle. Still, he likely knew of Chat's demise from Nooroo…

As the reporters continued to claw at her, she decided.

"The Fourth Wave took Chat Noir."

A hush fell over the crowd at her words and no one moved. Then, in a slow wave of noise, the reporters reacted.

"What does this mean for Paris?"

"Do you have a plan?"

"Are you able to defeat the akuma without Chat Noir?"

Ladybug felt the noise overwhelm her senses. She couldn't continue and quickly left the podium. She heard the mayor speak, urging Paris citizens to help Ladybug, before she swung herself into the sunset.

The day following the conference, newspaper headlines publicized Ladybug's failure and grief.

"Lone Heroine Fights Tears"

"Ladybug Asks For Help"

"Chat Noir taken with the Fourth Wave"

"Ladybug Helpless with Akuma at Large"

The city of Paris went into a state of emergency after day twelve. The schools and businesses were temporarily closed as the authorities continued their investigation, gathering the number of people missing.

Paris took Ladybugs words to heart. A day after the conference, Marinette was browsing through the Ladyblog, missing both Chat and Alya, when a new post appeared.

Dear Ladybug,

We are a group of Paris citizens who have heard your call for help. You can consider us, LadyHelpers. We are aware that the former Ladyblogger was taken by The Third Wave and hope we do her honor by using her site as a way of helping one of her most beloved heroes.

We will be your eyes and ears. If we see anything suspicious, we will use this site as a means of informing you. This is our fight. Keep your head up, we are here for you!

Your support,

LadyHelpers

Marinette felt all astonishment at the message and felt tears fill her eyes. Tikki read over her shoulder and made an approving noise. They looked at one another in understanding and smiled. Paris was listening.

Another alert pinged on the site. Both kwami and holder eagerly looked at the post with anticipation.

Paris Citizens,

This is a call for action! There are only twelve LadyHelpers in our formed group. We cannot be in every corner of Paris at once, just as Ladybug cannot. We ask that you be willing to help Ladybug in her pursuit of this devastating akuma.

It is time to stand alongside Ladybug in the fight for our loved ones. If you are willing, please use the comment section we have created below as a means of alerting Ladybug of potential Crainte sightings or anything suspicious.

After considerable discussion, we have decided to temporarily change the website name. This site will temporarily be called Ladyalert (formerly known as: Ladyblog). We hope the change will make it clear to everyone that this site is purely for the sake of helping Ladybug. With this said, any hero bashing or inappropriate comments will be promptly removed. We are working to HELP Ladybug, not bring her down.

We have created a side comment section for those of you who wish to encourage our heroes. This time is hard on all of us, including Ladybug. Please, make sure your comments are going into the correct section. If we see comments unrelated to suspicious and/or akuma behavior in the alert section, we will have to remove the comment to ensure that Ladybug is getting up-to-date, prominent information when she needs it. Encouraging comments, while nice, should not overcrowd the information that may be helpful to Ladybug. Again, we have created a side comment section for the pure sake of encouraging those who are fighting for us.

Let's do our part and bring our loved ones home!

Sincerely,

LadyHelpers

By the time they finished reading through the post, Marientte had tears streaming down her face while Tikki's lips trembled. This was more than they had hoped for!

Looking at Tikki with questioning eyes, Marinette asked, "Should I respond?"

Tikki just nodded with great emotion. With a small smile, Marinette called upon her transformation so she could use the magic of the suit to prevent her comment from tracing back to her.

She typed a quick comment under the first post to Ladybug.

LadyHelpers,

Your support means the world to me and you do me great honor. I will check the Ladyalert regularly for news and alerts on La Crainte. If I have any information to share with Paris (i.e. possible dangerous situations, false sightings, etc), I will comment in the alert section so Paris is aware of the progress being made to take down this akuma.

The only thing I ask is that you remain safe. If you see anything suspicious or sight Crainte, use this site to alert me and immediately evacuate the area.

Thank you so much for hearing me and being willing to help.

Yours,

Ladybug

With a relieved smile, Ladybug submitted her comment before releasing Tikki from her earrings.

"I'm so glad they are supporting us! I think this will really help," Tikki said.

Marinette smiled at her, encouraged by the turn of events.

"I hope so too, Tikki."

...

Gabriel felt an irritation worm itself around him as he scrolled through the Ladyalert website. It appears Paris is more resilient than he had accounted for. After Ladybug's heartfelt speech—one that left Gabriel gaging in disgust—he had been appeased with the media's response. They were not satisfied with their hero. They would assist in her downfall.

Yet, the people wanted to help.

"Sir," Natalie said as she entered his office. Gabriel glanced at her before his hallow words filled the air.

"Begin a campaign on the Ladyalert website. Create a hundred or more robot profiles and generate a word bank of locations and descriptive words of the akuma. Make sure an algorithm is in place so the posts are not repeating. I want Ladybug chasing a ghost. I will enjoy watching her run herself to exhaustion."

Nathalie only nodded at her boss's command while she scribbled quick notes on her tablet with a stylus.

"About the other matter, Sir. Adrien has yet to be located. Most of his friends on record are gone so we cannot interview them."

Gabriel frowned at this piece of information. As he had been putting his plan into place, he had not considered that his son may be affected. Nathalie continued in a monotone voice.

"He was last seen in his room on the 12th at exactly 21:30. The morning of the 13th, he was not in his room when checked at 06:30."

Grabriel closed his eyes as he considered the evidence. He had been so consumed in his planning that he hadn't given his son a thought until after the Fourth Wave.

Nathalie paused before saying, "It is presumed he was taken during the Second Wave, Sir. Many families woke to the disappearance of a loved one."

Gabriel felt a small flame of panic and regret burn his heart before he stifled it. Once Ladybug did his will, his son would be back… alongside Emilie. Now, Gabriel really had nothing left to lose.

With a breathy sigh, he said, "Very well. Thank you, Nathalie. Make sure the cleaners continue housekeeping maintenance in his room so it is ready when he comes back." Gabriel paused for a moment before he continued, "Before they come back."

Nathalie nodded before vacating the room. Gabriel scrolled once more though the Ladyalert website, reading a post with Chat Noir's picture that appeared in the side-comment bar.

"You will be missed, Chat Noir."

Gabriel scoffed at the comment as he glared at the hero's picture. Nooroo appeared beside him, reading the comment in silence. Glancing at the kwami, Gabriel said, "How long do we have till the loss of the Cat Miraculous becomes obvious?"

Nooroo was silent for a few moments, his facial expression void, before he spoke. "I estimate it will take a total of six months till plague and disaster reigns among the nations. And, a total of twelve months until humanity dies out."

Gabriel considered this as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Six months…" Gabriel smiled in victory as he considered the timeline. Yes, his plan would succeed.

Nooroo looked at his master with unease as Gabriel said gleefully, "As the Guardian, Ladybug knows what's at stake. She will have no choice but to submit to me."

"Unless she catches the akuma first," Nooroo said in a whisper.

Rage burned in his body as Gabriel glared at the kwami. Nooroo seemed to shrink from his master's stare.

With sweet venom, Gabriel said, "You know very well that Ladybug is an incompetent insect. This is one akuma she will not purify."

...

Nooroo felt a cold fear run through his being as Gabriel gestured flippantly with his hands for the kwami to vacate his sight. The kwami phased himself through the desk drawer and shuttered. In the darkness, Nooroo felt desolation encompassing him as he curled in on himself; his only companion a ribbon of silk and gold.

Fun fact: I am avoiding a ridiculous amount of studying in order to write this story… priorities.