The hooded man, also known as a criminal called the Bubbler, threw his fist against the wall in frustration. He was currently standing outside a bar called L'Akuma that was especially popular with criminals. A drink sounded particularly nice after his failed attempt at stealing from that cursed woman.

His companion, a silent criminal who went by the Mime and was known for miming while performing his crimes, placed his hand on the first man's shoulder in a gesture of concern. Are you okay?

"No," the Bubbler spat in response, jerking away from the second man. "I was so close to getting this woman. The bitch was such a good catch, too. But do you know what's funny?"

His friend shook his head.

"Chat Noir got her first. She's his woman! Who knew he even had a woman, huh?" The Bubbler let out a humorless laugh. This was true - everyone knew that Chat Noir acted alone. He didn't have a partner in crime, and especially not a woman. He was the type who was extra careful and didn't show even a single weakness. That was what brought him success as a criminal. But now, to hear that he may in fact have a woman...

The Mime perked up at this news. He gestured to the Bubbler and frowned. Are you sure? he seemed to ask.

He nodded. "I'm sure. She had a ring with his symbol on it!"

The Mime grinned, drawing a butterfly symbol with his hands.

"Oh?" The Bubbler said, an evil smile spreading across his lips as he caught on to his friend's plan. "I like what you're plotting, Mime. We can report this to the boss. I'm sure he'd be overjoyed to hear that his archenemy has a weakness."

The Mime made more movements with his hands, one hand taking the other and hiding it from the Bubbler's view.

The Bubbler clapped his hands in anticipation. "Are you saying that we should kidnap her and bring her to Hawk Moth? Sounds like a plan. I'm feeling better already. It's time for a little revenge, eh?"

"Chat Noir strikes again! The National Bank reported that the notorious criminal sneaked in last night and took off with 20,000 Euros. It's impressive that he's able to pull of such well-planned heists without leaving any evidence except for his signature green paw print. One has to wonder, what will he be up to next?"

Marinette stared at the news article on her phone, unable to tear her eyes away. The students in her class were all whispering excitedly about Chat Noir's latest crime and debating what he would go after next.

"Maybe he would steal the Blue Diamond," Rose suggested, referring to a timeless necklace that was on display at the Museum of Decorative Arts. "I think it's really valuable, if you ask me."

"I think he would steal the Bastet statue at the Louvre," Juleka, Rose's soft spoken best friend, insisted quietly. "I mean, he is Chat Noir. He would go for the cat themed items."

Marinette giggled at that.

"Wow, he really is something, isn't he?" Alya mused, glancing at the article over Marinette's shoulder.

"He really is," Marinette agreed with a dreamy sigh. It took her a second before her brain registered what she had said. "Wait, no, I didn't mean it that way!" she amended hastily, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Oh? Are you interested in Paris's top wanted Criminal, Mari?" Alya asked teasingly.

Marinette waved her hands wildly in protest. "O-Of course I'm not! Why would I be interested in Chat Noir? He's a criminal!"

He's the criminal whom you saved as a child, and who promised to protect you if you ever got in trouble…a small voice reminded her in the back of her mind. Great. Even her mind was against her.

Marinette groaned and hid her face behind her hands to hide her blush.

Luckily, Madame Bustier walked into the class then, and everyone turned their attention to their teacher. "Good morning, class!" she began, her teal eyes shining. "I'm excited to announce that another alumni will be coming to speak to our class tomorrow. His name is Nino Lahiffe. I hope you'll look forward to his session!"

"So Nino really is coming!" Marinette whispered to Alya. She was happy that her friend would get another chance to see him.

"Yeah! He told me," Alya said excitedly.

Marinette raised an eyebrow at her friend. When had he gotten a chance to tell her? As far as she knew, the two hadn't spoken after the party. "He told you?" she repeated.

Alya's cheeks reddened. "Yes. We exchanged numbers at the party. He's been keeping me updated."

"What?" Marinette exclaimed, then quickly clamped her mouth shut at Madame Bustier's stern look. The girls fell silent, but Marinette couldn't wait to ask Alya for more details about it after school.

Thankfully, school passed without further incident. As soon as the last bell rang, Marinette jumped up from her seat. "So, Alya," she started eagerly, not batting an eyelash. "Is there anything you're not telling me about Nino?"

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, then gasped as she glanced up at the clock. "Oh, look at the time! I forgot I had to watch my sisters after school!"

Marinette placed a hand over her heart, pretending to look hurt. "Are you leaving already? But you haven't told me all the details yet!"

"I'm sorry, girl. Raincheck?" Alya asked, blinking apologetically at the bluenette.

"I suppose it can't be helped," Marinette agreed with a sigh. "But promise you'll tell me all about it?"

"Promise! You're the best, Mari!" Alya jokingly blew her a kiss before she turned and sprinted out of the school. Marinette shook her head amusedly. Now that she had the entire afternoon to herself, what could she do?

She grinned as a lightbulb went off in her head. She could work on her design for Adrien's contest!

She headed to the bus stop, eager to get to the Trocadéro, which she liked to call her secret garden of inspiration. As soon as the bus arrived, she hopped on, placing in the correct change before making her way to the back to find a seat. After she sat down, she sent a message to her mother to inform her that she would be coming home a little late. Marinette knew her mother would get worried if she stayed out late without letting her know first.

She counted the number of stops as the bus maneuvered its way through the busy streets of Paris. One...two...three...

It felt like forever before the bus finally got to her stop.

She got off the bus, stopping to take in the beautiful scene in front of her. It really was the perfect location. The Trocadéro, conveniently located across the Seine, was the epitome of the bustling, romantic city - not to mention that the Eiffel Tower made for the perfect backdrop in the distance.

Marinette sat down on one of the marble steps and pulled out her sketchbook. She stuck her tongue out subconsciously as she began to draw out different outfits in the pink and white dotted sketchbook. Red and black...red and black...

Ugh. It was easier said than done. She knew she having so much trouble because she truly wanted to create a design that would impress Adrien. Not just Adrien, but his father, too. If she could win the contest and be chosen to be the designer of the Gabriel brand...that would be her dream. And perhaps one day, Chat Noir would be able to wear her designs, too. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she imagined him wearing a suit that she had designed.

She paused, looking up as a few clouds drifted lazily across the sky. She looked back at the page, her eyes widening as a tiny ladybug flew down and landed on her hand. Red and black...a ladybug! Of course! Why hadn't she thought of a ladybug before?

She was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed how fast the time had passed. It was only when the sun began to set that she gasped and jumped up. She hurriedly stuffed her sketchbook back into her bag. She nimbly jumped down the remaining steps onto the street below.

Just as she turned the corner and began making her way towards the bus stop, a black Subaru pulled to a stop in front of her. She hesitated, wondering if the car had stopped to ask her for directions. Then again, it was getting late. She really ought to get home...she tried to skirt around the car.

The window on the car's passenger side rolled down slowly, revealing the person inside and stopping her in her tracks. Her stomach dropped as the face of the hooded man appeared in front of her. "I found you, bitch," he smirked at her. "This time, you're not getting away."

No!

Every hair on her body screamed at her to run, but she had completely frozen in fear. Memories of Friday night flooded through her. How could he have found her again?

Everything that happened next was a blur to Marinette. She tried to back away, but he was too fast. He reached out and gripped her arm, so tightly that she was afraid he would break it if she tugged too hard. The man pulled out a taser and lunged for her through the car's window.

The last thing she was aware of was an intense pain that made her entire body freeze before she lost consciousness and slumped onto the ground.

"Nng..." Marinette groaned as she regained consciousness, her head throbbing in pain. Not that gaining consciousness really helped much - she was in a dark, enclosed space and could hardly see her surroundings. For a moment, she couldn't remember for the life of her what had happened. Then her heart lurched as everything came back. She had been kidnapped by the man who had tried to attack her last Friday.

Why had he kidnapped her after he ran away the first time? And where was she? She struggled to move her hands, then gave up once she realized that they were bound by a a rope behind her back.

Suddenly, her body was violently thrown to one side. She gasped in pain as her head hit the ceiling. At least that answered her second question - she was certain that she was in the back of a moving car. She still had her purse on her, though, and she didn't think he had taken anything. She wondered what kind of criminal the guy was if he hadn't bothered to take her belongings away. He was either not very smart, or he was overconfident that she wouldn't be able to reach it. He probably thought the latter, she decided grimly.

She held her breath when she heard the man's excited voice come from somewhere at the front of the car. He must've been talking to his accomplice.

"We got her! Isn't this great? Now we can take her to the boss. Oh, I can only imagine the things he'll do to her." He burst out laughing, as though he was talking about something as mundane as the weather. But his words made Marinette feel sick.

Tears of frustration threatened to spill from her eyes. Why hadn't she reported him when he tried to mug her the other night? She should've called the police when she had the chance instead of letting him get away with it. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

And now he was taking her to his boss, and who knew what would he do to her? She shuddered at the thought.

She had to get out of here. But how on earth was she going to escape when her hands were bound, not to mention that she was trapped in the back of a moving vehicle? Think, Marinette, think! she begged herself desperately.

She became painfully aware of the ring pressing against her neck. Her heart skipped a beat. Of course! Chat Noir had promised to save her if she got into trouble. Her current predicament definitely counted. If only she could reach her phone, she would be able to call him...

The car lurched again, the sudden movement sending her flying to the side before the car jerked to a stop without warning. They couldn't have already arrived at their destination, could they? Marinette quickly closed her eyes and pretended that she was still unconscious.

She heard a click, and then the trunk swung open. She felt a man effortlessly pick her up and swing her over his shoulder. No matter how tempted she was to struggle out of his grasp, she forced her body to stay limp so that he wouldn't suspect that she had already woken up. She definitely didn't fancy getting tasered again, that was for sure.

He walked for a couple of paces before dumping her unceremoniously onto the ground. She bit her lip to prevent herself from letting out a gasp of pain.

"Excellent," the man's voice came from somewhere above her. "You go let the boss know. I'll stay and keep watch."

A second man grunted in agreement followed by the sound of heavy footsteps, telling Marinette that he had left. Now that there was only one other man...maybe, just maybe, she would have a chance.

She opened her eyes, finding herself lying on the cold, hard floor of a battered, rectangular-shaped building. Her stomach sank when she realized that they were inside an abandoned warehouse. It was completely empty except for some metal poles and wooden boards that were scattered throughout the building.

"So the sleeping beauty has awoken," the Bubbler sneered at her.

Marinette glanced up, getting a good look at her kidnapper for the first time. The Bubbler wore a red, blue and yellow bodysuit with bubble-like circles attached to his sleeves. His face was hidden behind the hood. "W-What are you going to do to me?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"I can see why the damn cat would take an interest in you," the man said, eying her up and down hungrily. She shivered under his scrutinizing gaze, not liking how he was checking out her body. "But now you'll never see him again, not once the boss is done with you. Did you think you would get away a second time?" She knew he was taunting her.

Her phone buzzed just then, startling both of them. The man snatched it out of her purse. "Is this your phone, bitch?"

She could only nod as her heart sank even further. Now she'd never be able to get her phone... but still, she knew she had to try. She just had to distract him long enough so she could call Chat Noir. "I-It must be my maman," she said. "Can I answer her call? If I don't, she's going to get worried."

The man laughed at her. "Do you really think I would let you take the call, stupid woman?"

Now!

As he was distracted by her phone, she leapt up and aimed a kick at his private area as hard as she could. The man cursed and dropped the phone in surprise, using his hands to clutch his private part as he howled in pain. She jumped at the chance and dove down, miraculously managing to catch her phone in her mouth before she scanned the room for somewhere to hide. Besides the thick poles that protruded the ceiling, there wasn't anywhere else that would shelter her body.

But perhaps that would be enough. She ducked behind one of the poles, making sure to hide as far away from the man as possible. Her heart pounded as she struggled to bring her tied-up hands to the front. She dropped to the floor, then leaned forward and folded her legs so she could move her bound hands past her feet and to the front. Phew! At least she now had a little more freedom.

With shaky hands, she unlocked her phone and dialed the number she remembered by heart. She knew she didn't have much time before the man recovered from the pain and came after her.

She held her breath, waiting for him to pick up. Her phone rang once, then twice, then three times. But he still didn't respond.

Come on, come on, come on! She pleaded.

Her heart leapt when she heard a voice spoke from within the phone, but instantly sank when it turned out to be a generic voicemail message. She couldn't even be sure if this was his phone number. Then again, he probably wouldn't announce to the world that he was Chat Noir in his voicemail. This thought reassured her and gave her just a little bit of hope.

As soon as she heard the beep, she took a deep breath and started her message. "C-Chat Noir?" she began, her voice quivering. "I don't know if you still remember me, but I'm M-Marinette. I-I was kidnapped. He's taking me to his boss and I don't know what he'll d-do to me - " she choked back tears as she continued. "P-Please, help me." She ended the message, knowing that all she could do now was wait.

"There you are! Trying to call for help, eh?" the Bubbler growled as he approached her. It appeared that he had already recovered from her surprise attack. "I have to admit that you've got guts, but you're not getting away again. Enjoy your beauty sleep, bitch." He took out his taser and aimed for her again.

Marinette tried to run, but just then, the door opened to reveal two men, both wearing suits and masks. The second man appeared to have periwinkle body paint plastered to his skin.

She froze.

"What is the meaning of this, Bubbler?" one of the men asked coolly. Judging from his demeanor, Marinette guessed that this man must be the Bubbler's boss.

"She tried to call for help, but I got it under control. And look at this, boss! We got Chat Noir's woman for you!" the Bubbler said gleefully.

"This girl is Chat Noir's woman?" Hawk Moth asked skeptically.

The Bubbler nodded and reached for the necklace around Marinette's neck. "She wears his symbol."

Marinette wasn't going to let him touch her again. Using all the force she could muster, she turned her neck and bit down on his hand as hard as she could. He let out a yelp before kicking her in the side and sending her flying to the ground. Marinette screamed out in pain as her body hit the floor with a loud thud.

"Ooh? She's a feisty one, isn't she?" The Bubbler's boss mused, taking a step forward to inspect her. "We could sell her for a fair price."

Marinette paled at what he was suggesting. No, no, no…

If she was gone, what would her parents think? What would Alya think? They would probably be worried to death, only to never hear from her again. She couldn't do that to them...

But there was nothing she could do. She didn't know how long it had been since she called Chat Noir, but it felt like forever. Chat Noir…maybe he wasn't coming. Maybe he had forgotten her and their promise.

I'm sorry, Maman, Papa, Alya…

Just as Marinette was about to give up, a loud crash sounded above them. All four occupants of the room whipped their heads toward the source of the noise, only to see that a large part of the ceiling had been destroyed and debris was crashing down toward them.

What was happening now!?

Marinette's mouth dropped open in shock as a familiar man donned in a black leather catsuit landed lightly on the ground, his silver baton retracting to its original length as he spun it expertly in his hands.

The boss's eyes bulged as he stared at the newcomer.

"Sorry to crash your little purrty, Hawk Moth. Missed me?" The man spoke, a sly grin spreading across his lips as he pointed his baton at Hawk Moth.

"C-Chat Noir…"

A/N: I apologize for the delay, but thank you so much for your patience and support! I had a little trouble with this chapter - I wasn't sure how fast to move the plot, but I think it's about time for their reunion ;), This is definitely my favorite chapter so far, and I hope you like it just as much as I enjoyed writing it!

I had all the Akumatized villains work for Hawk Moth, but they're not the original characters (like Nino or Mylene's father) from the show. I couldn't do that to them :(

Let me know what you think with a review?