*For those of you who wanted to see Bridgette this chapter, this one is for you! Like I said last time, things finally get real from this point on. Last chance to turn around!*
Little Ladybug Lost
Previously on Switched!
Bridgette threw up her hands, disgusted. "You know what, I give up. No more of this nonsense or craziness for me! I've had it trying to be the one that tries to please everyone and gets nothing in return. Lucky Ladybug, I think not!" She tugged on her earrings, sucking Tikki inside them as she slammed them down on the table. "All I want to do now is return home and forget everything that has happened these past years. Forget the Quantic Alliance, forget HawkMoth, and especially forget Ladybug because I'm done! I've been battered, bruised, and heartbroken to the point that I've had enough of this bullcrap! So thanks Tikki Prime, but you're going to have to count me out of your little Ladybug get together!"
And with that, she left the room. No one spoke a word as they watched her warp back to the Quantic Universe.
"You...got some nerve playing with her feelings like that." Kid Mime growled, his hand still clenched. "After all she did for you, the countless times she sacrificed her time, and how she always spoke so highly of you! What you did to her was unforgivable!"
Gripping her jacket, she leaned over the edge of the Eiffel Tower. "What's the point of saving the multiverse? I'm probably the weakest of all the Ladybugs in that room. They don't need me, heck even I don't need myself either. I'm so tired of chasing things that will never come to me. I let my teammate die, one left because I couldn't save her, and my whole world could be destroyed from a force I never wanted to take part in. I'm truly the most unluckiest person ever."
Standing high above Paris, one lonely girl cried out in pain and sorrow.
"Give me something to live for because I can't find my own!"
Bridgette's hair blew with the wind as she stood on the edge of the Eiffel Tower. The city lights below her flood the streets, making it look as if a river of gold flowed through the streets. It was unusually quiet for this part of night and that was okay with her. Her mind and heart broken, she edged closer to the end of the line. It didn't matter to her that everything she knew was a lie. No one would care about her if she were to leave this plane of existence.
Maybe next time...I'll be able to be happy.
"BRIDGETTE NO!" A hand reached out and yanked her backwards. Surprised, the bluenette girl's eyes widen to see Andre of all people with the most frightened look on his face. Said boy hugged her body, his heart threatening to leap out of his chest.
"A-A-Andre?" Bridgette asked hesitatingly, feeling the heat remitting from his arms. "What are you-?"
"ARE YOU INSANE BRIDGETTE?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ALMOST DID BACK THERE!?" The brunette brought her around to face him, tears running down his face. "YOU ALMOST DIED BACK THERE AND FOR WHAT? DID YOU EVER THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU HAD JUMPED? YOUR MOTHER, YOUR GRANDFATHER, YOUR FRIENDS WOULD ALL BE DEVASTATED IF YOU HAD GONE THROUGH THAT!" He hugged her tightly, fearing she would vanish if he let go.
Tears streamed down the girl's face as she shook. "Why do you even care? You don't know anything about me and my struggles with being Paris' protector and happy Bridgette? All those people who have been akumatized, those people who slander my name for saving the day, and Kit's death... Then this whole multiverse event where I meet alternate versions of myself who all seem to have it better than I do. Marinette at least has both her parents, a loving boy who clearly is blind to her advances, and some partner who doesn't just flirt with her to get into her pants." Her chest was moving rapidly now, more tears pouring out. "I can't take it...I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I THOUGHT BEING LADYBUG WOULD MAKE ME LUCKIER AND ALL IT DID WAS BRING ME MORE STRIFE! WHAT'S THE POINT OF SAVING THE DAY IF EVERY TIME YOU DO, MORE BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU?"
There was silence as the two just stood there in each other's embraces, Andre letting Bridgette cry in his arms. At any other time, he would be smiling with positive glee that he had finally gotten her in his arms, but right now she needed someone to be there for her. He thought about how the others, including himself, had Quantic Powers because of some strange force pulling them together. The Miraculous was vastly superior and even more powerful than the Quantic ones by far. Plus, with the powers of creation and destruction, it meant to keep the balance of the universe in check. So if Felix had the Black Cat one, that meant for every misfortune in his life had a piece of luck that followed. However, in Bridgette's case with the Ladybug, the more lucky she was, the more misfortune followed.
It was stupid how much he wanted to chuck these earrings off the tower for causing her so much grief.
"Then stop." Bridgette looked up to see Andre smiling softly at her. "I'm not going to force you to do something that you won't do. We can find someone else to be Ladybug for the time being. The multiverse needs as many good Ladybugs to help stop the bad ones. If you feel unable to do this, then I won't stop you from leaving."
He unwrapped himself from her arms, showing her the box that contained her earrings. "Nobody told you to become Ladybug and you were given a destiny that you didn't want. Simplest solution; just don't do it. You can go back to your life and let us deal with the other stuff. We know you can keep our secrets and you can still help in your own way." Pocketing the box, he noticed Tikki Prime had opened up a portal. "I have to go Bridgette, but before I go, I want to tell you something that has been on my chest for a long time."
Bridgette stood there shocked as Andre took his hands into hers, his cheeks flushed red. "Bridgette Dupain-Cheng, ever since we first met those odd years ago I've always had feelings for you. No matter what you did, what you wore, and whatever was going on, I wanted to be by your side. I knew you had a crush on Felix, but I was fine if you wanted to date him. Doesn't mean I didn't wait for you to notice my affections, which is fine if you don't accept. I just want to tell you that you are loved by your family, friends, and even me." He glanced up to see the watery eyes of Bridgette staring down at him. "I'm not asking you to forgive Felix so easily or to go out with me, but in case I or anyone else don't survive this, I wanted to at least let you know how much you are loved and adored by everyone."
Letting go of her hands, he turned towards the portal. He had done it, he had finally admitted his crush on the blue haired female. Now, he had no regrets in case he perished on this mission.
"Wait!" Andre stopped, inches away from the portal, feeling arms wrap around his waist. Bridgette had buried her face into his back, making him blush even harder. "J-J-Just stop for a second..."
Both of them faced each other, Bridgette clenching her shirt as she looked at him. "Andre, I want to thank you for your words of encouragement and honesty. Sometimes, I can get into my thoughts so much that I forget about the people around me. You prevented me from making a decision that could've ended in disaster." She stopped forcing a smile on her face as she gave him a neutral look. "As for your confession, I'm going to have to ask you to wait for my response. I need to take a break and re-evaluate my life before I'm willing to let my heart open up again. I'm sorry, I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes either."
Andre nodded, fearing the worst, but accepting this outcome over the one he thought.
"This also means that I need to work with the others to save our world. I admit that it was a bit selfish for me to just quit because of my broken heart. There's a possibility this world will crumble and vanish along with everything and everyone I hold dearly. I don't want to come back to see it gone before my eyes." Bridgette took the box out of his pocket, putting the earrings back on her ears. Tikki appeared beside her, smiling brightly. "Those Ladybugs are counting on me to bring firepower of the Quantic Universe. Can't let any of you guys down."
Andre just grinned widely, holding out his hand. "Then by all means, lead the way great leader."
Bridgette happily took his hand as they both walked into the red portal.
There was nothing but darkness.
At least that's how it felt to Antibug as she, Miss Fortune, and Lady Noir walked through the empty caverns of one of the broken universes. This was the place, the place where they would meet their mysterious master that had recruited them. Months of just answering those strange transmissions and a darken face had finally messaged them to come visit their dimension. This master had been shrouded in mystique and frankly she was a bit scared.
"This world..." Lady Noir muttered aloud, staring at the desolated place. "I sense no survivors nor any miraculous power lingering anywhere. It's as if everyone is..."
Her words got caught in her throat when they saw piles upon piles of dead bodies shrewd all over the streets. The bodies were left intact, eyes glossed over and no breathing coming out, and for some strange reason they all had a mark on their necks. It was in the shape of a blacken ladybug with five glowing spots. Antibug, being used to seeing dead bodies, was not ready at all to see what had happened to these poor people.
"Oh my gosh! You don't think the master did all this?" Miss Fortune exclaimed, pointing at the mark on their necks. She pressed a finger on the mark, yanking her fingers backwards in shock. "That burns!"
"Let's keep going, we don't want to keep the master waiting." Antibug said, trying to ignore the bodies of even children bearing the dreadful mark.
The three walked through the dead Parisian streets, feeling uncomfortable as they did so. Eventually, they ended up at the mayor's building, where to their surprise a powerful energy leaked out from every crevice and rock from the building. In fact, the whole building glowed with an eerie light that made them stop walking up the stairs.
"Anyone else feel the incredible weight of a star on their chest or is it just me?" Miss Fortune clutched her chest, falling to her knees. "That's a lot of power contained in that one building!"
"Indeed," Lady Noir leaned against her baton, breathing hard. "I can't even approach the building with all my power!"
Antibug suddenly felt nauseous, holding her stomach as the wave of power washed over her. "Whoever this master is, they have to hurry before she uses this power against us."
Regaining composure, the trio made their way inside the building, finding it intertwined with vines, flowers, and other weird oddities they had never seen before. Various crystals were seen popping up out of the ground. Floating orbs of light drifted in the breeze. Before they could even walk up the stairs, a cloaked figure was seen standing at the top of the stairs.
"Welcome evil Ladybugs..." A deep female voice said from the cloak, arms crossed. "I see you were able to track our coordinates down and get here safely."
"Thank you for inviting us!" Miss Fortune giggled, bowing. "A pleasure to meet the one who summoned us."
The cloaked figure laughed. "I'm not the one who summoned you here. She who called you is right beyond this door I guard."
"She? The voice that spoke to us was male!" Antibug said, glaring slightly. "Were we being lied to?"
"Not at all, you just assumed that it was male. The voice never specified the gender." The cloaked figure smirked. "Come and approach her if you dare. Last chance to back out now." A sword appeared in her hands, glowing in the darkness. "Of course, we don't accept cowards here."
Antibug looked at Miss Fortune and Lady Noir, who both nodded with determination. The three of them gave the cloaked girl a smirk.
"Don't leave us waiting then. Allow us to meet this master of ours."
Next time:
?: All these universes will surrender their powers to me.
Glasses: Get ready because here's my final attack!
Marinette: If we combine our strength, we can make something miraculous together.
Tikki Prime: It's time for me to reveal the real reason why I need your help.
