Chapter 12

Seperated

"Midnight!" Cried Ladybug, jumping back and picking her partner off the ground once more. He was breathing hard, blood already seeping from the cut over his eye.

It was loosely bandaged with a ripped piece of Marinette's shirt. Unfortunately when the illusion had lifted, Marinette had realized the first aid kit had also been an illusion. She did the best she could to help. Thankfully before leaving the haven she had packed a few extra articles of clothing along with what she had been wearing.

Midnight leaned heavily against her as she began off again, pulling him along beside her.

"Ladybug" panted Midnight. "You…have to–"

"Don't you even start with anything like you have to leave me or something like that!" Snapped Ladybug. "I'm not leaving you."

Midnight sighed, pushing her slightly with his weight. "That's fine! But you need to go right!" Ladybug blushed but obliged.

Ladybug looked over their shoulders. She didn't see the woman clad in black, but still felt like she was around. "Who was she?"

Midnight ground his teeth. "Bad news."

"We can't fight her?"

"Sure…if we want to die." Panted, Midnight. "Well…if I want to die, I guess." He rolled his eyes. "Not all of us are immortal right now."

"So she's strong?"

"She'd easily put you into the ground and take your Miraculous. She's not something you fight. She's something you run from."

"Aww, thanks. I appreciate the compliment, Midnight." Midnight and Ladybug stopped short.

In front of them was the woman. She was dressed in long black robes that covered all but her head. From the neck up, she was an older woman with long silver and black hair folded up into a tight bun. Her skin was pale and wrinkled from age. Despite her age, Ladybug could tell she was dangerous.

Midnight straightened up, putting himself between Ladybug and the woman. "You'll have to kill me." He growled.

"You talk as if that's a challenge." Laughed the woman. "In respect to your parents, I will ask you to step aside, young Jace. I'd hate to be the one to bring your family line to an end."

"Screw you!" Snapped Midnight, flexing his claws.

"So be it." The woman step forward and disappeared.

It all happened so fast. Ladybug had no time to react. Midnight grabbed her, throwing her with all his might out of the way as the woman reappeared right where she had been a moment before.

She watched helplessly as the woman pressed her nails against Midnight's chest where they extended impossibly long until they shot out his back, the sharp tips dripping with blood.

Ladybug let out a cry before throwing her yoyo in the air. There had to be something. Anything.

"Lucky Charm!"

"JULIAN!" Screamed Chat as he watched the teen fall to his knees. Sticking out of his back was a knife, sunk all the way to the hilt.

Julian looked up at him, a small, grim smile on his face. "Run!"

Chat ground his teeth as a deep growl echoed in his chest. "LIKE HELL I WILL!" He shouted as he ran past Julian, dark energy already flowing over his hand.

He didn't hesitate. Not for one second. Later that fact would bother him, but right at that moment, he didn't care. He pressed his palm flat against the man's face.

From beneath his hand, he watched as the man's skin began to crack like glass, blood spraying from the wounds as the cracks spread over his body. The man crashed to the ground as his body split into a thousand small pieces.

Chat sat for a moment, watching the cloth sink into the pool of blood before he took a deep breath, turning from the scene and rushing over to Julian.

As he pulled Julian along, he tried to focus on the path, his head swimming with the images of what he'd just done.

"Are you okay?" Asked Julian. He could feel him trembling beside him. He knew he'd never killed someone before. "Just breathe." He said after a moment. "Don't focus on it right now. Let's get back to Ladybug."

Despite what Julian said, the words still tumbled from Chat's mouth. "Th-That man. He told me about how the past Black Cat holders have gone insane and became consumed by destruction." Chat swallowed. "I–"

"No, that's not right." Muttered Julian.

Chat shot him a side glance.

"I'll explain, but we need to get back to Ladybug quickly."

Ladybug stared down at the small statue of a wolf sitting in her hand. She really hated these Lucky Charms lately.

She dodged the lady's nails once more, jumping over to where Midnight laid still on the ground.

She gently touched him, but knew there wouldn't be a response. Something deep inside her told her he was gone.

"Sad, really." Said the lady, a fake frown covering her face. "He was such a talented soul. Amazing fighter…talented holder…" She licked her nails slowly. "Bleeding heart. Truly the whole package." She shrugged. "Oh well."

With that, she lashed forward.

However, her attack was cut short. Ladybug blinked. Standing between the woman and Ladybug was…Alpha? She stared for a couple minutes before her brain kicked into gear. She almost gasped, looking down at the statue in her hand then back at Alpha.

She threw her hands up. "Whose side are you on?!"

Alpha looked at her over his shoulder and she immediately knew something was wrong. His eyes were wide with a crazed look in them. She realized right after that he was trembling, like the very act of standing was hurting him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, taking a step toward him.

"Don't!" He Growled, his voice low and scratchy. "I don't have much time." He said slowly. "Aoo, Rest the Pack!" He shouted.

His transformation fell, revealing a man in about his forties with short silver hair and dark eyes. Without his transformation he hunched forward in pain until his knees buckled. Despirately he pulled on his necklace, a simple cord with a wolf head on the end. He dislodged it, throwing it at her.

Ladybug caught it, looking confused.

"Aoo, I renounce you!" He growled. The little white Kwami bowed to him as it was sucked back into the Miraculous.

"Why?" Asked Ladybug, staring down at the Miraculous then back to the man in front of her.

"If I keep it, he will use it to destroy this world." Explained Alpha. "I can't…keep…doing this." Tears began to stream down his cheeks. "At least…if you have my Miraculous…all he's…controlling…is a weak man." He laughed insanely, pushing himself to his feet.

"Stupid man!" Growled the woman. Alpha didn't move as she ran her nails through him. Ladybug watched as he fell to the ground, as if in slow motion.

Ladybug watched him fall to the ground as the woman turned towards her, flicking the blood from her nails.

Ladybug took one last look at Midnight as she rose to her feet, putting the wolf Miraculous around her neck.

"Aoo, Tiki! Unify!" She yelled as the woman lunged.

The woman stopped, her arms falling to her side. She stood stone still, her eyes facing unblinking forward.

Before her, Ladybug stood, her red and black suit gone. She was now dressed in a long white Qipao with a black trim. Across the front was a pattern of wildflowers in popping beautiful colors. Two ladybugs clasped the fabric by her right shoulder. Black heels were just barely visible beneath the folds of the garment. White ears adorned her head among her black hair which was pulled back into an updo held with two red needles with black spots. A matching white bushy tail waved gently behind her back.

Lady Wolf slowly walked forwards, raising her hand to her mask as she did. She removed the mask, revealing her normal blue eyes, lined with beautiful sweeping black eyeliner and red eyeshadow.

She stopped directly in front of the woman, their faces mere inches apart.

"Go away. Far away. Never hunt us again. Never go near us or our families or friends again. Leave the Miraculous world and go far away."

The woman nodded, turning on her heel and walking into the woods.

Lady Wolf replaced her mask. "Aoo, Rest the Pack."

Aoo flew out of the Miraculous, hovering near Ladybug. She smiled at him, gently tapping his head before turning back to the statue in her hand. She took a deep breath, tossing the statue into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

Chat stopped as a swarm of ladybugs descended on them. He watched as they swarmed around Julian, healing he wound in his back and causing the knife to clatter to the ground.

"What?" Julian was looking at his back, amazed.

"M'Lady" Smiled Chat. "She's amazing."

Julian laughed. "Yeah she's pretty cool."

Chat chuckled. "Feeling better?"

"Much." Julian smiled. "I think I made the right choice with you guys, I just want you to know that. You both are great people." He shook his head. "Don't…don't think about what that guys said. He's wrong. You both are amazing people."

Chat half smiled. "Maybe." He looked back into the direction of the guy he….killed.

Julian noticed. "That man was a really bad person. You don't know the half of it. The people he's killed just because he didn't like them. The thing he's done over the years as the head of the high council."

"Doesn't make it right." Chat admitted, grimly. "What I did…was horrible. I became the monster he thought I was."

"Chat–"

Before Julian could say anything, vines whipped out of the forest, grabbing Chat around the middle and around his legs. Chat looked up for a moment before his feet were swept out from beneath him.

He dug his claws in, trying to stop himself, but everything he grabbed slipped through his fingers.

Julian dove forward, grabbing Chat's hand and digging his heels into the ground. Chat came to a grinding halt, the vine pulling taut around his waist. Chat cried in pain as the vines pulled on his legs and waist.

"Hang on!" Julian nearly screamed. "I-I'll figure something out!"

Chat looked up at him, then slowly back at the vines. He took a deep breath. He removed his right hand from Julian's grip, making the man gasp and hold onto his left hand tighter. Chat put his ring finger in his mouth, pulling off his Miraculous. Instantly he detransformed, Plagg flying around confused.

Julian gave him a look asking so many questions as he watched Adrien take the ring out of his mouth.

"Plagg…I…renounce you." Gasped Adrien. Plagg tried to protest as he was pulled back into the Miraculous. Adrien tossed the ring to Julian's feet, the man giving him a confused look. "Protect her." He said, a weak smile crossing his lips as he twisted his left hand, forcing Julian to lose his grip.

Julian watched helplessly as he was pulled into the woods.