Cat Noir stumbled against the wall, choking on the dust floating through the air. He couldn't see Rena Rouge, Carapace, or Princess Justice anymore through the thick cloud of dust. He hoped they were all okay.
What had Princess Justice meant when she said Ladybug was dead? He'd been at the school from the time of her akumatization onward, and she certainly hadn't had time to do anything to Ladybug, so he didn't think it was literal.
But it didn't matter. "Plagg, claws in," he said, and Plagg appeared, spiraling out of his ring.
"What are you doing?" Plagg asked, hovering anxiously in front of Adrien. "There's still a supervillain at large!"
Adrien shook his head and coughed when dust fell from his hair into his mouth. "Cat Noir can't get through to Marinette, but maybe Adrien can."
"What make you think she will listen to you?" Plagg asked, crossing his arms.
"We're friends," Adrien explained.
"She's friends with Alya too, and you saw what good that did her." Plagg rolled his eyes.
"It's different, Plagg. Alya didn't believe her, but I did. Maybe I can talk some sense into her. I know Marinette is strong enough to fight the akuma on her own." Adrien paused. "Speaking of which, do you know where Ladybug is?"
Plagg's normally dark face turned red, and he clamped his mouth shut. "No, I can't tell you."
"Why not?" Adrien asked. He blinked. "Does it have something to do with her secret identity?"
Plagg shook his head fast. "Don't ask, it's better you don't know. Besides, don't you have a damsel in distress to save?"
"I'm pretty sure she's not in distress," Adrien muttered, remembering the way Princess Justice had brought down the walls with a single thought. "Plagg, hide."
The kwami ducked into Adrien's jacket, and the blond boy dove into the dust, eyes narrowed. Adrien coughed as the dust entered his lungs, and he tripped over a piece of rubble, scraping his knees on the remains of the courtyard as he fell to the ground.
She did a lot of damage, Adrien thought as he picked himself up. Where is everyone? he wondered, glancing around the space but only seeing a cloud of dust.
A loud groan echoed from overhead, and Adrien gazed upward, eyebrows furrowed. The dust cloud above him swirled, but Adrien couldn't see anything important. He waited for a moment longer just to be sure.
Suddenly, a huge chunk of rubble fell from overhead, headed straight for Adrien's skull. He grabbed his jacket, intending to transform, but a shadow came over him before he had the chance.
A golden staff whipped through the air and cut the falling rock in half, splitting it so it landed on either side of Adrien and missed him entirely. He let out a shaky breath, raising a hand to comb through his hair. That rock had almost killed him.
"Adrien, are you okay?" someone asked. Adrien looked up to see Princess Justice staring at him, concern etched on her face. She clenched her staff tightly in her hand, and he suddenly realized she had saved his life.
"Yeah. Thank you, Marinette." Adrien breathed deeply, trying to cleanse the remains of fear from his mind. He had experienced death and extreme pain before, but this time Ladybug wasn't around to bring him back with her lucky charm. He had to be careful in his civilian form.
Her face hardened, and she stepped back, her expression devoid of emotion. "I told you to run," she intoned. "Why did you disobey me?"
"I want to help." Adrien squared his shoulders, suddenly realizing her transformation made her taller than him. He took a step forward and laid his hands on her shoulders, although it was uncomfortable. "Marinette, you're better than this. You can fight the akuma and free yourself. I know you can do it."
She stared at him, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Please, Marinette. Come back for me," Adrien tried.
Her eyes softened, and for a moment Adrien saw his friend again, the kind, loving girl who always helped others no matter what. It was horrible what Hawk Moth had done to her. Marinette wasn't supposed to be the villain. She was their everyday Ladybug.
His hand slipped down and grabbed hers tightly. "That's it, Marinette, that's it,"' he whispered. He dared to breath. Maybe he had been right, and he really could help Marinette save herself.
A purple mask suddenly overlaid Marinette's face, and she stiffed for a moment. It faded almost immediately, but it had already done its damage.
"Don't listen to Hawk Moth, Marinette-" Adrien gripped her hand tighter, not willing to let go. He had been so close . . .
Princess Justice yanked her hand from his grasp, her eyebrows furrowing. "My name is Princess Justice. Marinette is gone!"
"But I like Marinette!" Adrien yelled. "She's amazing and kind and she would never hurt anyone."
"STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!" Princess Justice yelled, yanking at her hair as she backed away from him. "If you really thought so you wouldn't-you would've-AGH!" Her staff slammed into the ground, sending a tremor through the school.
"Marinette, please, don't hurt anyone else," Adrien begged, fear clenching at his stomach, but he pushed it down. Marinette would never hurt him, right?
"Hurt them?" Princess Justice asked, turning toward him with a sneer. "I have done nothing but help and serve the people of Paris, and what do I get for it? Yelled at, expelled, and hated by everyone and everything. I deserve so much more, and I will take it," she yelled, her entire body trembling.
"I didn't believe Lila." Adrien splayed his hands out, hoping it would help him seem nonthreatening. "It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks; I am on your side."
Princess Justice stared at him, her chest heaving up and down. "I trusted them, and they betrayed me." She looked away. "I'm the only one that can keep Paris safe."
"Marinette, you don't understand-" Adrien began.
"No, you don't understand!" Princess Justice gritted her teeth. "I'm doing this for you. For the boy I loved who never loved me back. I'm doing this for all of Paris!" She took a deep breath. "You have to trust me."
"I trust you, Marinette, but I don't trust these new powers. Hawk Moth is messing with your mind." Adrien's mind spun. Who was the boy she loved? Was it Luka? But no, Luka was definitely in love with Marinette. So who could it be? It seemed like Lila's lies hadn't been the only reason Marinette had been akumatized.
Princess Justice shook her head. "No, he's helping me see clearer than ever before," she whispered, her eyes distant for a moment. "Adrien, I need you to stay back. I don't want you to get hurt."
Adrien took a purposeful step forward. "I'm not going anywhere, Marinette, not until you come back with me."
"Fine!" Princess Justice gritted her teeth. "You leave me no choice!" She waved her staff, tears running down her face.
Adrien found himself lifted off his feet and floating backward. The rubble surrounding them rose upward and pressed together, melding into a cage around Adrien. Within seconds, he was trapped.
Adrien rose and banged on the bars of his new cage, furious at his own inability to help his friend. "Marinette! Let me out!"
"Stay here. You'll be safe here." Princess Justice turned away, her blue tunic waving in the breeze.
"Marinette, please!" Adrien yelled, tears wetting his cheeks.
Princess Justice looked back. "Adrien?" she asked, one perfect eyebrow raised.
Adrien bit his lip, hope igniting his chest. "Yes?"
"It's Princess Justice." She smirked and walked away, leaving him alone and entrapped.