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Chat Noir's P.O.V
I watched as my partner tried to punch the woman in the mirror. I was taken aback by everything that just occurred before me. I have never seen Ladybug this angry before. She usually is very levelheaded.
Although, if I were told all of that, I would have punched her too (even if she is a girl). I recognized the woman from the party I had crashed at nearly a week ago.
She wanted me and Marinette dead right on the spot. I understand why she would want me dead. But someone from her own class? A despicable woman, no doubt. I have only met her once and my first impression of her was nothing short of horrendous.
I wondered how Ladybug knew this vile woman. Yet, I pushed it aside. Whoever Ladybug is under the mask and how she knows the woman, it is none of my business. But I do understand the hatred towards her. That is all I need to know.
Those words coming from that vile woman must have been hurtful if she broke through Ladybug's coolness.
Even with Ladybug's powerful strike, the glass did not crack and the woman faded out of existence. Ladybug stayed frozen in that stance with her head bowed for a moment. Her body expanded with every heavy breath she took.
Then, her fingers slipped out from a fist and her palm laid flat on the glass. She leaned her head on the pane before sinking to her knees in defeat.
She kept silent, much to my concern.
Is this the power of the house? It digs through our minds and manifests our weak points into reality. Are we about to walk through our nightmares? Is our negativity a source of its meal?
My frown deepened as I approached my partner. I cannot imagine what else this place will do to try and shut us down like this. It was only our first encounter and Ladybug already looked so crushed.
I knelt next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. I opened my mouth to ask if she was okay but realized that would be stupid to ask. Obviously, she was not. Her pride was fractured and her insecurities were exploited.
"Chat Noir..."
I perked up, not expecting Ladybug to suddenly speak up. I placed my attention on her but kept my awareness of our surroundings on high.
"Yes?" I questioned, letting her know I was listening.
"I am going to lock Hawkmoth in a casket, hide the key so it is never found, and send him to the fiery gates below," Ladybug growled with furry. I blinked in befuddlement at her threat. This is not the Ladybug I am used too. She is somewhat...scary when she is mad.
Have our roles switched suddenly? It seems I am going to be the voice of reason.
"Ladybug, I know you are frustrated but we need to keep our minds level. Let us not be discouraged by demeaning words that are what they only are: words. Words that are far from the truth," I spoke.
"That is what this house wants from us. It wants to break our spirits and feed on it. What it does not know is that we are stronger than it."
Ladybug finally turned her head towards me. There was a struggle in those bluebells but there was also hope peeking out.
She helped me sort out my problems. Now, it was my turn to give her my shoulder to lean on.
We are a team. Teammates always support each other in their time of need and help them rise from rock bottom.
I stood up and stuck out my hand for her to take.
"Let us go show this demon who not to mess with," I concluded with a confident grin.
Ladybug switched her gaze between me and my offered hand. Then, a determined smile arose from the ashes of her sadness. She took my hand and I helped her stand on her feet.
"Yes, we shall," Ladybug agreed.
Ladybug's P.O.V
"So long as I am with him, I feel stronger. He makes me want to be a better hero and leader of the rebels. Not even these shadowy halls will succumb to my good spirit as long as I remember who and what I am fighting for," I thought.
"And I know Chat Noir will be at my side to help me remember when I forget."
The quiet hallway suddenly filled with whispering. The mirrors had silhouettes of different people of shapes and sizes, each having ghastly white eyes.
Their whispers made my head ache like an attack on my brain. I groaned, holding my head in pain.
Chat Noir was affected by the whispering too but was handling them a lot worse than I was. He covered his ears tightly, his claws digging into his skull. His eyes were shut. His teeth clenched and let out cries of pain at times. His strength dwindled with each passing second, making him so weak that he eventually fell to a knee.
"Chat," I called out to him with extreme concern.
I have to stop this whispering before Chat Noir passes out. I cannot defeat the Akuma without his help and drag him around in his limp form. It is up to me.
I looked around the hallway but find nothing of use to me.
There is only one thing left I can do.
"Lucky Charm!" I called upon my power. The ladybug-printed object fell. I caught it and immediately examined the thing. It was cylinder-shaped and when I shook it, a liquid sloshed around inside.
I opened the cylinder's top and the familiar smell hit my nose.
"Paint?" I questioned, "How is paint going to help us?"
There was even a rather large brush inside, dipped in the red liquid.
It was pretty hard to think of a plan when my head feels like it is about to explode. Yet, I cannot imagine the agony Chat is going through right now.
I have to be quick. I looked around before an idea came to mind with the mirrors. I glanced at Chat Noir to see him laying on the ground, his face scrunched up in agony.
Beep beep!
I gasped, hearing my miraculous beep a warning. Four minutes left.
I need to move fast!
I ripped the lid off and snatched the brush. I covered a majority of the mirrors with a few quick strokes. I was not sure how this was going to work but prayed it would.
I was nearly halfway done when my earring signaled my last remaining two minutes. I sloppily rushed with the rest. As I finished, the whispers vanished. The hallway went silent but I am still unsure why that is.
I sighed in relief, feeling victorious for my accomplishment. Chat Noir groaned, slowly standing from off the ground. He still held his head but seemed to be recovering from the harsh attack.
Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep!
My body stiffened as a spike of terror rose from the depths. I gasped, watching my suit slowly begin to vanish from my form.
Chat Noir immediately snapped out of his dazed state when noticing my circumstance. He grabbed his baton and extended it. He began to twirl it at inhuman speeds causing a breeze that blew out the candles.
In those few moments stuck in pitch black, I felt someone pull me close to them before the candles flickered on once more. Chat Noir held me close, trying to cover me to keep my identity safe. My transformation had completely disappeared.
I felt my hands trembling and buried my face into his chest to hide as much as possible. I did not think I would be so terrified of Chat knowing my true identity until now. I suppose I never thought about it but it scares me.
Many paranoid questions spun in my head.
What if I am not what he wants in a partner? What if I do not meet his standards? What if he thinks that I tricked him, somehow?
What if he thinks that I do not belong in the rebellion? Thinks that a wealthy lady like me is no good for leading the team? Thinks that I am fragile and abandons me like everyone else does?
What if he hates me?
My trembling worsened. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks out of fear that someone—all the people I consider my friends—that I truly care for would look at me with disgust. Hate me because of my class or the unladylike way I act or...or...
"Do not worry. I am not going to look," Chat Noir assured in such a comforting way, "I will keep you safe. Just relax. We shall wait until Tikki finishes her treat and you can transform again."
I hummed in confirmation, sounding close to a whimper instead.
So, we stayed in this position. I could smell a fresh sort of breeze coming from Chat Noir. It helped me calm down. I closed my eyes and relaxed into his embrace. I know this is not the time for this but I hardly get a chance to be this close to Chat. I am going to enjoy this while it lasted.
Although, the quietness between us is quite uncomfortable.
"I do not understand what happened," I spoke up with a bit of a rasp in my voice, "Why did the whispers stop after I covered the mirrors with paint?"
Chat Noir hummed in thought before saying his theory on the matter.
"It could have possibly all been in our heads even though it sounded like they were screaming in our ears. And those shadowy people had to see us for their demonic chants to work. Once you blocked their sight, the chanting was stopped," Chat Noir guessed, which made a lot of sense in my opinion. I could not think of any other reason why they halted their assault.
"I am ready!" Tikki informed me.
"Tikki spots on!" I said. My anxiety dwindled once my mask was back on. I smiled at the surge of energy returning to my muscles. I felt much better.
Before Chat Noir stepped too far away, I gave him a quick squeeze.
"Thank you so much for being such a wonderful partner, Mon Minou," I said with gratitude, "I am so glad you are the one by my side."
I looked up at him with a huge smile before it fell. I noticed a few streaks of crimson coming from behind his ear and going down his neck.
"Oh my! Are you alright?" I asked, concerned. I stretched my hand up in search of the wound. It must have been when he had dug his claws too deeply into his head.
"Yes, I am okay," Chat Noir tried to reassure me but I continued to pester. I combed my fingers through his hair, making him wince.
"Sorry," I mumbled, getting a good look at his injuries. The scratches did not look deep and were not anything bad. Yet, it did not stop a knot of worry to tighten more. Those whispers were not just any normal whispers.
They said things that haunted my very soul. I have not had much experience with darkness but Chat Noir...
He was being tortured by it. Whatever his past was like was far more unpleasant compared to my own. He ended up hurting himself because he was unable to handle it—to block out the mental pain by replacing it with a physical one.
"It is nothing," he said with slight venom and retracted my hand away, "We have to keep moving."
I hesitated, still worried about his well-being. I could tell he was shaken by that experience and was trying to hide it for the sake of the mission. He was right. We do not have time to waste. I will have to confront him about this later.
"Okay," I agreed, unsurely.
Chat Noir held out his hand to me. I stared at it in confusion with a flutter in my stomach.
"Do not put much thought into this. I have a grave feeling that we might be separated if we do not stay locked together. Who knows what other evils lie ahead of us," Chat Noir explained in an unsettling way.
I felt a chilly breeze hit me and shivered. I gave an understanding nod before taking his hand. We traveled deeper into the house, keeping aware of our surroundings. I was so paranoid. I was unable to help scanning every crack and cranny we passed.
We were slowly making our way back into total darkness. My chest hurt from my hammering organ being powered by my fear. However, I cannot let it control me or else it may lead to our failure.
The only sounds that could be heard were the creaking wood below our every step. Everything felt too...still as if whatever was hiding in the cover of ebony was preparing to jump at the right time. A predator waiting to jump on its unsuspecting prey.
Suddenly, Chat Noir came to a halt. I was about to ask what was wrong until his hand was yanked out of my grasp. I felt a slight wind of something pass by my face.
"Chat, what is the matter?" I asked my partner.
"Did you hear that? Who was it? Was that you?" he asked, every question shot off like rapid fire.
"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "I did not hear or say anything."
"You did not hear a woman's voice? I suppose, she did whisper but I heard her. Her voice—she sounded so...familiar," Chat explained, trying to convince me of hearing a woman's voice.
"It must be the house messing with our minds," I reminded him, "Whatever you heard, it was probably in your head. That is why I could not hear it."
It makes me wonder what he heard. A woman's voice but not just any, a familiar voice. Maybe, it is someone he is close too. A family member or a friend.
"No, I heard her whisper right into my ear and...and I felt something like the warmth of hands on my shoulders," Chat Noir explained. My eye twitched and another wave of chills ran down my body.
"Creepy..." I thought, "I despise this house."
"What did the woman say?" I asked.
Chat paused for a moment before deciding to answer, "She...she said..."
He never got to finish when the lights flickered on.
Chat Noir's P.O.V
Ladybug and I were walking down the hallway. While my one hand grasped Ladybug's, my other was held out to not run into anything.
I felt so useless at this kind of moment.
I have the power to see in the dark. Yet, whatever is going on in this house is somehow canceling it out. This was very frustrating. I cannot imagine how much time we have already wasted with those mirrors and blindly walking through a curtain of black.
I was not prepared for something to unexpectedly grasp ahold of my shoulders from behind. It was gently squeezing them and a voice spoke into my ear.
"Adrien."
I stood rigid for a second before switching into a defensive pose. I tried to listen and sense the presence from which the disembodied voice came. It sounded of a woman but I know for a fact that it was not Ladybug...or was it?
Her voice sounded so familiar though.
"Chat, what is the matter?" Ladybug asked.
"Did you hear that? Who was it? Was that you?" I questioned with a quick pace.
"What?" She asked in confusion, "I did not hear or say anything."
That was what I thought, concerning me even more. It could be that I am freaked out too much and am hearing things. Yet, I know I felt something touch my shoulders. I could not have had imagined that. Could I?
No, I know that there was someone.
"You did not hear a woman's voice? I suppose, she did whisper but I heard her. Her voice—she sounded so...familiar," I tried to convince her.
"It must be the house messing with our minds," she reminded me, "Whatever you heard, it was probably in your head. That is why I could not hear it."
No, I felt the presence physically. The warmth of the hands and the squeeze of my shoulders. The breath of air against my ear. There was no way that could have all been in my head.
"No, I heard her whisper right into my ear and...and I felt something like the warmth of hands on my shoulders," I explained, shaking my head in denial.
"What did the woman say?" Ladybug asked.
I paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to answer. I obviously could not give away my name. If what Ladybug said was true about being unable to hear that voice, then I could just say that it said my name.
"She...she said..."
I never got to finish when candles flickered to life above on a small chandelier.
We stood inside a room. A very unusual room with its walls, floor and ceiling all a mirror. Ladybug and I stood back to back, watching out for whatever would happen in this area.
"I do not have a good feeling about this," Ladybug commented, swinging her yoyo.
"The feeling is mutual," I replied, readying myself for a fight.
"Adrien."
I clenched my baton tighter and my eyes widen when hearing that woman's voice once again. Yet, it was much louder this time...enough for even Ladybug to hear.
I looked over my shoulder to see her reaction but she was unfazed.
It was almost like...Ladybug could not hear it. That is right. This is all in my head. Why am I struggling to remember this fact? Is my head still spinning from the earlier assault on it?
I returned my gaze forward and jumped back in fright.
In the mirror straight ahead of me, there stood a figure of a woman's silhouette and glowing white eyes.
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