Chapter Seven: Last chance.
"So?" he looks at Marinette, then at Tikki, before looking back at Marinette.
"So…" She whispers, her voice still weak. "We're going to use a bit of luck?"
As she says that, Marinette gets back on her feet, slightly wobbling on her unsteady and shaky legs.
"Tikki, s… spot… spots… spots on…"
A pool of pink light engulfs Marinette just as she collapses, the heavy sound of her body falling to the ground pounding in Chat's chest as if his heart was ready to burst outside of it. Although the mirrors have stopped moving a while ago, his head continues to spin quite hard as he begins to spiral into the worst case scenario. His knees weaken, sending him falling to the ground next to his Lady. She continues to struggle, trying to recover from the shock as all her strength starts to leave her body.
"Careful, M'L—" Chat starts only to be cut off by a now familiar chuckle reverberating into the labyrinth of mirrors. "...Lady."
"Well, that's an unexpected turn. I didn't see it coming but it's a very nice twist. Two Miraculouses for the sake of one. Looks like your luck has run out Ladybug," Lila mocks the ladybug heroine.
"I wouldn't be so sure… if I were you… Did you see this… coming? Lucky… Luck-y..." Squeezing her yoyo tightly, she tries to summon her power, gathering what's left of her strength, "lu-luck-y…" and failing to do so as her eyelids flutter shut.
"M'Lady!" Chat screams as his partner faints before him.
"Ouch, actually yes, I saw it coming. It's just a matter of time now for the poison to kill her. Be reasonable, Agreste: give up," Atlas commands him.
"Adrien…" Narciso's voice echoes on top of Lila's. "Think of Marinette, please~" His cousin's tone is strangely filled with tangible concern.
"Can you stop worrying for her? You wanted to see Adrien suffer, right? If she dies, he will suffer deeply enough to satisfy your needs."
"She's a human being, Lila!"
"Do I look like I give a damn? You can create Senti-beings. What's the difference? If you want her that bad, just create your own Marinette to satisfy all your desires," she huffs, her I-don't-care attitude sending cold chills down Chat's spine. Has the woman completely lost her mind?
His blood runs cold. Any choices he's going to make from now on will force him to give up on his Lady anyway.
If he agrees to Lila and Félix's conditions, he will lose the love of his life at his cousin's expense. If he does not agree, they're right, Marinette will die.
What the hell would Ladybug do in such a bad position (and he has to admit that this one is a hell of a tricky one)? She's the one usually coming up with insightful plans! Not him.
Think, Agreste! You're not just a pretty face. You graduated at the top of your class, you speak five languages, and you're a superhero known for being spirited and reactive. And a bit reckless too, so damn it dude, if there's ever a time to take a risk, it's now or never!
"Tick tock," Lila, Atlas, scoffs once again.
Knowing their time is counting down doesn't help at all. Especially since he has no idea how much time they have left. Not a lot, judging that his Lady's mind has completely given up the fight. Not her body, though. He makes sure of that by placing two fingers on her pulse point; the pressure he feels underneath, though a bit fast, still a good sign that her heart was working just as it should.
Slowly, he begins to rack his fingers through his Lady's hair, just as he would do with his own, nervously messing up his own whilst deep in thought.
Chat Noir tries to come up with something. Anything. Marinette might be strong but this doesn't mean that he doesn't have to act quickly if he wants a chance to save her. Yet it's actually the emptiness… at least, until one of his claws gets stuck in one of his partner's earrings. His gaze instantaneously zeroing on her Miraculous, the evidence hitting him straight in the face.
If they wanted to use a bit of luck…they still can use some of it.
"Plagg, claws in."
There's an internal fight going on inside of him at that very moment. If Tikki's power was giving a bit of her luck to Marinette… then he was maybe making the wrong decision by thinking about borrowing said luck. Though, he doesn't have that many choices if he wants to give them a chance. To give her a chance.
Making up his mind, Adrien eventually crouches over his Lady's body. He delicately pulls off her earrings, the flash of pink light wrapping over her body and forcing him to close his eyes briefly as the transformation unfolds.
"Well, you're finally being reasonable, how thoughtful of you."
Adrien's hand closes over his Lady's Miraculous, his fist squeezing tightly as it shakes. "I haven't said my last word, Lila." The way her name rolls over his lips is full of disdain. Though she's not even worth wasting his precious time on.
Never wrestle with a pig. You'll only get dirty and the pig likes it.
His hand relaxes, still keeping his Lady's Miraculous safe in the palm of it. Moving his free hand, he slowly fidgets with his own Miraculous before pulling it off. He reaches for Marinette's ring finger, gently placing the silver band on it.
"I promise I'll get you out of here. I won't let you down, princess. I'll never let you down." The black Cat Miraculous instantaneously takes a radiant rose gold shade around Marinette's finger. One that looks perfect on her, and a shade that's made for her. Adrien gently strokes the ring with the pad of his thumb, love swelling his heart in unwavering faith. "Once you're safe and sound, I'll put the most beautiful ring on your finger and make you mine forever," he whispers tenderly, bringing Marinette's hand to his mouth and gingerly brushing his lips against her knuckles, laying on it a kiss as light as a dandelion fluttering in the wind. "I love you, Marinette, and I always thought you'd be my downfall… but please, don't be yours. Hold on for me. For us. I need you by my side. Without you, I am just a shadow of a lost, stray cat prowling the rooftops of Paris."
Cautiously letting go of her hand, he places a soft kiss on her forehead before getting back onto his feet. His stance is strong and determined as he brings his partner's earrings to his earlobe. They miraculously take place, standing proud and ready to transform him. Ready to give him their very last chance.
In a bright pink hue, Mister Bug takes the lead, not wasting any time summoning the much awaited Lucky Charm—their last chance.
The next moment, a small bottle labeled golden dust rested in the palm of his polka dotted hand.
His eyes widened. What the hell was he going to do with this? It was by no means the time to use the mirrors as disco balls, add glitter on it, and throw a big party. (Not yet). That would have to wait until they kicked Lila and Félix's asses. For now, this shall have another use. One completely opposite to what may seem obvious to do with golden dust.
Which could mean a lot of things…
Ugh! A grunt rises in Mister Bug's throat as he turns, upside down, the little bottle in his hand like an hourglass, scrutinizing it from different angles.
"It's really lovely that you don't want to let go, but it's a waste of time, Bugger. You won't defeat us with pixie dust even though your black cat kwami must be flying around you like Tinkerbell."
"I'll show her what Tinkerbell can do! You just have to say the word and I'll get rid of that bitch species."
Barely registering his kwami's protests and threats, Mister Bug keeps fidgeting with his lucky charm, twisting and ogling it with a glare, until Plagg's words sink in. He turns around and practically shoves the bottle under his kwami's nose, waving it frantically.
"Does this ring a bell?"
"Are you kitten me? Are you in on it with her for comparing me to a chiming fairy? You're the one who decided to wear a stupid bell on your neck, not me," Plagg hisses at him.
"Plagg, I'm serious. I need to know if this is reminding you of something. I feel like I should pair this with you, but I don't understand how?" Mister Bug scratches his head, looking intently at his little flying cat.
"There's no way you're going to dust me with that. I'm not a freaking birthday cake!"
"Plagg!" He scolds his long-time kwami. "Please~" his voice breaks along with his plea. The prospect of Marinette never blowing out a candle on a birthday cake again slowly turns his heart into shredded pieces. There's no way they'd let this happen. He lowers himself, sitting next to Marinette, reaching for her face and stroking down the hair framing her cheeks as his eyes study the way her chest rises and falls with her steady breathing.
She still looks fine and stable. For the moment, anyway.
"Hold on, M'Lady. Just a little more, please."
Plagg starts flying nervously around Mister Bug's hand, the bottle of dust becoming the center of his attention as though it was a smelly camembert. "Honestly, I don't know. I'm sorry, Kid."
"Argh! I don't know what to do! I can't do it without her! I feel like a bug tangled in a spider web!" He pulls on his hair, cradling both sides of his face as he starts rocking back and forth nervously.
"That's it!" Plagg points out. "You're not tangled; you've gotten yourself stuck up in a tree!"
Mister Bug raises an inquisitive brow. Well…he likes puns and wordplay—he really does. Though he does now understand why Ladybug always told him he had bad timing and why she hated that.
"Plagg, you—"
"Ah, kids these days! Lemme explain, will you?" The kwami shushes him. "That's the explanation I gave her back the day when blondie's mom, Queen has-been, turned you into a golden dust sleeping beauty and I had to protect your secret identity. History repeated itself and almost had a second leaning tower…of Paris."
Mister Bug's eyes flicker from the bottle of golden dust to his kwami, his gaze stern. "Tell me more? What happened then? Have you—?"
"Yes, I used my power to save your scaredy cat ass and your Lady's."
"Your pow—" Mister Bug pauses in his tracks, his eyes lighting like a lightbulb. "Of course! It might work!"
"This is risky. We're in a small, closed space… I don't think it's a goo—"
"You never failed me. I trust you, buddy."
"Use your body as her shield."
He doesn't need to be told twice. Pulling Marinette onto his lap, Mister Bug uses the whole height and width of his frame to cover her petite silhouette, like a mammal covering his progeny.
"It's going to be a bit of a…" Plagg pauses before snickering in a whisper, "...cataclysm."
Oh, the Cliffhanger! yeah, I know.
Miraculous kisses y'all! See you on Wednesday.