"And now coming to you live from the base of the Eiffel Tower, we have Clara Contard covering the ongoing akuma attack. Clara?"
"Hi Nadja! It's been crazy out here! If you couldn't guess," Clara laughed anxiously, trying to avoid being caught up in the madness going on behind her. She stepped to the side quickly and the camera man followed, barely catching the knife flying by them on camera. "This akuma seems to be a miffed culinary student. I have yet to hear his name!" Clara dodged another knife and tried to keep the smile plastered on her face. "But Ladybug and Chat Noir will surely have it under control soon!"
"Are you saying Ladybug and Chat Noir are not in control of the situation at the moment?" Nadja asked from the studio, leaning forward slightly across her desk to get a better look.
"Oh no, no, no!" Clara's eyes followed the superheroes, eye twitching anxiously at the sight before her. "Not at all!"
"Here, akuma akuma!" Chat called, leaping across support beams as he tormented the akumatized villain. "Come on! Don't you want to just give up already? You're a pizzawork! A has bean! Just take the path of yeast resistance and surrender!"
"Chat! Now is not the thyme!" Ladybug scolded, a step ahead of him and a small smile on her face. She couldn't remember when or how, but slowly he had snuck into her heart and brought his terrible puns with him.
"M'lady, you look radishing today." Chat cooed, jumping up to the next level of the tower and leading the akuma around the back.
"I look the same as I do every day!" Ladybug rolled her eyes, following his every move.
"What's the plan?" Chat shouted, ducking under an oncoming ladle. "You know olive you, but I think it's thyme to cut to the cheese here and end this thing. I've got places to beet!"
"Your puns are terrible! And while I a-peach-e-ate the sentiment," Ladybug laughed. "I cherish our friend-chip." Ladybug used her yo-yo to swing them both out of the way of an attack and groaned. "I'm all out of ideas! His weapons are endless, I haven't spotted a weakness. He's not doing a ton of damage since we've been leading him around in circles, but I'm thinking it's time for a- Lucky Charm!" She called for her power, frowning when a stuffed ladybug with a felt tie fell into her hands. "Mister Bug?"
"Yes?" Chat hummed sweetly from her side.
"Not you!" Ladybug groaned and squeezed the plush. "What am I supposed to do with this?" She looked around, unsure. "I guess we'll have to save it for later."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, M'lady." Chat smiled and peeked out from their hiding spot. "This akuma isn't too bright. You'd think he would have come looking for us by now."
"He's not very smart but he is dangerous." Ladybug stepped closer to her partner and followed his line of sight. "That knife block he's carrying constantly replenishes. Any idea where the akuma could be?"
"At first I thought the knife block. Now I'm thinking I must be wrong. Do you see that thing hanging out of his pocket just a bit? I think it's a paper. Maybe he got a bad mark or something." Chat hurried to duck back into their hiding place when the akuma suddenly turned their way, grabbing Ladybug by the arm and tugging her along and out of sight.
"Thanks." She nodded to her partner, a frown developing on her face. "If the akumatized object is that paper in his pocket, we're going to need to get closer. Much closer. I'll need a distraction, Kitty."
"On it!" Chat leapt from their hiding spot and began to torment the akuma as Ladybug began to sneakily make her way down the tower.
"Come on! I know you're feeling a bit melon-choly but try to romaine calm and let us do our job!" Chat called as he ran along the base of the tower.
"I will do nothing else until all of Paris knows I am the greatest chef that ever lived!" The akuma drew another weapon from his bag, a spatula this time, and aimed it for Chat's head.
"I think that's a bit mallow-dramatic don't you?" Chat teased, jumping out of the way with a smile. "Life isn't all easy peazy! You're gotta be pre-peared to not always be the best!"
As Chat kept the akuma busy, Ladybug found herself crawling along the base of the tower, doing her best to stay out of sight. Slowly she snuck forward, catching the end of her partner's teasing.
"I will always be the best!" The akuma pulled a knife from his knife block and Ladybug hurried forward to try and grab the akumatized object before the akuma could go for Chat, but just as she stepped forward she saw it- a shift in the way the akuma stood, his head tilted as if listening- Chat saw it too, his eyes widened as he yelled-
"M'Lady watch out!"
The akuma spun on her and all Ladybug could feel was pain. Pain in her abdomen, pain in her chest, pain everywhere. She grabbed for her stomach first, screwing her eyes shut as she hit the ground. Her head hit with a thud and she groaned as she felt something warm running down her temple. She curled into a ball, but quickly unfurling herself when she realized how much more pain that caused. In an instant she was moving, up up up, the wind whooshing through her ears as Chat carried her away. She wasn't sure how he had gotten past the akuma, but she clung to him, eyes still shut as tight as could be, fingers turning white with her grip on his leather sleeve.
"Hold on M'lady. Almost there."
Chat Noir dropped down into the nearest covered alleyway, heart pounding as he laid his lady against the bricks. She let out a groan and he whimpered in return, tail swishing anxiously behind him.
"Bugaboo?" He prodded, cat ears pinned against his head as he gently reached out to touch her blood streaked face. "Talk to me."
"Chat." Her voice was weak, trembling. "There's…there's a lot of blood. I can't look. I'm gonna-." Suddenly she lurched, leaning over and emptying the contents of her stomach on the patch of grass beside her. As she tried to sit up, she was overtaken by a coughing fit, her hands coming up to clutch her abdomen as she wheezed.
"M'lady!" Chat cried, moving her hands to examine her body. The dark red stains quickly spreading across her suit made his heart drop to his stomach and he began to panic. "What do I do? Who do I call? What can I-"
"Chat." She whispered, stopping the boy mid panic. "Take Tikki. Defeat the akuma."
"But-"
"I'll be fine..the ladybugs..they'll heal me. Take my earrings. Go save Paris."
"M'lady, I can't-"
"Please." She choked, arms tightening around herself. "Tikki-"
"No!"
"Tikki, spots off."
And there sat Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
"Marinette." Chat Noir blinked, mind frozen for a moment in shock as he fought to comprehend what he had just seen. The girl doubled over again, shaking as she vomited once more. "Marinette!" Chat snapped into action, bending down next to her and beginning to take off her earrings. "Don't worry. I'll fix this. I'll make it all go away. Don't worry." He looked to the exhausted kwami at Marinette's side. "Do you have something to eat?"
"In her purse." Tikki lay wearily on Marinette's leg as Chat searched the purse.
"Here you go." Chat handed the little god a macaroon he had dug from the bottom of the bag and quickly fitted both earrings to his ears. Thank god for his father's insistence that he get his ears pierced. Of course, Gabriel had only been thinking about Adrien's ability to model any accessory needed, but now it would save Paris..save Marinette. "Good to go?" He asked Tikki quickly as he turned to check on Marinette, finding her drifting in and out of consciousness.
"But Marinette.." Tikki whimpered, cuddling up to her injured chosen. "She'll be alone."
"No she won't. Don't worry." Chat Noir gently reached out to cover Marinette's eyes. "Plagg, claws out." Chat felt Marinette startle under his palm and he cooed reassuringly. "Don't worry. I won't show you who I am. I know it's important to you. I'm sorry I had to see who you are, but I promise your secret is safe with me. Tikki, spots on!" As he transformed he hurriedly tossed Plagg a piece of cheese from his pocket.
"Chat.." Marinette whined as he removed his hand. She reached for him and he smiled, taking and kissing the back of her hand.
"Don't worry Princess. Plagg will stay with you." Mister Bug turned to the Kwami of destruction quickly. "Plagg, stay here with her. If anything goes wrong, I give you full permission to use your powers without me, consequences be damned. Do whatever you have to in order to keep her safe. Got it?"
"She's safe with me, kid." Plagg nodded, flying down to rest on Marinette's collar bone. "We'll be here when you get back."
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He leaned down once more to Marinette's level and gently kissed her forehead.
"Chat!" Marinette cried, grabbing onto his arm. "If I die.."
"You're not going to die. I'm going to defeat the akuma and then you'll be healed right up."
"But if I'm not.." She looked up at him then, clinging to him as her whole body shook. "I want you to know that I…I love you." She whimpered and Chat hurriedly embraced her, hugging her as tightly as he could without causing her any more pain.
"I love you too, Bug. Don't worry. I'll be right back." He bent down and planted his lips on hers, kissing her soundly before stepping away and throwing his yo-yo as far as he could in the direction of the akuma. As he swung away, he risked a quick glance back.
"Please be okay." He prayed.
"Please."
~•••••~
"Plagg?" Marinette's voice met Plagg's ears as the girl reached up to pet him. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"
"No, sugar. You're gonna be just fine." Plagg curled into the girl's neck, purring softly as he counted the beats of her heart.
"Plagg?" She shivered and Plagg wondered if she was cold or going into shock. He assumed a mix of both.
"Yes, bug?" He answered, ears twitching as he listened for any sign of Mister Bug's return.
"I'm scared."
"Just go to sleep, little bug. My boy will be back soon and this will all be over."
"I don't want to die!" Tears began to fall and roll down her cheeks as Plagg began to cry with her, trying to keep quiet and continue comforting her as best he could. This was always the worst part; watching them right before it ended.
"Hey, hey," He whispered gently to get her attention. "Don't cry. It'll be alright. I'm here. I'm here." The Kwami continued purring into her neck as he felt and heard her breath catch. There was a moment…a pause..And then…
Silence.
Plagg wept into the girl's neck as the thudding beat of her heart disappeared.