AN: I blame executive dysfunction and school for finishing this prompt a day late.
Marinette is curled up in as many blankets as she can manage, shivering as the cold wind blows into her unheated apartment. The night is cold and threatening snow. Unfortunately for Marinette, ladybugs don't do so well in the cold. So she's curled up on her mattress at home, if the broken apartment can really be called that. She didn't really come to Gotham with a plan. Technically, at least on paper, Marinette Dupain-Cheng never left Paris, she just disappeared. She has no documents, no bank accounts, and any attempt to access the ones she had in Paris will bring her attention she can't afford.
Since she started working with The Red Hood she has enough money for food and rent, but only just. Between her low budget and lack of documentation, she's had to survive with an apartment that should probably have been condemned, whose landlord doesn't care who she is and will take her rent in cash with no documentation. The windows are drafty, the insulation, if there ever was any, is completely gone, and, now that the heat has broken down, the temperature in the room is dropping almost as fast as it is outside.
As she continues to shiver, the kwami flit around her anxiously, worried about their guardian. As the temperature continues to drop and Marinette becomes more and more lethargic, their worry only grows. They plead with Marinette to go get some help.
"Please Marinette it's too cold for you."
"Can' go home Tikki. C'nt risk it. Have to protect mircuelss."
"Marinette, you need to get help, or you'll freeze!"
"'m fine Tikki." Marinette's words are slurred as she waves the tiny god off. "'M not tha' cold." Her continued shivering says the opposite.
Tikki looks helplessly at her chosen. Plagg flies up behind her.
"How long would she last if she transforms?"
Tikki looks at Plagg. "At least until morning, but if it's still this cold tomorrow she won't survive the hibernation."
There's a heavy pause as they consider the risks before Plagg breaks the silence. "Okay. You get her to transform, and me and Kaalki will make sure she has somewhere warm to wake up."
Tikki looks at him warily. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Plagg folds his paws in front of him. "As much as Pigtails would like to believe otherwise, she does have a friend here. Even if neither of them are willing to admit it."
Tikki suddenly gets it. "The Red Hood." She turns to Duusu. "Do you think we can trust him?"
The kwami of emotion thinks. "He's angry a lot, but he also feels very protective of those he feels are attached to, and he does feel attached to our guardian, even if he doesn't admit it to himself. I think he would help."
Tikki nods and turns to Plagg. "Go." Plagg nods, and he and Kaalki zip out the window into the Gotham night. Tikki turns around and flies over to her chosen, tapping on her face to try and get her a little more aware.
"Marinette, can you hear me? You need to transform, okay? It will put you in a hibernation state that will keep you alive. Can you do that for me, Marinette?"
"T'kki?"
Tikki nods. "That's right Marinette. I need you to transform, okay? Just say 'spots on'."
"Sp'ts 'nn." There's a flash and Marinette transforms into Lady Chance. Her shivering slows, and then stops. Her breaths become slow and quiet, and her heartbeat slows to an almost unnoticeable beat. The kwami continue to float around, worried and waiting.
Out in Gotham, the snow has started to fall on top of a red helmeted crime lord, who's staring at the swirling white portal that has appeared in front of him.