Miraculous:
Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
Chapter Nine: Led Astray
Adrien POV
Adrien knew he was dreaming because he was standing without his clothes in the middle of a room. From the looks of it, he was in a big tent with a plush carpet he could feel under his toes. Normally in these types of dreams, he'd be late for school, or had to do some test he was stressing for. The fact that he wasn't at school put him on edge that this wasn't a normal dream. Also strange was that he couldn't move. It reminded him of the dream he had when he'd been hit by Oblivio. Maybe these were memories or something?
Someone entered the tent and he couldn't see their face but he saw they didn't have clothes on either. His gaze went from their toes on up their legs. His eyes immediately shut, which thankfully he was able to do, when he saw that it was a girl. He wanted to run and hide to cover himself up, but his body wouldn't move. What kind of dream is this!? Was he really that big of a pervert?
He heard a seductive chuckle and felt the woman come up to him and put a hand to his chest. Her skin was warm and soft and he felt his cheeks and ears heat up. She walked around him, tracing gentle fingers over his muscles, muscles that had been growing between fencing and his nighttime feats as Cat Noir. "A perfection amongst God's creatures…not a flaw or blemish and so many…tantalizing details."
That voice! It was Etain!
She came to stand before him again and put her arms around his neck. When something large and soft touched his chest, two somethings, he mentally froze. Oh man, what do I do!? How do I wake up!?
"Calm down, Adrien. You have nothing to fear from me…well not yet." Her finger traced his jawbone. "Come, my pet, open your eyes."
He did as told, involuntarily he discovered, and tried to at least make sure he solely focused on her face. It wasn't hard. Her beauty up close took his breath away. Her green eyes were set in dark locks that he wasn't used to seeing. Her eyes were surrounded by mascara and some eye shadow and her lips were a medium red-brown. The smell rising from her hair reminded him of a forest, a rich pine laced with a sweet floral.
"Hold me," she purred. He felt his arms come up upon her command and wrap around her waist, pulling her close, increase the amount of skin contact and threatening to send the poor teenage boy into a coma. How do I wake up!? I'd really like to not see how this ends! "Now, kiss me."
Even though he really didn't want to, he leaned down and kissed her. It was wet and hot, but the way her hands roamed over his arms intensified it somehow. She moaned into it and he found he liked the sound. Her tongue came out and brushed the roof of his mouth right before she gently bit down on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood…
Adrien shot up in bed with a shout, knocking poor Plagg out of a dead sleep. The diminutive creature rolled off the bed and onto the floor before he knew what was up. "What the heck, Adrien!? I was just about to bite into great big wheel of brie! It's not as good as camembert but…"
"Not now Plagg!" Adrien quickly got out of bed, dressed only in his boxers, and went to his bathroom. Wincing, he regarded his face and saw that his bottom lip was bleeding. "That was no normal dream."
Plagg flew over his shoulder and regarded him. "Did you have a bad dream so much that you bit your lip?" He wiggled his browless eyes comically. "Or did you just have that good of a dream?"
"Shut up, Plagg!" Adrien snapped before he meant to and the hurt was evident in the little kwami's eyes. "I-I'm sorry Plagg. I just didn't sleep well."
"Yeah, okay. Who am I after all? Just your kwami…" He huffed and flew away.
"Plagg, come back. I'm sorry!" Adrien called out but Plagg had already passed through his window and disappeared into the sky. The teenage boy sighed and decided to shower and get dressed. The dream disturbed him, sure, but what bothered him more was that he was concerned that a part of him wanted more. He wasn't even sure what that meant except deep down he had to admit he didn't want to wake up. It's disgusting. I'm no different than that guy at the factory. I'm with Marinette, the love of my life, and yet…
He growled and grabbed his wallet. "I just need to walk this off." Now that his father knew he was Cat Noir, he'd begun to give him a little more freedom when it came to the weekend. Gabriel still kept him on a tight schedule during the week, but Adrien appreciated the lessened restrictions. The thought hadn't escaped him that his father might be doing it because he felt guilty he unknowing tried to kill him when he'd tried to destroy Cat Noir several times. Regardless, Adrien was going to take advantage in case his father started to baby him again.
He walked through the city and decided to do some shopping before stopping by his favorite café for some coffee and lunch. It was impossible not to see the many couples spending the beautiful day outside. It was Paris after all, the city of love. The weather was just beginning to warm up coming closer to spring. He opened his phone but had yet to see any messages or calls from Marinette.
Thinking back to the night before, she'd taken off kind of quickly after she'd pulled him from the fountain. She probably thought he was still mad at her. But aren't I? I meant she put everyone in danger executing that stupid plan with my father and for what? For the chance to take out Lila? Lila was an annoyance, but she wasn't the end all of evil.
That's supposed to be Etain but… No matter how he looked at her, she didn't seem like evil. He'd seen evil. He was related to it. Her phantom lips resurfaced on his mind and he shook his head to clear it. His stubborn streak showing, Adrien took out his phone and prepared to call Marinette…but his fingers stopped, her profile photo smiling up at him with her infamous peace sign… Should I really give in so quickly? It's only been half a day. If we were to get together now, I think I might just snap at her like I did Plagg and make her feel bad… So, Adrien put the phone away and did nothing.
Marinette POV
Marinette sighed, for the umpteenth time that morning, trying to figure out how she could make up what she had done to Adrien. "I'm just not good at this romance stuff! Sure, presents I can make, food I can serve up, but romantic ideas are not my forte. Tikki, help me!"
Tikki looked up from her mid-morning macaroon. "Well, the most romantic person I know is Cat Noir so what do you think he'd do in this situation?"
Marinette froze for a moment, then her eyes lit up and she hugged her little kwami, almost making the poor creature choke. "Tikki, you're a genius! I know what to do now!" She immediately started making plans. This will show Adrien how sorry I am! It shows effort and love! It's perfect!
An hour later, a knock sounded at her floor door and she looked over to see Alya come in and wave at her. "Hey, girl! I came in to see how you were doing after that fiasco last night!"
"Oh right. That was pretty crazy. Really different from a normal akumatization, for sure." She didn't want Alya to dig too deep but eventually she'd have to give her that interview with Ladybug so she'd stop asking questions and investigating.
"But at least the monster waited until the end of your show, right?" Alya elbowed her. "The reviews today on your stuff was off the chain! You should be so excited!"
"Oh, I am but I think it just hasn't hit me yet, ya know?" She played off and stretched. "I was up sooo late last night."
Alya's eyes went wide and she grabbed hold of Marinette's hand, pushing up on the sleeve to expose the bandages beneath. Inside Marinette cursed. I forgot about those! "What happened!?"
"Oh, I burned myself cooking dinner!" she lied.
Alya held up the other arm. "Both sides? What were you doing, deep frying a turkey?"
"Heh heh, you know me, Mrs. Klutz!" she laughed nervously.
"Did you tell Adrien yet? He should be here to help you handle things until you get better."
At this Marinette got sad and looked away. "We sort of had a fight last night. I was just thinking of ways to make it up to him, actually, but I haven't talked to him yet."
Alya released Marinette and took out her phone. "Well, I'm here now so you sit right there and we will get the best-looking nurse in all of Paris to come and fawn and fuss over you."
"No no no no no!" Marinette begged. "I don't want him to know!"
Now Alya looked confused "What do you mean? Why would your uber-attentive boyfriend not want to know his super cute girlfriend got hurt?"
Not Marinette was stuck. "Well, you know, he's busy with things of his own and I don't want to bother him with this. I'll get better. End of story. I don't want to worry him needlessly, okay?" She looked up at Alya. "Promise me you won't tell him!" Alya didn't look convinced. "Come on, you can help me get back on his good side."
Marinette explained her planned and Alya helped with some of the details. "So, what did you do that got him mad at you in the first place? With the fashion show going on, I can't imagine you guys would have time to argue about much," Alya asked after a while.
"It's nothing, really," Marinette shrugged. "When that creature attacked, Adrien got me out to safety with everyone else. When I didn't see you, I got worried and rushed back inside to find you."
"You what!?" Alya exclaimed. "That was stupid of you! He was right to be mad! I'm a big girl. You don't need to risk your life for mine."
Marinette laughed, pretty sure in the back of her mind she'd saved her BFF several times over already as Ladybug. "Yeah, I know. Sometimes I can't help myself. You're my best friend."
When they finished, Alya excused herself and Marinette made plans to go shopping for some items she didn't have. Before that, though, she had to text her boyfriend to let him know to be there…
Adrien POV
Adrien returned to school, despite it being Saturday, and grabbed his saber from the fencing club's supplies. He decided to blow off some steam to clear his head. He used his saber on a wooden stick dummy. Marinette had come for try outs once. She had good natural talent. He'd seen her take on Riposte as Ladybug and hold her ground for the most part. She fought back with the saber while at the same time spinning her yoyo to create a shield.
Marinette cared deeply for me, for Adrien back then. She was willing to do anything to protect me. I have to remember that she always acts from a place of compassion and caring. She must have thought long and hard about her plan before she decided to execute it. Adrien growled and made a thrust with his saber, nearly snapping it in two against the wood. But she still didn't need to hide it from me! He threw the saber down and grabbed his things to leave.
Just then his phone went off. It was a message from Marinette. He quickly clicked the side of the phone without reading it. He wasn't ready. He left the school and as he was coming down the stairs, he spotted Lila waving at him. "Hi Adrien!" she greeted as she joined his side. "You're looking kind of down today. Wanna talk?"
"Not to you," he said before he could stop himself. Gasping he shook his head and held a hand to it. I'm starting to sound more like Felix… The thought revolted him. "Sorry, I haven't been myself lately."
"Come on. Let me treat you to ice cream." She gently tugged him and while a part of him knew he shouldn't be hanging around her, the other part argued that they hadn't actually proven Lila was the one Etain was controlling. If she is though, maybe I can get some information on Etain from her… His dream image of her naked before him returned and he forced himself to stare at the sidewalk. Get more information in order to figure out her weakness is what I meant!
Lila took him to a little ice cream and bakery parlor. She let him order whatever he wanted and got some ice cream and cookies for herself. "You didn't seem like the sweets kind of person to me, Lila." They chose a table next to the window and took opposites seats.
"Oh, there's plenty you don't know about me," she laughed. "Case in point." She broke a piece of her cookie off and used it like a shovel to get ice cream out of her cup. "Try this."
She held it up to him and while he didn't completely trust her, she hadn't had time to do anything nefarious to the dessert, so what was the harm? He took it from her and ate the ice cream cookie combo. "Oh wow, that is good. The cinnamon sugar from the cookie perfectly complements the ice cream."
"Right?" She repeated the actions with her own bite and savored the bite.
"Adrien?" Alya walked into the ice cream shop with Nino and stared blankly at the two.
Oh no… Not looking forward to getting on the journalist's bad side, Adrien shot to his feet. "Alya! Nino! Hey, what's up!?"
"This is where you've been?" Alya accused. "One fight and you start spending time with Lila of all people? Chloe I could at least write off cause you've known each other for forever but this is just wrong."
Lila stood up and swished her hair over her shoulder, putting her nose into the air. "Adrien needed someone to talk to and I made myself available to him."
Alya crossed her arms. "To him, to Kim, to a few other people as I've been made to understand."
Lila growled and narrowed her eyes. "Is it my fault he's having a lover's spat?"
Adrien turned to look at her now. "How did you know Marinette and I were fighting?"
Lila laughed nervously. "Oh well, you know…"
"Um, dude," Nino began. "I don't know all the deets, man, but…"
"No, you don't know so don't give any input!" Adrien cut him off.
Now Alya looked really mad. "I don't know if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed or if today is opposite day in the Land of Adrien, but whatever you and Marinette are fighting about cannot be enough for you to ignore her when she needs you the most!"
Adrien blinked. "What do you mean?" Marinette's in trouble? Then a darkness settled in around his heart and he shook his head. "No, never mind. I don't care. I'm done with all of this and all of you. I'm outta here." He pushed between Alya and Nino and took off back into the city.
Lila POV
Lila left the ice cream parlor and walked around the corner, speaking angrily into her compact mirror. "Now what am I supposed to do!? Adrien lumped me in with those idiots and took off!"
Etain laughed within the reflection of glass. "Do not worry about Adrien. I will handle him. Just leave everything to me."
"What do you mean? I wanted Marinette out of the picture so I could move in on Adrien. You leave him alone!"
"Oh no no no, that won't do, sweet Lila. When we made our deal, I was not aware Adrien was so…edible. I will still destroy Marinette. You may have him back when I am through with him."
When Etain's image faded and Lila was left seeing her own eyes and face, she stomped her foot. "Etain! That wasn't what we agreed upon! Etain!"
Marinette POV
Marinette waited on the rooftop Cat Noir had once invited Ladybug. She'd stood him up then and felt terrible about it later, but she'd been adamant that she didn't want to lead him on when her heart belonged to Adrien. If she had gone then, if she had given him a chance, how different would their destinies have been?
She looked up at the stars, the sun having set some time ago, and wondered about what some people said about their destinies being written in the stars. She didn't like to believe in destiny but since her time of becoming Ladybug, she knew there were higher forces at work. It was too coincidental that her and Adrien would each gain a kwami and end up fighting evil side by side. They both ended up falling for the other after so much time and complications by Hawk Moth.
As the minutes turned into hours, Marinette now understood the pain and loneliness Cat Noir had felt when he'd remained here alone amongst the candles and flowers, and of the hot meal turned cold.
So, what if we're not meant to be? What if our destiny isn't written in the stars? Or what's written there is to ultimately be with other people? Maybe I don't deserve Adrien after hurting him so badly…
Tikki POV
Tikki, watching from afar, decided she'd given Adrien a piece of her mind for daring to stand up her owner without so much as a phone call! She curled her arms the way humans balled their fists and took off into the night.
Adrien POV
Adrien saw a small carnival had set up in the open area around the Louvre for some event. He didn't really have a destination, but he didn't really feel like going home yet. His phone kept going off but whether it was his father or Marinette or anyone else he didn't care. He was so confused he just wanted to get away from all of it.
As he walked through the carnival, he was once again struck by all the couples. Guys were playing games to win their dates prizes and little kids were tugging on their parents' pant legs begging for cotton candy.
He imagined him and Etain, one child holding her hand, a little one on his shoulders…
Wait, me and who…?
"Adrien…"
He looked around upon hearing the voice. No one else seemed to notice it, so he figured it had to be magic, which meant… "Etain?"
"I'm over here. Come to me."
The voice was coming from somewhere to the left. He walked through some more of the carnival and saw the house of mirrors. He paid the fee and entered the maze. He saw his reflection on the mirrors and as he walked, the images would disappear and reappear on another mirror. He went deeper, easily navigating through the panes, until he took a step and could've sworn he saw Etain in a mirror to the right.
He froze and looked again but she was already gone.
"You're almost there, Adrien. I'll take all the confusion and pain away…"
Her voice soothed him and eventually he forgot where he was or who he was. He just wanted to find the owner of that voice…
Tikki POV
Tikki saw Adrien from above enter the House of Mirrors. She thought it was strange, so she followed him. She immediately sensed the darkness. "Etain…" She narrowed her eyes and proceeded with extreme caution. "Adrien!" she called out, flying above the mirrors in order to find him.
She finally spotted him with his eyes completely glazed over. To make matters worse, Plagg was nowhere in sight. "Adrien!" She tried to get his attention but couldn't get any closer as dark energy began swirling out from a mirror directly in front of him.
The entire mirror turned black and a soothing voice sounded, "Come, Adrien, and I will show you a world where you will never know pain or disappointment ever again."
Adrien walked forward and ended up walking through the mirror.
Tikki gasped. "Oh no, I have to tell Marinette!" The kwami took off into the sky, hoping they wouldn't be too late.
Marinette POV
Marinette sat back in her room, holding her knees against her chest as she cried and cried until she didn't have any tears left. Her arms and bandages had soaked through and it hurt her skin for it to be wet but she welcomed the pain. It was no less than she deserved.
She allowed her desire to end things quickly to cloud her judgement and it had costed her the sweet, most gorgeous guy in the whole world. Months of emotion bottled up inside her came crashing down when she realized they were through. Adrien didn't want to see her anymore. He didn't love her. In the back of her mind, she heard herself add that darkness had won. She remembered the man from the warehouse speaking with someone else's voice that they wished for happiness to be ripped away from her. Guess I didn't need any help there. I managed to mess it up fine on my own.
"Marinette!"
She heard her kwami and gasped. "Tikki, where did you go!? I was so worried!"
"It's Adrien! I know why he didn't come, Marinette!" Tikki explained. "She's bewitched him and lured him into another dimension! Maybe even another time!"
Marinette jumped to her feet, quickly wiping her eyes dry. "Where Tikki!?"
"At the carnival, at the Louvre. She used the House of Mirrors, I think that's how she's able to communicate in this time."
"That would explain the fountain incident. Okay, Tikki spots on!" She transformed and touched a hand to her chin. "Now, let me think." She went to her little house where she'd ultimately decided to move the miracle box. Opening it she grabbed hold of the horse miraculous. She put the glasses on over her mask and held out her hands. "Tikki! Kaalki! Unify!"
Her outfit became mixed with black flames on top of her red suit. Then she went to the roof, twirled her yoyo, and was about to take off towards the museum when Plagg came flying in.
"Ladybug!" he cried out.
"Plagg!" she shook her finger at him. "Where have you been? Why weren't you with Adrien at the carnival!?"
Plagg looked sadly at the ground. "I'm sorry! He was unusually cruel to me this morning and I took off before he could say anything more that he'd regret later. I knew he wasn't himself but I was upset, too."
Knowing Plagg's personality she gave him a little scratch. "It's okay, Plagg. You're here now. Etain was probably using her powers on him since the fountain incident. He wasn't himself but we're gonna save him now. You ready?"
"Yeah, you bet!"
"Okay, let's go!"
Etain POV
Etain had created her own dimension, one where she could live out the life she knew she deserved. Now that realm included the very satisfying and succulent Adrien and more specifically, the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous.
While she knew keeping both the Black Cat and Ladybug miraculous for herself would grant her ultimate power, her magic was strong enough that she didn't need power. She wanted status. Unused to her time as he was, Etain had created a world similar to Adrien's, but with a few optimum changes.
She owned a very big penthouse in Paris with a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. Her large living room had lots of furniture including a spacious couch and table, fireplace and fully stocked bar.
"Lady Etain, your meal has arrived," the butler bowed and left the wheeled tray full off hot food, dessert, fruit, and whipped cream.
"Lovely," Etain chose to wear a tight strapless corset-like bodice covered with lace, with a black skirt that went down to her ankles. She wore high heels that hadn't been invented in her time but she definitely liked the look. "Adrien, the food's arrived."
Before she could turn back around, he'd come up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other one came up under her chin. "I thought my meal was right here." He lifted her chin and began kissing and licking the side of it, making her moan with pleasure.
"You're a naughty kitty, aren't you?" She turned around and allowed him to pull her back to the couch where he sat down and brought her down to straddle his lap. She'd dressed him in a loose white collared shirt, that he didn't bother to button, with black pants.
"I'm only naughty because you let me be," he captured her lips with his, running his fingers through her hair.
Her spell allowed for her to play with his emotions and it wasn't hard. He was a teenage boy, after all. Remove the restraints of etiquette and manners and men will do all sorts of things they wouldn't normally do. She just made sure all that pent up emotion was focused on her…
Ladybug POV
Ladybug arrived at the Louvre and didn't even bother buying a ticket. She just waited until the carney's back was turned and snuck in. She could feel the residual black energy floating around the maze. It was the same as the warehouse and the same as the fashion show. She traced it back to a particular mirror and carefully placed her hand against its surface. Adrien…please don't let me be too late.
"Voyage!" she shot a blue ring from her wrist and opened the portal before leaping through. As soon as she came into the room, she about jumped out of her skin. "A-Adrien!?" He currently had his tongue down some woman's throat and his hands were tightly squeezing her butt. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"
Etain pulled back and laughed while Adrien looked over at Ladybug confused. "Ladybug? What are you doing here?" He got to his feet and moved Etain behind him.
Ladybug felt her jaw drop. "I'm here to save you. Haven't you figured out that you've been bewitched?"
"I don't need saving. Etain isn't going to hurt me," Adrien argued. When his eyes met Ladybug's, she could see the hurt still evident there. "She comforted me when you turned your back on me."
Ladybug clenched her teeth but couldn't deny that. "I know I hurt you but I was trying to make it up to you if you'd bother to check your phone messages!"
Adrien reached back and took hold of Etain's hand. "Etain is gentle and kind, she cares for me." He glared at Ladybug. "Much more than you ever did or else you wouldn't have lied to me!" His aura flared up and it was a foreboding grey-black.
Ladybug's blue eyes met Etain's green and she angrily spun her yoyo. "I'd call you something that rhymes with witch, but not while I'm wearing the uniform," she sneered. "Witch seems to suit you just fine, though."
Etain grabbed hold of Adrien's arm in mock-fear. "She's here to pull us apart. You don't want that, right? Defend against her, protect us. Do what your heart truly desires."
Plagg, unable to get closer because of the dark energy, called out to his owner. "Snap out of it, Adrien! We're your friends! You're my best friend!"
"No one gets between me and Etain! I'm happy here so just leave me alone!" Adrien cupped his hands at his side and a black energy condensed much like his Cataclysm. He narrowed his eyes at Ladybug and she took an unsure step back. If his powers are the same as when he was Cat Blanc then…
"Mega-Destruction!" Sure enough, he shot the power from his hands at Ladybug and when she dodged, the power completely dissolved the fireplace and part of the wall behind her, revealing the faux-Paris beyond. It is just like before! He may be able to shoot long distance, but the power is limited in this form. Needing more room to fight, she spun her yoyo, grabbed hold of Adrien—pinning his arms down—and pulled him through the hole and into the city outside.
She left Etain behind and threw him onto a spacious roof where she faced off him with. She removed her yoyo strings because if he wanted to, his power would be able to dissolve it and she couldn't lose her only weapon to purify him. When he was Cat Blanc, he was also able to use his powers repetitively, so I know he's got more juice in him.
Adrien rose in the air and floated two feet off the ground. His entire body had the same dark energy as Etain and Ladybug knew she was still controlling him. No matter what I have to purify him! However, since she'd only done it a couple times, she wasn't sure how long she could shoot the beam, if there were limitations on it, or if she missed she may not get a second chance. I have to at least immobilize him first. "This isn't you, Adrien! You are kind and forgiving. Yes, I made a mistake, but the real you would've realized I must have had my reasons! Etain rewrote your memories! Turned you against me! Don't let her destroy what we have between us!"
"There is nothing between us!" Adrien charged a destruction disc in each hand and threw them at Ladybug. She dodged and flipped each one but he simply continued to create more and kept up the barrage.
Ladybug saw Etain watching everything floating from the sidelines with a smirk. She's just like Lila. No wonder those two get along so well. They both hate me and want Adrien for myselves. "Plagg, how am I supposed to fight back when I can't touch or block any of his blasts?"
"You can't. That's why the power of destruction is only given to a person of pure heart. Adrien's heart isn't corrupted easily," replied the little kwami. "Sure he fell under a spell here and there, but it was never strong enough to change him like this."
Unless he was Cat-Blanc… But obviously Plagg didn't remember that either. Ladybug took off and Adrien gave chase, all the while keeping up his attacks. I'm the one that broke his heart, I'm the one that gave darkness the opportunity. Ladybug had to think. If his heart was open to darkness, that means it should be open to light. Adrien wasn't giving her a whole lot of time to counter attack so she was going to need a little help. "Lucky Charm!"
What fell in her lap was a little 3-pronged claw on a chain. It reminded her of the mini claw carnival game. "You're not using whatever that is against me!" Adrien charged a mega-destruction and took aim. Ladybug slipped in surprise and managed to dodge it over her head as she fell. Unfortunately, the fall aggravated her arms and she cried out in pain.
"Ladybug!" Plagg cried out.
"It's nothing! I'm fine!"
A plan now formed in her mind, she got up and quickly made her way to the Eiffel Tower. It would give her some of the cover and maneuverability she would need to circle around. "Okay, listen up, Plagg. I'm gonna need your help with this one."
She made sure Adrien was following her. I have to time it just right. With him being able to fly, his maneuverability and speed are greater than mine. She risked a couple yoyo strikes to get him to dodge so she could use the tower's infrastructure to bounce around inside the middle levels. "Adrien, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did but I've gotten my priorities straight and nothing mattes more to me than you!" She allowed him to get close as she ran towards one of the vertical beams. Then she ran up it and flipped over him. His head hit the beam and when he turned around, she grabbed him by the wrists and locked them down by his sides.
Normally he'd be able to reverse the move but the beam and concussion restricted him. "Let me go! I'm happy here. I only need Etain!"
"If that's how you feel when all this is over, then I'll step aside, but I won't leave you when you need me the most…"
Adrien POV
Ladybug's words triggered something and Adrien remembered Alya saying something similar…
"…whatever you and Marinette are fighting about cannot be enough for you to ignore her when she needs you the most!"
Adrien blinked and suddenly Ladybug's lips were on his. She was warm, and gentle, and the smell of strawberries and cream that rose from his hair soothed every inch of him. Her entire length was pressed against him and it was impossible to focus on anything else but the tightly clad woman before him.
Unbeknownst to him, Ladybug dropped her activated purifying yoyo to Plagg who lifted it up using the little claw. He held it above them like a spotlight and the power of light began to purify Adrien.
"NO!" Etain shouted, waving her arm to try and blast Plagg away with telekeniss. "Whoops! Miss me! Missed again!" the tiny target moved back and forth, dodging the attacks all the while keeping the light on a now screaming Adrien.
Ladybug put her head against his chest and hugged him with every ounce of strength. Her earrings were beeping that she was almost out of time. "I'm here, Adrien! I'm not leaving you! I'll never abandon you or lie to you again! Please, return to me!" Somehow, Ladybug's entire being lit up and that light was driving out the darkness that had taken residence inside her true love's heart and soul.
The mixture of darkness and light, goodness and evil, love and hate, exploded power in all directions. Etain was knocked off the Eiffel tower and Plagg was thrown spinning into the air. Adrien sustained the least damage, already having been locked against the beam behind him. He fell to his knees and took deep heavy, shaky breaths.
He looked around not understanding where he was. What he did see was Ladybug falling from the tower. Her suit was shredded, revealing much of her civilian clothes beneath, and her power dissolved like sand. That's when he saw it. Her arms were entirely wrapped in bandages, the cloth now unraveling in the wind revealing the terrible burn marks beneath. The girl herself was unconscious.
When did that happen!? He remembered back to the fountain, when she grabbed him around the waist to free him from under the water. It had to have been then. All that pain…all that time…and she didn't want to tell me because at the time I was mad at her…
"M-Marinette…" He couldn't believe it. She'd fought in such a condition? "Marinette!" Without understanding what was going on or where the heck Plagg was, Adrien Agreste leapt off the Eiffel Tower and shot towards the falling damsel in distress. He tucked his arms closer to his body, speeding up his descent, until he was able to wrap his arms around Marinette and pull her close. Below the waters of the Seine were getting larger by the second.
Adrien wrapped an arm around her head and spun them around so that his back was facing down. He doubted it would do much, the river would act like concrete at this speed. "Marinette, I'm so sorry…"
At that time Plagg appeared by his head, one arm tucked behind his ear with his legs lounged off to the side as if he were watching television. "You know, I should really stay mad at you for the way you treated me but it takes balls to jump from a height like that without a parachute. You should probably transform or something."
Adrien gasped "Plagg, you're the best! Claws out!" He had never been so relieved to feel the black leather and mask cover his body. Unable to do much with only a couple hundred feet to go, he held on tight and broke their fall into the river below…
