Can't You Hear Me, Calling Out For Help?

Chapter 2

Hawkmoth has created an Akuma that put's Cat Noir's place with Ladybugs and the other Miraculous users into question.

Bad Things Happen Bingo Square: "I Know You're In There Somewhere" Fight

Title From "Enter the Maze" by Amaranthe


"Phew, that was a tough one! Thanks for the backup everyone!" Ladybug wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as she watched the purified butterfly flutter off towards the horizon.

"Of course we answered your call for help! We're a team after all!" Rena bounced on her heels, still hyped from the fight.

"You okay dude, you seem a bit off today," Caprice asked Chat Noir who was slowly walking towards them.

"Yeah, just took a bad blow is all!" Chat Noir laughed cheerfully before he let out a strangled gasp that caused all of the heroes to look over.

"Oh my god!" Queen Bee shrieked and Rena clung to Caprice while Ladybug's knees buckled as they stared in horror as a white-clawed hand burst through the middle of Chat Noir's chest.

"CHAT!" Ladybug screamed, unable to understand what she was witnessing before relief and confusion coursed through her when his body faded away and a purple butterfly took his place.

"You call yourselves miraculous holders and you couldn't even tell when one of your own was a copy, pathetic," A painfully familiar voice hissed out as ice blue eyes narrowed from behind a stark white mask.

"No, no, this can't be. I stopped this from happening!" Ladybug gasped out as she clutched her hands in front of her chest as she stared in terror at Chat Blanc, someone who had haunted her dreams for months after she had stopped him in that horrible future.

"Ladybug what is going on? Who is that? Where is Chat Noir?" Queen Bee dropped into an attack stance.

"That is… That is Chat Noir, he's been akumaized." Ladybug whispered out in horror and panic erupted around her.

"What?"

"No way!"

"What do we do?"

"You can start by giving me your miraculous'," Chat Blanc gave them a twisted grin as power bubbled at his fingertips before he was dashing towards them.

The heroes scattered across the rooftop, knowing how deadly Chat Noir's attacks could but with no morality holding the power of destruction in check if they were hit they would be destroyed instantly.
"Whatever Hawkmoth did you to you Chat, you can fight it!" Ladybug called out as she launched herself over Chat Blanc's claws, flipping to land on the edge of the roof and out of his range.

"He didn't do anything to me expect showing me the truth!" Chat Blanc laughed as he side-swiped Queen Bee who twisted out of the way at the last second and darting backwards before he could swing around to attack her again.

"What truth? All Hawkmoth does is lie!" Rena exclaimed as she played her flute sending illusions of ropes towards Chat Blanc, hoping to contain him so they could figure what item on him was akumaized.

"He showed me that none of you need me! That Ladybug doesn't need me! That you couldn't even tell the difference between the real me and an Akuma copy! That I'm useless!" Chat Blanc destroyed the illusions with powerful kicks before he sprung out of the way of Caprice attack and perched himself on a chimney above the rooftop, face twisted in anger and sadness below his mask.

"Now you're all going to see first hand how powerful I am, everyone will!" Chat Blanc shouted as he lifted his hand, gathering a Cataclysm and Ladybug's heart leapt into her throat, she had seen first hand how powerful Chat Blanc was and what would become of the world if that attack went off.

"You dealt with a Chat Blanc before right? Where was his Akuma last time?" Rena dropped next to Ladybug, Queen Bee and Caprice flanking her.

"In the bell on his collar, but that was different! I don't know if I can do it this time," Ladybug clutched her yo-yo as she stared up at the angry Chat Blanc whose ice eyes were watching her with disdain and pain.

"You're his partner! You can get through to him! You're the original duo here, you've always had each other's backs!" Rena exclaimed, fingers twisting around her flute as her eyes flicked between Ladybug and Chat Blanc.

"Yeah! If he is going to listen to anyone, it will be you!" Caprice agreed quickly.

"Just don't make things worse," Queen Bee relented and Ladybug fought back a smile at how obvious her friends were before she set her face and nodded. She launched her yo-you towards Chat Blanc and reeled herself up there so she was level with the akumaized Chat Noir on the chimney.

"Hi Caton," Ladybug kept her voice soft and held her hands up in front of her to show him she meant no harm.

"You can't stop this my lady," Chat Blanc's tone was mocking and Ladybug hated how she had to fight back a wince at the way Chat Blanc made Chat Noir's nickname for her hurt.

"I know that things have been different since the Rena, Queen Bee and Caprice have joined us. It used to be the two of us against the world, just Ladybug and Chat Noir." Ladybug heard her earrings beep in warning against her ears and she steeled herself.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you like I should have been. However, I have never forgotten that without Chat Noir there would be no Ladybug. Rena, Queen Bee or Caprice would never have been able to be my partner at the start, it was always meant to be you, Caton." Ladybug inched her way closer until she was all but pressed against Chat Blanc's chest, his arm still stretched above his head as he gathered destructive power.

"Then why have you forgotten about me?" Chat Blanc sounded more sad than angry now and his ice-blue eyes were pained in a way that made Ladybug's heartache.

"There is no way I'll possibly be able to forget about you Caton, never in a million years would I forget about my Chat Noir," Ladybug promised as she pressed her hand to his cheek, biting her lower lip at the ice-cold sensation from his pale skin.

"Then give me your miraculous," Chat Blanc pleaded.

"You know I can't do that my dear Caton, I would willingly give Chat Noir my earrings but I can never give them to Chat Blanc." Ladybug shook her head in sadness.

"Chat Noir is gone," Chat Blanc stated.

"No, he's not, I know he's in there. I know you're in there somewhere Caton, you have to fight Hawkmoth's control!" Ladybug cupped Chat Blanc's face in her hands as she called deep into him, to where her true partner resided behind the power of the Akuma.

"I, I, my lady, please, I can't." One blue eye flashed to show a familiar green cat-eye and Ladybug felt a surge of hope flare in her.

"Fight Caton, fight and come back to me, come back to your lady!" Ladybug encouraged as she pressed their foreheads together and he shuddered as his fingers flexed and curled. Slowly the power he had been gathering flickered and faded into the sky and his arm dropped limply by his side.

"My bell, it's in my bell. Please my lady, please," Chat Blanc whispered, both eyes flashing between blue and green. Ladybug snatched the bell off of his collar and crushed it in her hand before purifying the Akuma that flutter out of the crushed metal.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" She shouted as she tossed her yo-yo into the sky and Ladybugs flew across the city, repairing the damage the Akuma's had done.

Chat Noir in his classic black suit collapsed into her arms, gasping for air.

"You did it, my lady," Chat Noir said in a weak voice as Rena, Queen Bee and Caprice leapt up onto the chimney, crowding the two.

"No caton, you did it. You beat Hawkmoth's control on your own, I knew you would. You're my partner after all," Ladybug held Chat Noir close and they pressed their foreheads together in silent support while the other heroes watched on, hoping that one day that they would all be able to trust each other in the way Chat Noir and Ladybug did.