Au Revoir and Angst
Prompt: Danny is worried about Chat's recklessness and lack of self-preservation, he goes to Ladybug to talk about it, Ladybug understands, but Danny think that she doesn't see the full force of the consequences, he shows her his scars he received from being reckless in a fights to make sure his point get's across. (I just want to see some seriousness between Danny and Ladybug in regards to the superhero business)
His friends always said he had a hero's complex.
Danny would always shake his head and laugh, denying it. He would say that he just doesn't like seeing people hurt. Especially not if it's within his power to stop them.
He's never told them how his stomach sinks when a blast is shot their way. Or how his heart nearly stops when they barely dodge a large object coming for them. Or when his very human friends are kidnapped and dropped a hundred feet in the air. He's never told them about waking up at two o'clock in the morning after having terrible nightmares about not being able to protect others.
He's never told them just how freaking terrified he is of losing them. He knew the risks. He also knew his limit. More than likely, Danny would find a way to save both his and his friends' lives so no one got hurt. But there have been quite a few incidents where he's thrown himself recklessly into danger. He has the scars to prove it.
But Danny had also never considered what his friends think about his habit of throwing himself into harm's way. He had never known how they felt till he saw Chat sacrifice himself for Ladybug.
It was an akuma of course.
When Danny, Randy, Adrien, and Jake visit each other, they usually end up in a battle at some point. But they had a system figured out. Usually, the others would be on crowd control. Save the innocents and clear the zone before they jump in to help. Most of the time the baddie was already taken care of by then. But it worked for them.
So when the Ladyblog popped up with a video of an akuma raging down the street in front of the school, four battle cries rang out and the four superheroes were already racing over the rooftops.
They saw immediately that this would be a difficult fight.
Golden statues were scattered around the wrecked area. Man, woman, child, elder, even pets were frozen mid-run or mid-scream. Danny could see sparkling tears running down a young girl's face as she reached for the distressed woman in front of her. Both of them shining as the sun hit their golden bodies.
It tore at his heart.
"They won't leave."
Danny flinched as the echoing voice seemed to come from all around them.
"Treasures won't leave."
Randy, Jake, and Chat slowed down. A heavy feeling hung in the air, almost like a fog. A desperate, sad feeling clung to them like dew.
"They are my treasures now."
The akuma ghosted slowly into view.
In a way, it was almost beautiful. The akuma was a pure gold. It was perfect, flawless. Sparkling and shining in the afternoon sun. But that was all it was, gold. It reminded Danny of an alien movie he once watched with Sam and Tucker. There were no defining characteristics to differentiate it between a boy or girl. In fact, it didn't look like a mammal at all. It was just a smooth gold humanoid creature barely floating off the ground. Even the eyes were a pure gold.
"I won't say goodbye."
It floated around softly, toes barely skimming the ground. Liquid gold dripped from its finger tips and trailed from its eyes like tears.
The akuma finally stopped and seemed to look up at the four boys on top of the nearby building.
The akuma extended a hand towards them. Drops splattered on the ground from its tears and fingers. "Au Revoir will never say goodbye to anything ever again."
Chat vaulted down his pole landing lightly on his feet in front of the akuma. "You must have been a real golden child huh? Now what's a pretty thing like you doing destroying Paris?"
Au Revoir held out their hand. "Your miraculous please."
Chat sighed dramatically, leaning on his pole. "At least you're polite about. No gilded words. I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no."
Au Revoir let their hand fall to their side, "I see."
Without warning they opened their mouth and shot a stream of liquefied gold at Chat.
A red yo yo wrapped around his waist and pulled him out of the way. "Flirting with the enemy Chaton?"
Chat leaped to his feet and smiled impishly at an amused Ladybug. "You are the only lady I flirt with Bugaboo. But this is the most polite akuma I've ever met!"
"What? Did they laugh at your puns?"
"My puns are pure gold I'll have you know."
Ladybug rolled her eyes and eyed Au Revoir. "Where do you think the akuma's at? I don't see anything on her-uh him-no….them."
Chat shrugged, "I was hoping you could figure it out my Lady."
Au Revoir ghosted towards the pair, a hand held out. "Your miraculous please."
"Sorry, I'm rather fond of them." Ladybug responded, her yoyo ready for action.
Au Revoir tilted their head. "Then I must take them by force. Say goodbye."
They opened their mouth and shot the gold at Ladybug, who rolled out of the way.
With that, the fight began.
Danny, Randy, and Jake flew around and herded the leftover civilians to safer spots or at least where the police can see them. Jake had the tedious task of Alya duty. The young blogger was always jumping right into the action to get the best scoop and Jake had taken her to the top of a building so she could film and be out of the way. He stayed out of this fight, not wanting his large wingspan to get hit with the splattering gold. Besides, they still needed someone to watch over any spare civilians.
As soon as the last civilian was out of the splash zone, Randy and Danny rushed back to Ladybug and Chat Noir to help in the fight.
Chat and Ladybug were leaping to and fro, avoiding the streams of gilded liquid. Whenever Chat got close enough to swing at them his pole swung right through, making it seem as though he was trying to hit water. Ladybug's yoyo had the same result.
Randy swung over the akuma, twisted in midair and threw something in its direction shouting, "NINJA COLD BALLS!"
He landed on his hands and flipped away just in time for the balls to freeze the akuma in ice.
Danny floated up to Chat and Ladybug who were catching their breath for a moment. Randy ran over to join them.
"So where's the stanked item?" He asked as he slid to a stop beside Chat.
Chat shot him a look.
"It's what I've always called it when the Sorcerer transformed people. Akuma just sounds weird to me."
Ladybug shook her head. "There's nothing on them that it could be. I-I really don't know what do."
None of them noticed the akuma melting through the ice.
"Have you used your Lucky Charm yet?" Danny asked. "Maybe that can help."
Ladybug pulled at her pigtails, "I don't want to use it till I can figure out where the akuma is. I run out of power really quick after using it."
Chat frowned as he picked up the sound of something squishing together. Danny also tilted his head in confusion as he heard the same thing.
Chat turned and looked at the previously frozen akuma just as they shot a stream of gold directly at the group.
"NO!"
Ladybug didn't have anytime to react as Chat pushed her down and got blasted with gold.
Danny froze as he watched the gold quickly cover his friend, arms still outstretched from where he pushed away Ladybug. Unwanted memories of past nightmares came to his mind, where he had lost someone once before.
"CHAT!" Ladybug screeched. Randy gaped at the now golden statue that was his friend before turning to Au Revoir.
He pulled out the twin swords from behind his back. "You are going down." Then he leapt into battle, distracting the akuma.
Ladybug scrambled to her feet and pressed her hands to his face. "Oh Chaton, why do you always do this?"
Danny finally forced his eyes away from Chat and looked at Ladybug, barely hidden fear in his eyes. "LB?"
She could fix this right? Her powers always changed things back to normal in the end. He wouldn't lose one of his best friends. Right?
She pulled her hands away from Chat's face and glared at the Akuma, a rage in her eyes that Danny had never seen before. She gripped the yoyo in her hands tightly.
"Come on Phantom. We have to find that akuma." Then she shot off to join Randy in battle.
Danny rubbed his left shoulder staring at Chat's statue. "I need to talk to her."
He turned away and shot towards the akuma, fists and eyes glowing blue. Puns were the last thing on his mind as the three of them fought the akuma.
He shot the feet with ice, hoping to slow it down. Au Revoir jerked to a stop. Almost comically, it looked down at its frozen feet.
Ladybug and Randy shrieked when it broke away from its bonding, feet still encased in the ice.
"That was not very nice." It mumbled as it floated backwards.
Golden liquid floated in thin streams out of the ice and molded itself back into their feet.
"Aww, SCHNASTY!" Randy exclaimed.
"We still don't know where the akuma is at!" Ladybug called out as she dodged another stream of gold. Danny turned invisible and tried to sneak closer to them.
Au Revoir turned in his direction and almost hit him with the gold. But not before he got a glance of something on their hand.
Danny quickly flew into the ground and popped back up next to Ladybug.
"So they can sense me while invisible." He said as he will himself visible again.
"Great." She grunted as she dodged another attack. "Any good news."
"Yep." He grabbed her wrist and flew over to grab Randy's. He flew the three of them further away from the battle and landed behind a parked car.
"They're wearing a wedding band, on their left hand."
Ladybug sighed and relief and threw up her yoyo yelling, "Lucky Charm!"
The red and black object fell down into her hands to reveal:
"A bar of SOAP?" Randy exclaimed. "What the juice are you going to do with that! This is wonk!"
Ladybug took in a deep breath, "Alright. Just got to think of a plan. Can you guys cover me?"
"Anytime LB." Danny grabbed Randy's shoulder and shot back into battle.
Ladybug gripped the soap in her hands, only for it to nearly slip out of her grasp. "Come on come on come on. Think!"
She looked around the car and towards the battle further in the distance. She saw the ring Phantom found now that she knew where to look. She noticed where Ninja was dodging the attacks. Then she glanced at the ice still frozen on the ground where Phantom had shot its feet. Then to Phantom himself, and back to the bar of soap in her hands.
"That could work." She mumbled before running towards Phantom.
"Ice their arms!" She shouted as she ran, the bar of soap in her hands.
Danny sent a questioning look back to her, but did as she said anyways.
The akuma didn't seem react to the sudden icing of their arms as they still fired stream after stream of gold at the two boys.
Ladybug reared back and threw the yoyo as hard as she could, wrapping it around the left arm.
Au Revoir screamed, causing Phantom to fall down clutching his ears and Randy to freeze where he stood. This created the perfect opportunity for her.
Ladybug ignored the screeching and used a nearby ninja as a springboard to launch herself towards the akuma. The ice broke apart just as Ladybug scraped the bar of soap over the ring finger.
She pulled the yoyo with her as she landed on the pavement. She rolled to a stop when her back hit a car, briefly knocking the breath out of her.
Randy leaped at the akuma, grabbing the ring and sliding it easily off its hand as he landed on his feet. He threw it in the air and gave a cry of "NINJA SLICE!"
The broken ring landed on the pavement and a black butterfly drifted out of it.
The akuma screeched and lunged for him, but was quickly frozen again by a dizzy Phantom. A thin trail of green leaked out from his ears. Ladybug stood shakily on her feet.
"You've caused enough trouble today little akuma." She split open her yoyo with a swipe of her finger. "Time to de-evilize."
She quickly captured the butterfly and yanked it back to herself. "Gotcha."
Ladybug opened it once more, waving away to the now white butterfly. "Bye bye petite papillon."
She threw the bar of soap into the air and cried out, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"
Danny watched as Au Revoir was reverted back to a middle aged woman. The dents in cars and gold puddles vanished. People breathed again as the ladybugs turned saved them from being statues. He gave a sigh of relief as the magic trailed around his head, fixing his damaged ear drums.
Despite her earrings beeping, Ladybug raced back to where her magic was swirling around Chat Noir. He gave a gasp as he suddenly could breath again and fell on his face.
Randy, Danny, and Jake raced behind her as Ladybug fell to her knees beside her partner.
"Are you ok Chaton?"
Chat sat up on his knees and looked at his worried friends and partner.
"I know I've always been a golden child but that was taking it too literal."
Ladybug sighed in relief and grabbed him in a hug. Randy and Jake smirked at the blush barely visible under his mask.
Ladybug's earrings beeped again, leaving three spots left on them. She released her partner. "We will talk later." Then she got up and started swinging away.
Chat stood up and looked at his friends. "Seems like I missed somethi-hey! Where's Phantom?"
Ladybug landed on top of a building just as her earrings beeped again. She let out a surprised yelp as an ice cold hand landed on her shoulder.
Turning around to tell them off, her words died in her throat as she caught sight of the solemn look on Phantom's usually grinning face.
"Meet me on top of the school once you get done recharging. We need to talk." Then he flew back in the direction they came from and the chilly air left her.
Danny went straight for the school rooftop, turning invisible so no one could see him. He pulled out his cell phone and sent a quick text to the other three telling them that he had to do something and would be back later.
His phone buzzed in his hands as his friends texted back affirmatives.
Danny suddenly felt tired. Not from the use of his powers, though that was starting to drain him. No. This came from coming back from the fear of almost losing his friend.
He knows that Adrien and Ladybug haven't had their powers for that long. Adrien was the least experienced of the quartet when it came to heroing. Jake having the most with three years.
Was this how Sam, Tucker, and Jazz felt whenever he's thrown himself in front of them? This fear and worry and hopelessness that was turning his stomach in circles. He's nearly lost everything once before, he doesn't want to go through that again.
A soft thud sounded behind. "Phantom?"
He faded back into sight and Ladybug came over to sit by him. She put a hand on his shoulder, noticing his eyes were duller than usual.
"Are you ok?"
Phantom ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "How many? How many times has Chat thrown himself in front of you?"
Ladybug pulled her hand back and stared at her lap.
"Ladybug."
"I don't know." She muttered. "He always doing it. Claims it's because I'm the only who can cleanse the akumas. He's done it ever since we first met."
The ghost groaned and pulled at his hair, resting his head on his knees. "Have you ever talked to him about it?"
"Plenty. Yet he goes and does it anyways, the stupid cat. He doesn't realize how much it scares me when he does it."
"He's going to get himself hurt one day, protecting you. He's incredibly reckless and has no self-preservation." Phantom looked back up and met her eyes.
"I know."
He scowled, "I don't think you understand the consequences his actions will cause eventually."
"I do." Ladybug answered back hollowly. She flinched as he exploded on her.
"No you don't!" He jumped up and started pacing back and forth. "You say you do but I don't think so! Don't you realize he'll eventually get himself killed trying to protect you!"
"I know!" She yelled back, looking at him from the ground. "But I don't know how I can make him stop!"
"He won't! He's too much LIKE I WAS!" Phantom turned around and kicked a stray pebble across the rooftop. It created a small crack into the rock where it hit.
There was silence as Ladybug looked at him in shock at his outburst.
She finally broke it by asking what he meant.
Phantom stared at the ground, as if it had caused all his problems.
"He's too much like I was, when I first became a hero." Finally calm, he walked back over and sat next to the spotted girl.
"I was always throwing myself in front of others, regardless of my own health. I can't count how many blasts, hits, cars, bullets, burns, scrapes, and falls I've taken that were meant for someone else. I just….couldn't stand to see someone hurt, whether it was a stranger or my own family.
"And I didn't stop till I almost died."
Her face scrunched into confusion. "But, aren't you already….?" She trailed off, not wanting to offend him.
He let out a humorless chuckle, "Dead? Yeah, I am. It's more of a figure of speech. Ghosts can be….erased from existence I guess. We can fade or be obliterated from existence. Aren't we lucky we're able to die twice?"
He partially unzipped his jumpsuit. He pointed to a spot right above his where his heart would be. A quarter sized scar was puckered pink on his tan skin. "It literally took me almost dying a second time for me to stop throwing myself in harm's way." He zipped the suit back up.
"After that, I started using my brain a little more. I figured out ways to where I could save both our skins so no one had to be hurt. Kinda like how you do. And I learned to trust my team more to take care of themselves."
Phantom looked Ladybug in the eyes once more. "Chat is my friend. One of my best friends. It scares me knowing he's biting bullets for you. Jake and Ninja know the consequences of doing that already, so I'm not as worried about them. I mean, I worry constantly about all my friends. But Chat…."
Ladybug rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I hate it. I hate that he does it, because I usually end up fighting against him. I hate fighting against my best friend. I hate seeing him fade before my eyes, or take an arrow to the back, or-or-or-" she broke off, tears gathering in her eyes.
"I hate knowing that someday he's going to get hurt real bad and it'll be my fault." Tears fell on her lap and she looked at Phantom. "I know the risks, and I don't know how to stop him."
She choked out a laugh through the tears, "And the worst part? Some selfish, terrible part of me doesn't want him to stop. I mean, I don't want him hurt!" She threw her arms in the air and hiccuped.
"B-but we always have each other's backs and-and-"
"What good is a partner if you don't protect each other?" Phantom finished for her.
Ladybug desperately willed the tears always as she wiped at her cheeks. Already a headache was forming behind her eyes from her crying.
Phantom rubbed the back of his neck, pretending not to notice Ladybug's occasional sniffles as she tried to calm herself.
He scoffed and shook his head. "Now I know how my friends feel. I hate it."
"But you won't stop, will you?" She said, hiccuping at the end.
"Nope. And neither will Chat."
Ladybug pulled her knees up to her chest, sniffling. "You know, for all the times he's scared me with his lack of self-preservation….I can only recall once when I've scared him like that."
Phantom tilted his head and looked at her.
"I had a plan. It just involved jumping into the mouth of a T-Rex and I didn't have time to tell Chat what I was doing before I did it. He was so scared he tackled me in a hug saying how he thought he lost me instead of sharing our usual fistbump."
She wiped her eyes. "I may not know much about his life outside of the mask, but he must have lost someone once before. I don't ever want to feel like that. And I don't ever want him to feel that way ever again."
Ladybug looked back at the ghost sitting next to her, who was watching the people walk on the ground. "Can you please talk to him?"
He nodded. "I'm sorry for making you cry."
She giggled softly, "You didn't. I'm just an emotional teenager."
"Aren't we all. And yet fate decided we should be super heroes!" He commented sarcastically as he floated in the air. "You know, you're my friend too, right LB? You remind of a girl I know."
Ladybug smiled at him. "Was she a superhero too?"
He leaned back in the air, "Naw. Just super pretty and totally kicks butt. She's a part of Team Phantom and is scary good with lasers."
Ladybug laughed waving to Phantom as he floated away.
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