Chapter 23: Between a Wall and Hard Place
If someone says: "If it looks like a duck, swims like a suck, quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck", that someone is referring to the duck test; a form of abductive reasoning, which allows one to identify an unknown subject just by observing it's habitual characteristics. And on that moment, Ladybug was seeing herself in a situation where said test could also be used. She believed she was dead, and every sign pointed to that same conclusion. What she believed to be her spirit or her soul, was floating in the air. She could see through her body, and on top of that, she could see herself, lying on the ground with a pile of rubble over it. In fiction, those are all the things that point out to a character that it is dead. And there was no reason for Ladybug to not believe she was dead, after seeing all those evidences. Just the thought of it was making her wish that all of that was just a bad dream.
"I must be dead! But if I'm really dead, then where's the light at the end of the tunnel and all that stuff?! Also, if I died, why would I be wearing my Ladybug outfit?! Shouldn't Tikki be here with me as well? No, because kwamis can't die… or can they?!" -Ladybug asked herself, as her brain went into overdrive, with all those questions. –"Also, do ghosts have anxiety attacks?! Because I think I'm having one right now!"
All those questions she was asking herself were valid questions. Unfortunately, she did not know the answer to any of them, and there was also no one who she could ask the answer to. And not having answers was making her even more nervous than before. She had to force herself to calm down, in order to be able to decide on how she was to approach that situation she was in.
"Okay, calm down, Marinette. Take deep breaths and think logically… you have to because if you don't, you're going to go crazy, whether you're dead or not." -Ladybug told herself, as she tried to calm down her thoughts. –"That's it. Take deep breaths… Inhale, exhale… inhale, exhale…" -she kept repeating the words.
She did this a couple of times, trying to calm down. She did not feel the air entering her lungs, which she felt was strange, but did not mind about it, as all of that was strange to her. She could still feel her heart pounding inside her chest, even though she knew that was impossible, but she decided to not think too hard about it, given what was happening. As she breathed in and out, she noticed that things around her seemed to be moving in slow-motion. She noticed this, when her eyes noticed a piece of debris falling from the broken ceiling, falling at a very slow speed.
"Okay, maybe I'm not dead. Maybe I'm just tripping… but why would I be tripping?! This is all too surreal! Calm down, Marinette, calm down. Inhale and exhale." -Ladybug said, as she tried once more to calm herself down. –"Whatever's happening you need to calm down… hey, wait a moment! What's happening down there?" -she thought, as her eyes caught eye of something.
What she had seen was moving from behind the counter was Reptile. Just like her and Chat Noir, he too was caught by the explosion, but because he was behind the counter, he was not so affected by it. Getting up, he saw the two heroes down and decided that that was the opportunity he was looking for, to get their miraculouses. And because Chat Noir was the one closest to him, he decided he was going to start with him. Jumping over the counter, he made his way towards the feline
"Oh, no! Adrien's in danger! Well, whether I'm dead or not, or tripping, or whatever, I can't let that poor excuse for a snake hurt Adrien! I've got to get back to my body, so I can help him!" -Ladybug exclaimed, as she tried to float down. –"It's not working! I can't go down!" -she said, in panic. –"No, calm down, Marinette, and try to focus. Tell yourself that you need to go back into your body… but what if it doesn't work?! No, stop thinking like that! The more you think about it that way, the more nervous you get, and we can't have that happening. Just focus on getting back at your body. Adrien needs you!"
Focusing, she kept repeating to herself that she needed to go down back to her body. All the while, she kept seeing Reptile moving in slow-motion, slowly approaching Chat Noir who was still on the floor, unconscious. Slowly, but steadily, she began to float down towards her body, and as this happened, she prayed that by the time she managed to do it, she would still be in time to save Adrien's life.
Opening her eyes, two things happened. First, she felt like a whole building had fallen on top of her. Of course, she knew this was impossible, but the thought of knowing it, did not make the pain she was in disappear. And second, she noticed that everything was moving at regular speed, when she saw Reptile kneeling by Chat's left side, readying himself to give him the killing blow and collect his miraculous. Knowing that only she could save him, Ladybug tried to up, but the moment she tried to move, an almost unimaginable pain coursed through her body, forcing her to stand still. Her body was telling her to stand still, so she would not feel any pain, but she knew that if she did not ignore that warning, her boyfriend would die.
"Come on, come on, come on, Marinette! He's going to cut Adrien's throat and take his miraculous! Get your ass up and save him!" -Ladybug she thought to herself. –"If you don't do it, then you will have failed as both a friend, a girlfriend, a leader and a superheroine. Move your ass!" -she practically screamed at herself.
Ignoring all the pain she was in, Ladybug pushed herself up, with the rubble that was on top of her falling off her, as she got up. Every muscle and bone in her body was screaming at her, telling her to stop, but she kept ignoring their cries. Throwing herself at Reptile, she pushed him away from Chat Noir, while also kicking him on the ribs. The lizard man, who thought that she was unconscious, was caught by surprise.
"W-What?! What happened to you?" -Reptile asked her, surprised.
The scarlet heroine did not know why he had spoken those words, but she assumed he was talking about how bad she looked, after the ceiling came down on her. But that was not the case. When Reptile said that, he was referring to her arms, which she then noticed, had changed. Below the elbows, her outfit had change. Gone was the red with black spots, and instead, it was black, like that of Chat's. She also noticed that her hands were different, and looked more like Chat's claw-like gloves. And on top of it, she realized she was feeling an energy she had never felt before, coursing through them.
"Leave him alone, snake breath!" -Ladybug yelled at Reptile, who was still a bit stunned by her appearance. –"I don't know why, but my instinct is telling me to do something absolutely crazy, and given things, I've got nothing to lose… Here it goes." -she thought to herself, before charging against Reptile. –"Cataclysm!"
When she pronounced that word, dark energy surrounded her hands, the same way it happened when Chat Noir did that. She did not know how, but she was using Chat's attack. Without thinking too much about it, she went with the flow and punched Reptile square in the face, with him feeling the full impact of the "Cataclysm", and sending him flying towards the wall, where he hit his head and passed out, just before falling to the ground.
And as all this happened, Chat, who had regained consciousness, when Ladybug threatened Reptile, felt like he was in a kind of dream. His ears were ringing; his body felt like he had been flattened by a steamroller; he had just seen Ladybug use his trademark attack on Reptile, and he was asking himself if he was just dreaming, or if he had imagined the whole thing. But when Ladybug fell on her knees, exhausted, he realized it was all real.
"H-Hang on, milady." -Chat Noir said, as he pulled himself up, trying to ignore the pain that was coursing through his body. –"J-Just ignore it, Adrien. Come on, M-Marinette needs your help. G-Get up!" -he thought to himself.
Walking as fast as his pain-stricken legs allowed him to, Chat Noir went to Ladybug, to see if she was alright. Kneeling by her side, he placed his arms under her back, and gently pulled her towards him, noticing that her arms and hands no longer resembled his. She had her eyes closed, and for a second, he feared the worst, only to feel relieved, when he noticed she was breathing.
"Ladybug? Ladybug, are you okay?" -Chat Noir asked her. –"Come on, bugaboo, say something, please." -he silently begged her, a second before she opened her eyes.
"I… I…" -Ladybug spoke, forcing herself to utter a single word. She did not have any energy left in her.
"Don't talk. Save your strength. I-I'm getting you out of here." -Chat Noir said, as he picked her up, and began to walk out of there.
He did not know how he was able to still stand on his own two feet, due to the pain he was in. A regular person would be crying in agony, because of that amount of pain that he was feeling. But Chat figured that his wish to help the girl he loved was giving him the strength and the determination he needed to withstand the pain he was in. Looking around, he saw both Reptile and Brutus still on the ground, unconscious. But that could change at any given moment. He knew that Hawk Moth's lieutenants were tough and eventually they would wake up and try to finish what they had started. So, he knew he had to get out of there and seek help. Neither he, not Ladybug were in any shape to fight, right then.
As he walked out of the ruined coffee shop, which now looked more like a place where a tornado had gone through, and destroyed everything there was, he wondered where he ought to go, while also ignoring the pain he was in. On top of that, a thought was coursing through his mind, regarding what he had seen the scarlet heroine doing a few moments before.
"I can't believe it. She actually used my unique ability. But how did she do that?!" -Chat Noir asked himself, as he carried Ladybug in his arms, out of the coffee shop. –"I just know one thing. Right now, the two of us need medical attention, and fast. Especially, you my sweet bugaboo. I've got to find Nino and ask him to help us. But first, I need to find a safe place to leave you to rest, Marinette, while I go look for him." -he thought, as he looked around and tried to decide which way, he felt was safer.
To say that Hawk Moth was not happy with what was happening, would be an understatement. Both Reptile and Brutus were defeated by Ladybug and Chat Noir, and were now lying on the floor of a coffee shop, unconscious, while the Akuma he created still had not killed any of the heroes, or gotten a single miraculous. And that was making him see red. Focusing, he tried to contact them with his telepathy. Unfortunately, because they were unconscious, it was impossible for him to contact them.
"They are still unconscious." -Hawk Moth cursed his bad luck, before looking over his left shoulder and signalling Madame Romani, who was leaning against the wall in silence. –"Get over there and help them get back on their feet, and then, go after the heroes. The battle is far from being over." -he ordered her.
"M-Me, master?" -Madame Romani asked.
"Do you see anyone else here?" -Hawk Moth asked her.
"Yes, master." -Madame Romani told him. –"I will not fail you." -she said.
"For your sake, you better not, Romani. Or else, you know what punishment awaits you." -Hawk Moth warned her, as he teleported her to where the action was. –"I will not allow you heroes to make a mockery out of me, Miraculous Team. Not if my lieutenants or my Akuma have anything to say about it." -he thought to himself.
Following the chaos that rampaged around the hospital and its surrounding neighbourhoods, it did not take long for the police to arrive and try to figure out what was going on. Being called on an Akuma emergency had begun to be a bit of a routine for some of the police officers that responded to the call. Over the last few months, they all begun to have training in dealing with that sort of situation. They knew that they did not have the means to truly defeat an Akuma. But that did not mean they were just going to step aside and allow an Akuma to do whatever it wanted. Their main mission was to ensure the safety of any civilian, and only to engage the Akuma or any other creature created by it, if absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, some of them had no other option but to engage Mind Void, when she showed up in front of them. Pulling out their pistols and taser guns, they pointed them at her, while searching for cover. Some even shot at her, but just like it happened with Miraculous Team's weapons, their bullets and taser needles went right through her. And just like it happened to anyone she saw; Mind Void used her powers on them. Some were hit by one of her energy beams, while others were touched by her. And some were unfortunate enough to get caught by one of her smoke creatures, who caught them by surprise. In a flash, they were all on the ground, all curled up, muttering incomprehensible words, while suffering bad case of anxiety, or falling into depression.
"Now, you know what feels to be me." –Mind Void said in a gloomy voice. More and more, she did not feel good about doing what she was doing. But at the same time, it felt liberating, to make other people feel what she was feeling.
"Hey, Mind Void!" -a voice called out, catching her attention. –"Over here!" -the voice called out again.
Using his superspeed, Antelope was able to destroy most of the smoke creatures that were around, giving him and the remaining heroes that were with him a little break from the action, allowing them the necessary time and focus to put Arachnid's plan into motion, as they stood in front of her. They had never tried to talk to an Akuma before, so that was going to be a first. There was tension in the air, and they all feared that if they spoke the wrong word, it would get them into trouble.
"This has got to be the dumbest plan we've ever had to take down an Akuma." -Antelope thought to himself, not truly believing that that plan would work.
"Listen! Can we talk to you for a second?!" -Arachnid asked Mind Void, as he dodged one of her energy beams. –"We just want to talk to you!" -he told her.
"Talk to me?" -Mind Void asked them, surprised.
"Yes, we just want to talk." -Panda Roux said. –"We don't want to attack you. Scout's honour." -he promised her.
"And what do you want to talk about?" -Mind Void asked him, once again with her depressed voice.
"We want to talk about you. Why are you doing this? Why are you hurt?" -Arachnid asked her, trying to establish a link between them. –"If I can get her to open herself to us, we might stand a chance to actually to defeat her, without having to fight her." -he thought to himself, hopeful.
"You wouldn't understand. Nobody would. Not until they feel what I feel." -Mind Void sighed, truly believing in what she said.
"Try us." -Grizzly Bear said. –"Maybe we can help you?" -he asked her.
"Help me?" -Mind Void asked.
"Yes, help you." -Antelope said.
"You know what they say… a person shouldn't keep all the things that are harmful to their mind and their heart to themselves." -Arachnid declared. –"It's not healthy. And that's why people should talk about their problems, their anxieties, their fears, with others. Because it helps talking to a person." -he said
"That is a very beautiful speech, but those are just empty words. You don't mean what you say." -Mind Void sighed. –"Just like all the doctors in that hospital. They all spoke pretty words, but they did not mean anything." -she said. –"Empty words can't help someone like me, who's in constant suffering."
"I know I'm not a doctor, but, I'm sure that there had to be at least one doctor that truly wanted to help you." -Grizzly Bear said.
They all continued to talk to Mind Void, hoping to create a bond between her that would help them find a way to stop her, without realizing they were being watched. Madame Romani was sent by Hawk Moth to get Reptile and Brutus back on their feet, after the two of them battled against Ladybug and Chat Noir and lost. And once she managed to do what her master had ordered her to do, she decided she ought to present herself to Mind Void. Seeing what was happening, she believed that whatever the plan the heroes had, would not work. But even so, she decided to destroy any chance of working.
"Don't trust them!" -Madame Romani exclaimed, as she showed herself –"Don't you see that they are only toying with you?! Hawk Moth is the only one who wants to help you. He gave you the power to make others feel what you feel, and what are you doing?! You're fraternizing with the enemy?! They don't want to help you! They just want to take away the power that my master has given you, so you could show everyone what true suffering really is… ouch!" -she exclaimed, when she was hit by something on the head. –"What was that?!"
"That was a warning for you to shup up, you old hag. So, shut your mouth, and stop poisoning her mind!" -Antelope yelled at Madame Romani, after he grabbed a piece of debris and launched at her with the help of his bat.
"Don't listen to her! Romani is a witch and a liar!" –Grizzly Bear exclaimed.
"You see?! They're trying to get me to shut up, just because I'm talking the truth! I can imagine that you were also told that you were to shut up, when you didn't want to." -Madame Romani told her. –"That must bring you a lot of pain, doesn't it?" -she asked her.
"She's just toying with you, so she can use you! She doesn't care about you! We do!" -Panda Roux told her.
But it was too late. Madame Romani was able to do what she had set to do. She had turned the tables on the heroes, who were trying to help Mind Void, And Mind Void, feeling like she had been used, she attacked the heroes.
"Well, there goes your fabulous plan." -Antelope commented in a sarcastic tone, as he dodged one of Mind Void's energy beams.
"I never said it was full-proof, now did I?" -Arachnid admitted. –"And if you're so smart, what should we do next? Because I don't see how we can deal with an Akuma, who we can't even touch." -he said, as he headed for cover, behind a trash bin.
She knew it was best if she let Mind Void destroy the heroes. But after the humiliation they put her through, when Ifrit was defeated, and the punishment she received for her failure, Madame Romani wanted to settle the score with them. She wanted to inflict as much pain as possible in them, before allowing them to beg her to end their suffering. And to do that, she needed to get Mind Void out of there. She wanted to kill them herself, so she could rub it on Reptile and Brutus' faces, and prove to Hawk Moth that she was his best lieutenant.
"Go find the other heroes and take them down. I'll deal with these, myself." -Madame Romani told Mind Void. –"And remember, kill them and take their miraculouses." -she warned her.
"Yes. I will find the other heroes." -Mind Void said, as she flew away, leaving Madame Romani to deal with Antelope and the others.
"And now, we're going to have some fun, you brats." -Madame Romani said, as she used her crystal ball and quickly created numerous illusions to fight the heroes. These looked like rock golems and they had a menacing appearance.
"You're going to regret crawling out of that gutter you came out of tonight, Romani." -Grizzly Bear threatened her, as he punched out one of the illusions that she created to face them.
As they descended, Louve Grise and Queen Bee saw that things were not going well for the rest of the team. Landing on one of the rooftops, the girls quickly tried to see how they could help out, by assessing the situation.
"This doesn't look good at all." -Louve Grise said. –"And I don't see the Akuma." -she added.
"Well, whatever those things are, they must have been created by the Akuma." -Queen Bee pointed to the smoke creatures that Flamingo and her copies were battling on the ground, alongside Corbeau Noire.
"Other than Rose and Juleka, I don't see anyone else, Chloe." -Louve Grise said, as she looked down.
"I don't see them either." -Queen Bee said, when she noticed Flamingo, or one of her copies grabbing someone and flying upwards with it. –"Let's see if we can get some informations from Rose or one of her copies." -she told Louve.
Grabbing the wolf heroine, and placing her in her arms, Queen Bee took off into the air, following Flamingo, or one of her copies, who was carrying someone in its arms. Wondering why it was doing that, she got the answer, as she closed in on her, who had just landed on the rooftop, where there were numerous other people, all curled up like a ball.
"Hey, blondie! Are you the real Flamingo, or just a copy?" –Queen Bee asked her, as she Landed and dropped Louve Grise on the floor.
"Yes, I'm the real Flamingo, blondie. What can I do for you and Louve?" -Flamingo asked her. –"Ladybug told us that you were skipping this one, due to an unexpected problem." -she told them. Ladybug had not specified the reason why the two of them had stayed behind.
"Change of plans. We decided that we would be more helpful here." -Queen Bee said, as she looked and saw so many people curled up in a fetal position.
"Well, then, having you here, will make things a little easier." -Flamingo told her.
"Why? Is the Akuma too strong? What kind of powers does the Akuma have?" -Louve Grise asked her.
"Oh, she's strong, but not in the way you're thinking. She can turn her body into smoke, and we can't touch her without getting a severe anxiety attack or send them into full-blown depression." -Flamingo answered her. –"Also, she can shoot energy beams that do the same thing. Whoever is hit… well, you can see for yourselves." -she said, as she pointed at all the people, she had brought up there. –"You girls be careful. I've got to go back down there and help Corbeau Noire."
Seeing Flamingo leaping from the building's ledge, Queen Bee and Louve Grise did the same thing a couple of seconds later. But instead of heading towards the ground, they did something else. They landed on a lower rooftop, wanting to get a closer look at the action, before jumping into it. After hearing Flamingo and her warnings, they needed to come up with a strategy, so they would not get caught by surprise. But their separate approaches were quite different.
"So, how are we going to do this?" -Louve Grise asked Queen Bee. –"We find the others and help them?" -she asked.
"Not this time. I say we find that Mind Void, or whatever her name is, and we take her down." -Queen Bee told her, with a confident voice.
"Didn't you hear what we were told? She told us that Mind Void can turn herself into smoke, and if she touches us or hits us with one of those energy rays she was talking about, we're goners." -Louve Grise said.
"I did. But I'm not going to let that stop me from trying to best her." -Queen Bee said.
"It could be dangerous." -Louve Grise warned her.
"It goes with the territory. Plus, I'm not afraid of her." -Queen Bee declared.
"I'm not afraid of her either. But from what we were told, we never faced an Akuma like this one." -Louve Grise told her.
"I know that. But with the night I'm having, I need to let out some serious steam." -Queen Bee said. –"And if I see myself face to face with that Mind Void, I won't show her mercy, you can quote me on that." -she declared.
"Are you looking for me?" -Mind Void asked the heroines, in a gloomy tone of voice, as she appeared out of the blue, startling them.
"Yes, yes, we are. And we're here to take you down." -Queen Bee answered with a cocky smile on her face. –"Leave this to me, Louve. I'm going to make her wish she was never akumatized." -she said, confidently, as she spun her trompo, creating a protective shield.
Louve was about to tell her something, when the bee heroine attacked Mind Void, with only one goal in her mind: defeat her. Fuelled by the rage she had inside her, Queen Bee lashed out on Mind Void. Instead of seeing her as just another Akuma created by Hawk Moth, she projected the image of her mother on her, and pretended that she was fighting her. She did not exactly know why she did it, but she did not mind it. As long as it helped her to get rid of said rage, she was okay with it. The rage and hatred she had for her mother was something she needed to take out of her system.
But just like all the other heroes who wanted to take her down, Queen Bee quickly found out that it would not be as easy as she thought. Mind Void was as slippery as an eel, and twice as fast. Still, that did not stop the bee heroine from taking her best shot at her. And while Queen Bee grunted, every time she failed to get her, Mind Void continued to sigh and lament how much pain she had inside her, while also making remarks about the blonde's fury.
"I sense a lot of rage in you." -Mind Void told Queen Bee, as she dodged her trompo.
"What would you know about rage, huh?" -Queen Bee asked her, as she threw her trompo at Mind Void's face, only for this to go through her.
"Rage is not a good thing. Rage is like a fire. Once it burns up, the only thing left is regret, sadness and grief." -Mind Void told her. –"Those feelings are the worst kind of feelings. I should know. I carry them inside me." -she sighed, in a gloomy voice.
"Stop sympathizing with her. Destroy her and get her miraculous!" -Hawk Moth ordered Mind Void, his voice echoing inside her head.
"Yes, Hawk Moth." -Mind Void said.
"Oh, you're talking with that psycho?! Well, tell him this: "If you're not a coward, then come out of the hiding hole you crawled into and come and face us! I'll take you on, myself!" -Queen Bee yelled from the top of her lungs. –"I'll take him on, along with you and any other creep there is out there! And you know why?! Because I'm Queen Bee, and I've got a ton of rage that needs to be put to good use!" -she yelled once again, as she threw her trompo at Mind Void's face, only for this one to go through it.
There was just no two ways about it. Queen Bee was letting the rage she felt for her mother to guide both her and her trompo in that fight. Audrey's words to her were still echoing in her mind, and that made her blood boil and her anger become even stronger. And Louve Grise feared that that would harm her. As she was, Queen Bee was not going to listen to whatever she would say to her. But being her best-friend, and her partner, she did not intend to leave her side. And so, she stuck behind her and tried herself to attack Mind Void, as the fight raged on.
"Chloe, please, calm down. I know you're trying to prove yourself, but this isn't the way to do it." -Louve Grise thought to herself, as she used her fans to shoot a gust of icy wind at Mind Void.
Tired of not being able to hit the Akuma even once, Queen Bee decided it was time for her to use her wind powers, to see if her luck improved. Throwing her trompo, she created a small tornado, that began to suck everything near it, including Mind Void. At first, she tried to resist it, but the strength of the tornado sucked her inside. When that happened, Queen Bee rejoiced, as she believed she had done what the others had not been able to do.
"I've got you now!" -Queen Bee thought to herself.
She thought she had Mind Void where she wanted her. But it was the other way around. It was Mind Void who got her where she wanted her. Though the tornado had sucked her, she allowed her body to turn itself into smoke, and using the power of the tornado itself, she quickly exited it, and reassembled itself behind the heroines, who did not even hear her putting herself back together. And if it had not been for a loud noise, they heard coming from behind them, which made them look over their shoulders, they would have never seen that Bee's plan had failed. Pointing her finger, she shot a dark energy beam at Queen Bee, who did not have the time to react, hitting her.
"Chloe!" -Louve Grise thought to herself, as she saw her best-friend falling, after being hit by one of Mind Void's energy beams.
Queen Bee had just hit the ground, when Louve Grise ran towards her and placed between her and Mind Void. Looking her in the eyes, the wolf heroine decided that she was not going to let her touch the blonde. Taking a deep breath, she used her ice breath on Mind Void, who flinched back. Louve did not know what would happen if she used it on the Akuma, but she did not have the time to think about it. She just wanted to get her friend out of there, before she had her miraculous stolen. Grabbing her, she carried her out of there, as fast as her legs allowed her.
"Hold on, Chloe, I'm going to get you somewhere safe. Somewhere, where you'll be able to collect your thoughts and just calm down." -Louve Grise thought to herself.
After finding a place where she could stay and rest safely, Chat Noir went looking for Carapace to help them. His body continued to ache and more than once, he was forced to stop for a brief moment, while also being careful not to be spotted by the smoke creatures that continued to give people anxiety attacks, as he knew he would not be able to fight them in that state. Luckily, it did not take him long to find Carapace, who was fighting alongside Rena Rouge, taking down all the smoke creatures that kept showing up. They did not know where they were coming from, but they were too busy to even think about it.
When they saw him approaching them, both the turtle hero and the fox heroine knew something bad had happened. He looked all bruised, like he had come out of a major royal rumble, where there were no rules. Wanting to help him, Rena Rouge created a couple of illusionary people to keep the creatures occupied, as she and Carapace went to check on him.
"What happened, bro?" -Carapace asked Chat Noir, who by then was struggling just to stand up.
"L-Ladybug…" -Chat Noir said.
"What happened to her?!" -Rena Rouge asked him, practically demanding an answer.
"S-She needs help… she's hurt." -Chat Noir said. –"Y-You need to follow me."
"We're not going anywhere, until I fix you up, bro." -Carapace said, as he placed his hands over Chat's chest and used his healing powers. –"Foxy fox, do you think you can keep these things at bay, while I take care of him?" -he asked her, as he saw that her previous illusions were not fooling the smoke creatures' as well as they thought they would.
"You got it, turtle boy!" -Rena Rouge winked at him.
And as Carapace tried to heal Chat Noir, Rena Rouge did her best to keep the creatures at bay. By then, just like the others, she was beginning to feel exhausted. Still, the fox heroine knew that that was no time to think about it. After being attacked and temporarily falling down into depression, she knew she did not want anyone else to feel that way because of Mind Void or her creations. That thought gave her the strength and determination to continue to fight. But even with that strength and determination, she told her boyfriend to hurry up, as she did not want to try and find out just how long those two things would continue to help her fight.
A couple of seconds went by, since she begged Carapace to hurry, when he told her that they were ready to go. Sighing out of relief, Rena Rouge told them to lead the way, while coming up with another illusion, to make sure the smoke creatures would not follow them. The last thing she wanted was to bring one of them along, as they were going to help her friend. As Chat lead them, Carapace and Rena Rouge wondered what had happened to their friend, and could not help but to feel worried. The way Chat showed up, all beaten and bruised, they quickly imagined that Ladybug would be the same way, or worse. And when they arrived where she was, part of their fears was confirmed. The scarlet heroine looked pretty messed up.
"Oh, my God! Marinette, what happened?!" –Rena Rouge asked her best-friend, as she knelt beside her.
"I…" –Ladybug tried to talk.
"Don't talk, bugaboo. Save your strength." -Chat Noir begged her. –"Do you think you can fix her, Nino?" -he asked Carapace.
"I think so. But it's going to take me a while to do it." -Carapace said. –"Keep an eye out for any trouble that might come our way, while I do my magic." -he told Chat Noir.
"Hold on, I've got a better idea." -Rena Rouge said.
Using her flute-staff, Rena Rouge used her "Mirage" power to create the illusion that that the shack that was on that rooftop was a lot larger than it was, thus creating the illusion that there was no one there. As for Carapace, he wasted no time in healing Ladybug's cut, using his powers. The cut was deep, but because she had wrapped Chat's tail-belt around her arm to stop the bleeding, it made the turtle's hero job a lot easier. As he did this, she tried to remain as still as possible, because if she moved, she would start yelling in pain. Healing her arm, the cut healed, without leaving a single scar, while also fixing her outfit. Now all he needed to do was to restore some of her energy.
Hoping to learn about what happened to her, Ladybug knew the only one who could give her some answers was Tikki, so she decided to turn back into her civilian self. Returning to normal, Marinette saw Tikki landing on her lap, not looking so good either. Just like her, the ladybug kwami looked exhausted. Marinette tried to reach for her with her right hand, but the lack of energy prevented her from doing it. Instead, Rena Rouge understood what Marinette was trying to do, and quickly grabbed Tikki and placed her on the blue-haired girl's right shoulder.
"T-Tikki… a-are you okay?" -Marinette asked her.
"N-No… I feel super tired." -Tikki sighed. –"A-And you?" -she asked Marinette.
"I-I f-feel like… I f-feel like I look, right now." -Marinette told her. –"Like I-I was used, as a p-punching bag." -she added.
"Me too." -Tikki sighed. –"I r-really wish I could have a cookie now." -she said.
"I k-know, Tikki. But unfortunately, all the cookies I had for you, t-they are in my pochette, back at the hotel." -Marinette told her.
"It's o-okay." -Tikki said.
"Tikki, I-I have to ask you something… w-what exactly happened?" -Marinette asked her kwami. –"I don't know how, but I managed to use A-Adrien's Cataclysm. Not only that, but I seemed t-to also have an out of body experience." -she said.
"I'll tell you what happened. Y-You managed to unlock, not one, but two new a-abilities, and you u-used them both." -Tikki told her. –"T-That's why you a-and I are so tired." -she said.
"Two abilities?" -Chat Noir asked, surprised. –"I know she unlocked the ability to copy my special attack, which by the way, it was super cool. You looked awesome throwing that Cataclysm at Reptile's face." -he smiled at her. –"But what is the second ability she unlocked?"
"S-She unlocked "Astral Projection" -Tikki said.
"Astral Projection?" -Rena Rouge asked, surprised.
"A-Astral Projection, Tikki?" -Marinette asked her.
"Y-Yes, the power that allows one's soul to temporarily leave its body, and communicate with a higher p-plane of existence." -Tikki clarified. –"And in the case of Ladybugs, it allows them to communicate with people's spirits, or souls, if you prefer." -she said.
"T-That explains why I thought I was dead or I was tripping." -Marinette said.
"In other words, you had an out-of-body experience ala Doctor Strange." -Carapace pointed out, as he began to restore Marinette's energy.
"That doesn't sound like a very good ability, when it comes to fighting Akumas." -Chat Noir said.
"It is if you c-can use it properly." -Tikki said. –"O-One of my previous holders, Mudekudeku, the N-Namibian Ladybug, she perfected that power a-and was able to use it to g-get in touch with the souls of akumatized v-victims and help them get rid of the bad feelings t-that caused them to revert to normal. S-She also used it to chase nightmares away from children's minds." -she told them.
"Girl, I know that right now, you don't feel like it, but you've got to be the luckiest person in the world." -Rena Rouge told Marinette. –"You unlocked an ability, that is just what we need to defeat this Akuma. Especially, since we can't touch her, without falling into a bloody depression." -she said, with a smile on her face.
"Yeah, well… it's l-like you said. I m-may be lucky, but I d-don't feel so lucky." -Marinette said. –"I feel like I don't have any energy in my body." -she sighed.
"Well, it's a brand-new ability, not to mention that is also a very advanced kind of attack. On top of it all, you also unlocked the ability to temporarily absorb abilities and use them. That'll make anyone tired." -Tikki said.
When they heard that statement from Tikki, they could hardly believe her. Over their time as miraculous holders, they had managed to tap into some amazing and unique abilities. And already being used to it, they were always surprised to know that when they thought they had unlocked the best of all abilities, an even better ability showed up. And Marinette had won the jackpot with that one and with the Astral Projection ability.
"Being able to absorb powers and abilities is one insanely awesome power to have." -Carapace commented, as he continued to use his powers on Marinette.
"So, from now on, she'll be able to temporarily absorb powers from the rest of the team?" -Rena Rouge asked Tikki.
"Yes. But that power isn't exclusive to the ladybug miraculous. That ability is one that all miraculous holders have. But just like the other advanced abilities and attacks, it takes time for it to manifest, and even more for it to be mastered. I never thought that Marinette would be able to unlock that ability this soon." -Tikki admitted. –"The good news is that now that you have unlocked that ability, the others will also be able to unlock it, when you borrow their powers for a little while." -she smiled at Marinette. –"But don't think that you'll be able to borrow powers from anyone, won't have consequences. Doing it so requires a lot of energy not as much as when you use one of your advanced attacks, but even so, it's not an ability you should use lightly. When you use it, you must always remember that by doing it, you are abdicating of a small portion of your energy. Energy that you might need later on, in a battle."
"Well, at least they can't say that we're too overpowered." -Rena Rouge joked about it.
"Those are some good news and bad news, indeed." -Marinette forced a smile. –"I just wish I had unlocked these abilities, while not in the middle of a battle." -she sighed, as Carapace finished restoring some of her strength. –"Thanks for the energy boost, Nino."
"My pleasure." -Carapace said. –"But be careful. I just gave you a little boost. I didn't fully restore your energies. So, don't exceed yourself." -he warned her, as he gently picked up Tikki to do the same. –"Don't worry, Tikki, I'm also going to give you a little bit of energy, so you don't feel so exhausted."
"But I do have one question. Some of us have also used advanced attacks against enemies, and even though we were exhausted after using them, we didn't look like we'd been run over by a train, like in her case. Why did this happen to her?" -Chat Noir asked Tikki.
"Like I said before, the temporary absorption and use of powers from another miraculous holder, forces the hero to use a sizable amount of energy. Not as much as an advanced attack, but it's still a little bit." -Tikki explained, as she began to feel a little better, thanks to Carapace's intervention. –"And in Marinette's case, she used that attack and the astral projection. So that left her with almost no energy." -she said.
"That makes sense." -Chat Noir said, before looking Marinette in the eyes. –"You better leave this Akuma for us, milady." -he smiled at her, while caressing her cheek with his right thumb.
"I can't. I have… to go back and…" -Marinette tried to get up, just to be stopped by Rena Rouge, who pointed her flute-staff at her face, preventing her from getting up.
"Girl, you aren't fit to stand on your own two legs, much less fighting an Akuma or the creatures it spawned." -Rena Rouge said. –"Not yet, at least. You need to rest for a little longer." -she told her.
"But I…" -Marinette said, before being interrupted again.
"Hold it there, bugaboo. You need to rest." -Chat Noir told her. –"I mean, it's like Tikki said. You unlocked two different abilities in a matter of minutes, and you used them, both of them." -he said. –"You've got to rest for a bit, so you don't end up seriously hurt."
"But you heard what Alya said, Adrien." -Marinette said. –"I'm probably the only one who has a fighting chance against Mind Void with this new ability of mine." -she declared.
Chat wanted to tell his girlfriend that she was wrong about it, but it took him half a second to admit that she was right. None of them had been able to hurt Mind Void, and with each passing moment, she was getting stronger and stronger. For the first time ever, they had not been able to hurt the Akuma, even though they had given their best. And knowing Marinette, he knew that she would never back out of a fight, even if that meant placing herself at risk.
"And do you think you can use it again?" -Chat Noir asked her.
"I… I don't know. But what other choice do we have, if I don't at least try to use it?" -Marinette asked Chat Noir.
"Don't worry, Marinette. I'll help you." -Tikki said. –"Remember, you're not the first Ladybug to unlock that power, and the link between us allows me to feel what you feel, when in battle. So, I know exactly what made it trigger that ability, and we can use that to help you trigger it again." -she explained to Marinette.
It warmed Marinette's heart to once more having a kwami as affectious, as brave and as pure-hearted as Tikki. Even as exhausted as she was, the scarlet kwami was more than willing to help her, anyway she could.
"Thanks, Tikki." –Marinette thanked her kwami.
"But I must warn you. Using Astral Projection will take a lot of energy out of you. And, because you only unlocked it now, you won't be able to stray away from your body for a long period of time, or stray too far from it either." -Tikki warned her. –"Also, when you use it, your physical body will be left defenceless." -she said.
"That means you'll need to get very close to Mind Void, while also having someone to guard you, so if anyone or anything tries to hurt your physical body, while you're using Astral Projection." -Chat Noir said.
"We can try and bring her to you." -Carapace told her. –"On our way here, I spotted a deserted rooftop, not far from here, that we could use to make our stand." -he said. –"That way, instead of going after her, you could stay hidden, save your energies and then use them to power up your attack."
"I like that plan." -Rena Rouge said. –"But we still need to decide who will protect her." -she reminded them.
"I'll handle that." -Chat Noir said.
"No offense, Adrien, but maybe it's best if it's me." -Rena Rouge said. –"You're faster than me, and because of it, you've got a better chance to keep our distance from Mind Void, than I do." -she told him, before turning to Marinette. –"I'll keep an eye on Marinette, and protect her, so don't you worry. After all, that's what best-friends do, right, girl?"
"Absolutely, Alya." -Marinette said.
This was one tough chapter to write, because of so many things that were happening at the same time. But it's also this kind fo chapters that I do enjoy writing the most, because I force myself to come up with solutions to all kinds of sticky situations our heroes get themselves into. The battle against Mind Void will reach its climax on the following chapter, but a lot can still happen... and it will happen, I guarantee you.
Also, our Ladybug has unlocked two new abilities, one of which will certainly help her and the rest of the Miraculous Team save the day. She was so worried the others were all evolving and progressing, and she felt like she was still stuck on the same level. Well, not anymore. Also, I have to say this: Though the Astral Projection ability is awesome, the power that was really excited to give to her was the one that allows her to temporarily absorb abilities from the heroes, and you know why? Because I decided that in this AU of mine, we won't have fusions like in the series (so, I'm sorry, but we're not going to see Dragonbug, or Snake Cat, or any other fusion they show in the show). I mean, let's face it. Since our heroes are bounded to their miraculouses and they can't exchange them, the odds of that ever happening, were absolutely nul. But fear not, because with this new power, they will all be able to temporarily exchange abilities, which will come in handy (though, don't expect this to make them all too "OP", because it won't. They won't be able to use this ability at will, because it will have consequences on their energy levels, and they will have to train its use (it may be magic, but that doesn't mean they will master it right away).
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions for this fic, or future ones. And before I forget, soon we will have another illustration from one of the Akumas that the Miraculous Team have faced, that I have a friend of mine working on. Once its finished, I will let you know, so you can see it. And I warn you, it will be the illustration of the very first Akuma they faced... Gargantua.
P.S. I must thank Angel Winx for pointing out that there were three sentences that were unfinished (I uploaded the unifinished version of the chapter, instead of the finished version, by mistake. I apologize for it. Exhaustion makes you do stupid things, you know?). Thanks again. ;)