When Chat Noir and Ladybug found their akuma, they had immediately taken note of the chill that had swept through the heart of Paris. Many people were laying on the ground, curled around themselves. Some were inconsolable, sobbing uncontrollably on the pavement and others just sat unmoving.
"What happened here?" Chat asked, startled green eyes scanning the area. Ladybug didn't reply. Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched.
The tension in the air was palpable. Suffocating, almost.
The air was too still; Chat could've worn that they were locked in a vacuum. Nobody was moving, there were no cars on the street or birds in the sky. There was nothing, save for the cries of the anguished beneath them.
A deep rumble shook the ground.
In that moment, the sky darkened, and gray clouds began to swirl around the city. Another tremor shook the earth, and a sudden blast of wind of blew past the duo. Ladybug and Chat Noir dug their heels into the ground, standing strong against the violent wind gusts that began to pick up.
An angry howl cut through the wind, and the buildings around the two heroes began to creak and moan, the glass windows threatening to break any moment.
"Stay alert!" Ladybug called out to Chat.
Chat Noir carefully watched as the sky darkened until it was dark enough to be mistaken for nighttime. With no stars overhead to guide them due to the stormy clouds, the two waited for their target to arrive.
Chat could feel his heart rate pick up, sensing the impending danger that was headed their way. He willed himself to shake off the chilling sensation that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up straight.
She arrived as another pained moan rode in on the wind.
The akuma emerged in the form of a willowy young woman, wrapped in a flowing dress the color of obsidian. Her face was hidden, obscured by a dark veil. Her long, ink-black hair danced in the wind, the effect visually stunning against her colorless skin. She was a lovely vision of black and white, night and day, life and death. In any other situation, she would've been thought of as hauntingly beautiful.
Maybe even heartbreakingly stunning.
If the distressed people were anything to go off of, Chat figured this woman must have recently experience a gut-wrenching heartbreak that transformed her into an akuma. Through the months, it appeared that the akumas who were the most beautiful were also the ones who were experiencing a pain like no other.
Chat wondered what happened that triggered such a lovely picture of destruction.
She barely hovered above the ground, the tips of her toes just grazing the surface of the floor. The akuma shifted her head, slowly turning it towards Ladybug and Chat.
Suddenly, the wind fell silent, and a dreadful stillness could be sensed in the air. It did nothing to quell Chat's growing anxiety over this akuma.
"Hello Ladybug, Chat Noir," she greeted. Her voice, in contrast to all the other akumas they've faced, was barely above a whisper. "I've come to claim your miraculouses."
"Normally, people introduce themselves before making such requests," Chat replied.
"My name doesn't matter," she dismissed.
She raised her arm, extending her hand towards the duo. Black-tipped fingers curled, displaying her dark claw-like fingertips.
"The Butterfly promised me that it would stop hurting," she whispered, "that I would stop hurting if you gave me your miraculouses…"
"I don't know what he told you," Ladybug responded, her voice echoing across the rooftop, "But I can assure you that Hawkmoth has done nothing but lie and cheat to hurt people."
"He's not on your side," Chat added.
"We'll see…"
The akuma was by far one of the toughest opponents they had face. Cursed with the ability to extract one's weakest moments through touch and project them for all to see, there had been plenty of close calls where she was mere seconds from grazing Chat Noir.
He cursed as his back hit a brick wall, realizing his mistake too late.
"Prepare yourself, Kitty Cat," the akuma whispered.
She flew towards Chat, her darkened fingertips stretching out to graze him. He knew that there was no way to defend himself at the speed she was going and squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for impact.
"Chat!"
It happened so fast that Chat could barely register what was happening.
He felt something slam hard into him, blocking the akuma from her impending attack. He felt strong arms wrap around his waist, squeezing tightly just as the akuma arrived. Chat opened his eyes, surprised to see Ladybug wrapped protectively around Chat.
"L-Ladybug?" he stammered. She ignored him; her furious blue gaze focused solely on the akuma.
"Don't you touch him!" Ladybug snarled at the akuma. "Get away from him right now!"
"I can sense your anguish," the akuma murmured. She reached out, and Chat panicked as she drew closer, fighting to break free of Ladybug's grasp. "The Butterfly can help you. He can help all of us, little bug."
"Get away," Ladybug hissed.
"No, Ladybug what are you doing?" he demanded. "Let go! She's going to touch you!"
"He can fix everything," the akuma promised. "Just as he promised to bring my love back to me, he will help heal your heart."
Ladybug tightened her grip on Chat.
"Ladybug, no!" he yelled, "Please don't do this!"
"I won't let you hurt him," Ladybug vowed, maintaining eye contact with the akuma as her fingertips gently brushed against her skin.
"No!"
The softest gasp escaped his lady's lips, and he took that moment to break her hold. He grabbed her and jumped away from the akuma, landing on a neighboring rooftop. Panicked, Chat looked down at Ladybug.
"Why did you do that?" he demanded. "Why would you do something like that?"
Her pretty blue eyes, which had blazed with protective determination only moments before, revealed something that Chat had never seen before. He felt her go weak in his arms, and he cradled her gently, pressing his cheek to hers.
"It'll be okay, Bug," he said, "Just hang on…"
"Oh my," the akuma said breathlessly, "It seems that I was right about Ladybug the entire time. I've never felt this kind of anguish before. It's positively divine!" she giggled to herself.
Chat narrowed his eyes at the akuma, "I don't know what you did to her, but you will never touch her again."
His grip on Ladybug tightened, "You will never hurt her again!"
"Don't you see?" the akuma asked, "She's been hurting the entire time."
With a snap of her fingers, Chat felt a shift in the atmosphere. He blinked once, twice before reaching up to rub his eyes.
"Here," she said, "Allow me to enlighten you, kitty cat."
The view before him shimmered, taking him from the rooftop to a dimmed room.
Ladybug was gone, leaving Chat Noir alone in this unknown place.
He couldn't see exactly where he was, only able to make out certain shapes and sounds. He could hear voices and strained to listen more closely. A clock to his right reads 3:56 AM. The only thing Chat can hear clearly are two voices, followed by a series of clangs from down below. He draws closer to the voices.
"I can't do this," Ladybug cried. Chat couldn't see her properly, but he knew it was her. She lay awake in her bed, furiously scrubbing her eyes with her fists.
Tikki flew up in front of her, nuzzling her cheek, "Yes, you can. You were chosen," she reminded Ladybug.
"It was a mistake, Tikki," Ladybug snapped, "Master Fu made a mistake when he chose me, and now he's gone. He's gone, and now I'm the guardian and I don't even know what to do."
Very rarely had Chat ever seen Ladybug in this state.
He was reminded of the frightened Ladybug who stood on her own two feet to directly confront Hawkmoth on their second day as superheroes. He remembered how unsure she was of herself, voicing her concern that there had been a mistake when she was chosen to be Ladybug.
Chat was there to help Ladybug, but this time, he wasn't.
Even in the comforts of her own home, Ladybug was kept prisoner to her own fears and insecurities.
It broke his heart to know that his partner was up late at night, crying her eyes out. He reached out to comfort her, despite knowing that he couldn't reach her.
It was one of the most frustrating things to experience.
"I just feel so alone," Ladybug whispered.
"You're not alone," Tikki replied, "You have me and Chat! And your friends! So many people love you, M—"
"Am I always going to feel like this?" she interrupted. Chat could hear her breathing becoming heavier, escalating until she was fully hyperventilating. His eyes widened in alarm, understanding Ladybug's condition. She was wheezing, her fists twisting into the duvet of her bed.
"Oh no!" Tikki cried, reaching over to cup Ladybug's cheeks, "You gotta breathe. C'mon and breathe with me…" Tikki whispered in the dark room. "Breathe in and count to four…"
Together, Ladybug and Tikki counted until they faded into the darkness.
Everything around Chat shimmered again, and he was suddenly face to face with Ladybug in a desolate wasteland. The city was in ruins and submerged in water. He watched as Ladybug approached her target.
He turned, a gasp escaping from his lips when he spotted the akuma.
"Chat Noir, you don't want to fight me," she said gently, approaching what looked like him. "You want me to de-evilize you."
Similar to the akuma he was currently fighting, this version of Chat Noir was hauntingly beautiful. His suit, once as dark as night, was now snow white. A stray tear escaped from pale blue eye, and Ladybug leaned forward to wipe it away.
"Save me…" he whispered.
"My poor Chaton," Ladybug said.
A million thoughts ran through his head at once. When did this happen? How did it happen? Why? He felt sick as he watched his akumatized counterpart attack his Lady, not quite understanding how things came to this point. He would have remembered if he were akumatized at this point.
He didn't understand!
His head was throbbing.
He'd never turn against Ladybug, so what happened here? He had a million questions for Ladybug, and he hadn't a clue where she was.
He watched in horror as the akuma, who introduced himself as Chat Blanc, approached his Lady, his hands charged with the power of his Cataclysm. Ladybug backed away, fear evident in her eyes as Chat raised his hand to strike.
Chat yelled out for Ladybug the second the vision dispersed, bringing Chat back to the rooftop.
He fell over, panting, trying his hardest not vomit. Ladybug was by his side again, rubbing soothing circles into his back. In her hands lay her lucky charm, and the akuma's cursed object: a simple diamond engagement ring.
"Ladybug…" Chat gasped.
She smiled at him, fatigue evident in her face. Ladybug reached over and wiped away a loan tear that was trailing down his cheek. Chat hadn't noticed that he'd been shedding tears during the entire ordeal with Chat Blanc.
"It's okay now, Chaton," Ladybug comforted quietly.
She stood up on wobbly legs, passing the de-akumatized victim. Chat observed how Ladybug was uncharacteristically disheveled, looking as if the fight had taken a lot more out of her than normal.
If those visions were anything to go by, Chat could bet that Ladybug was feeling a lot more exhausted than she actually let on. Ladybug brought her hand up to her face, rubbing at her eyes briefly before throwing her lucky charm into the air.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
When she turned to face him, she grinned widely, extending her hand out for a customary fist bump. Chat's heart ached at her smile, knowing that she had every reason not to.
Gently, he bumped his fist against hers.
"Pound it!" For the first time since becoming Chat Noir, Chat felt a heavy weight dropped onto his shoulders.
He wondered if this was how Ladybug felt all the time.