Adrien seemed uneasy on his feet, he looked weak, unsure. Even from where she was standing, Ladybug could pick up on his rapid breathing. It was as if there mere action of being there was requiring every single ounce of strength that he could muster. It was clear that he was suffering.

That wasn't what struck Marinette the most however, it was the sorrow which lay just behind his green orbs. There was a look of desperation there, a silent plea for help. He staggered along so as to be able to rest himself against the shield wall. Already, he seemed to be struggling for breath. The young man closed his eyes. Despite the danger, his friend approached, resting her hand on the other side of the protective barrier. He took little notice of her. This close, she could hear that he was muttering under his breath, words which she couldn't understand.

"Adrien..." She spoke softly to him but failed to get an acknowledgement. "Please. Let us help you..."

"I know you want to..." His voice was broken. "You won't have long."

She waited expectantly. With every passing second, his strength seemed to be leaving him. He was now leaning against the barrier as much for support as for anything else. Marinette didn't know how much longer they had left until it faded. Three minutes, maybe? Not long at any rate. One mistake and they would be dead but on the other hand, she was desperate to cling to however much time they had with their friend. Adrien winced, pressing himself further against the forcefield, it was almost as if he was under attack from some unseen force.

Still, he gritted his teeth, determined to do get just a couple of words out:

"I can't hold him back forever..." The young man muttered breathing quickly. "When this shield drops, you might have a few seconds. The ring. Cataclysm will end it."

"End what?" She asked, her mouth dry all of a sudden.

Cat Noir didn't reply, not with words. His green eyes, rising to meet hers did the talking for him. They will filled with regret. A silent acknowledgement of what now seemed to be inevitable passed behind his orbs. She understood in a flash just what he meant, what he wanted her to do. For all that, she couldn't respond, truly horrified that her friend, the boy whom she loved could possibly ask her to do such a thing.

She shook her head, taking a step away to distance herself from him, from what he was asking her to do.

"No. No. I can't!"

"You've got to… Kahn will kill you or worse." He gripped at his head, shaking it from side to side as he did so. "He's in here Mari… I can see everything that he can do. Everything he wants to do and plans to do… It's driving me mad!"

"There's got to be another way!" She pleaded with him, louder this time.

"There isn't… He's done so much already!" At this point, Adrien appeared to be in physical pain. "Please Mari… I don't want to hurt you."

"We- We could make a wish!"

It was a thought which had only just occurred to her. Wishes could accomplish anything, couldn't they? They could wish their enemy away. He could go back to whatever dark place he'd come from. If Adrien could just hand over his ring then they could use the combined power of the black cat and ladybug miraculouses to end all of this madness once and for all.

Without warning, Adrien lurched backwards, his back arched in an almost unnatural manner. He let out a loud gasp, coupled with another sound which she couldn't quite place, it didn't sound like a noise which a human being could even make. It was closer to metal grinding against metal. He fell down to his knees and there he remained. Horrified, Marinette could only stare. She turned back towards Carapace, the young man was still desperately trying to recover. There was only two minutes left until the shield vanished at any rate. Until then, he couldn't or rather wouldn't lower it.

"A wish?!" The manic tone was gradually creeping back into his voice. "A wish needs balance! You really think you could banish me? I'd just find another host!"

Perhaps it was for the best that the shield was still up. He wasn't moving, only breathing deeply. Again, she could make out some grumbling. Was it even words that he was uttering? When he looked back up, there was that same old madness behind his green eyes, that look which said that he could and would kill them if given half the chance. Kahn was back. In a flash, he was up on his feet and against the forcefield again causing her to jump back, startled.

He lurched backwards suddenly as if someone had grabbed him from behind. This time, the young man let out a sound which was somewhere between a roar and a scream. For the next few seconds, Cat Noir did battle with a force unseen by anyone else. His body convulsed. He gripped at his hair, tugging at it roughly. With Carapace's protection still active, they couldn't reach them. Although Marinette didn't know just what she could possibly do to help him, there was also the knowledge that right now, there was no telling whether it was Adrien or Kahn in control. So as painful as it was to watch, they were forced to keep at a distance.

It seemed like every second was agony for him.

Then, abruptly the yelling stopped. Cat Noir sat up. He seemed to be stunned, a little lost and confused. His green eyes drifted over the room, attempting to work out just where he was. There was no anger there, it was clearly Adrien looking at them. His gaze softened as he struggled to catch his breath. He was physically shaking. The young man shifted slightly so as to sit up. He pulled his legs close to his chest but continued to shiver.

"I-I can't keep him at bay much longer..."

"We've got one minute left!" Carapace warned them.

"Adrien..." Aware that she was running out of time, Marinette still couldn't think clearly. "I can't-"

"It's okay..." He spoke softly to her, as if somehow that would make things easier. "It's got to end Mari."

He sounded so accepting, like this to him was nothing. Maybe it was or at the very least, in his mind it was better than the alternative. For her part however, Ladybug found herself to be physically shaking at the prospect. She knew, of course, that a miraculous could be used to kill someone. Some of them actually had bladed weapons after-all and if the current generation under Master Fu's tutelage had been rather less inclined to get blood on their hands, it didn't mean that they lacked the ability to do so.

Right now, it was very clearly Adrien facing them. He was kneeling down, breathing heavily but seemingly no longer in any pain. If anything, he seemed to be recovering. He smiled softly, reassuringly perhaps. She shook her head, feeling tears threatening to come. How could she kill him or at the very least let him die? No matter what Kahn had done, the young man who's body he occupied was most definitely not a terrible person and didn't deserve to be punished for his wrongdoings.

Slowly, he reached down so as to hold, his ring between his fingers, visibly preparing to take it off. His eyes drifted back up to rest on them.

"You guys ready?" Once more, he seemed to be struggling. "You're going to have a couple of seconds, I'm sorry… I can't hold him back for any longer."

"Dude…" This time it was Nino who spoke. "You can't ask us to-"

"I'm dead anyway..." He looked away, focusing his attention down on the ground. "We can't get rid of Kahn, without destroying whatever body he's in and I don't want to be his prisoner any longer… Think of it as a mercy."

The countdown continued silently. Braced, he took a few deep breaths, fingers resting on his ring, he pulled it past the joint but not entirely off of his hand so that his disguise lingered a little bit longer. She didn't know just what he was planning, presumably he would throw her the ring and trust her to do the rest.

It would be one word. Just one. Then a touch. As Cat Noir, she should be able to catch up to Adrien Agreste easily enough. Then what, she'd make contact? She'd never seen Cataclysm used on a person before for the simple reason that it would almost inevitably kill them. Adrien wasn't a murderer so they'd never seen it done. Would it be quick or drawn out as they were turned to ash and dust? The prospect turned her stomach. She didn't even want to imagine the young man crumbling away.

"I'll make it as easy as I can for you." Adrien continued seemingly oblivious or perhaps choosing to ignore their reservations. "No matter what happens. What I- Kahn says… Just do it. Ready?"

He didn't get a response or nothing more than horrified stares. Perhaps later, Marinette would regret not taking the opportunity to talk to him, to enjoy these last few seconds. That might have hurt him or maybe it didn't. He seemed to just nod understandingly as if somehow this all made sense to him. If the prospect of death was a daunting one, Adrien Agreste wasn't letting it on. He seemed to be comparatively serene in fact.

A deep breath. The shield fell. The end began.

They hadn't been able to come up with a plan, how could they with Kahn so close and able to hear everything they had to say? So it was done mostly on instinct. They would have to immobilize their foe, no matter what happened. Even without his miraculous, it was likely that he would prove to be something of a challenge. So Carapace, flanked by Rena Rouge and Queen Bee rushed ahead. Marinette lingered only a moment, pushing her parents back so that they were clear of what was about to happen. Hopefully they would be able to find some shelter.

Perhaps that was a mistake. As he saw his enemies bearing down upon him, Cat Noir suddenly took his attention off of the ring he had been in the process of removing. There must have been a certain amount of instinct which took control of him. He wasn't about to just sit there and let them take him without a fight. It was all that it took for Kahn to take control once more and he did so with a vengeance.

He seemed to be more shadow than man. He almost glided through the room, darting around and staying out of the way of his enemies. For every step they took, he took two, remaining ever out of reach. His attention soon becomes apparent. They gave chase, growing desperate and the distance between them grew just a little. That was what he was waiting for. As soon as one of them had drifted a little further away from their allies he would attack. It was a quick blow, maybe two but a powerful swipe. His victims struggled to protect themselves. As soon as reinforcements arrived, he would be on the move again.

Carapace, having already used his gift, was weakening quickly under another barrage of attacks from his foe. Cat Noir aimed for the limbs. After the third lunge, he managed to slam his staff into the side of Nino's left ankle. There was a shout as he collapsed to his knees.

Ladybug acted quickly. She launched her yoyo. All she needed was a brief distraction, just enough to give the others the opportunity to rescue Carapace or for him to recover. Cat Noir spotted the incoming attack and raised his staff. Her weapon wrapped itself around it. She tugged, hoping that she might be able to disarm him. He seemed to be ready for it however and she encountered a fair amount of resistance. Her foe smirked before bending using the length of his weapon to his advantage, hauling her off of her feet as she held on to the string and was sent flying through the room.

She hit the wall roughly. The impact was enough to stun her, knocking the air out of her lungs. Queen Bee and Rena Rouge were quick to come to her aid, attacking their enemy who resumed his original tactic of keeping at a distance. Eager to rejoin in the fight, Ladybug struggled to her feet. Something grabbed her forearm. It was Nathalie, in all of the commotion, she'd just about forgotten about her.

"Get his ring and I can end this."

Marinette stared at the woman, wondering just what sort of a rabbit she thought she could pull out of her hat. With adrenaline coursing through her system, she wasn't up to contemplating just how it would be done. Her first assumption was that unlike them, she had it in her to do it. She could use Cataclysm and put an end to the mayhem that Kahn was causing. Gritting her teeth, Ladybug pulled away suddenly freeing herself. She shot the older woman a cold glare, anger taking over just for a moment:

"I won't let you kill him!"

She didn't care to see what the woman's reaction was to her declaration. She was too angry to care just what Nathalie Sancoeur, a woman living up to her name, thought. Right now, she had to stop Kahn before he succeeded in beating Rena Rouge's flute out of her hands. Teeth gritted, the young woman rushed forwards. It didn't matter what she did, so long as he relinquished his target.

It occurred to Ladybug as she desperately attempted to dodge a flurry of furious swipes from Cat Noir that right now, they had no strategy. They were simply struggling to survive. They were reacting as opposed to acting and any notion they might have had of formulating some sort of strategy were quickly forgotten about as they found themselves under assault. She made an attempt to grab Cat Noir's staff, holding it to the best of her ability, in the hopes that it might be enough to provide her allies with an opening.

"Getting tired insect?" Adrien hissed as he pushed down on his weapon, making a move to crush her. "I could do this all day."

She couldn't answer, out of breath. She did all that she could to avoid being ground into the dirt. He was right of course. They were tiring. He had ten years worth of experience. A few trips to the gym from time to time weren't enough to allow them to keep up with him. They needed a plan. Otherwise even with their numerical advantage, they were going to lose. She could see how it would happen. Cat Noir would get lucky. He would catch one of them out and they would be down a member. From there, they would fall like dominoes.

In the corner of her eye, she spotted Queen Bee. The hero was limping slightly but she was still focusing. Though her own arms hurt and instinct demanded that she found some way to escape, for the first time, there seemed to be the beginning of some form of a plan formulating in her mind. She could only hope that her friends and allies were thinking the same as her. For any coordinated attack to work, they would have to be on the same page.

Marinette forced herself to remain concentrated. She couldn't clue him in to the incoming attack. No doubt Queen Bee intended to take him by surprise and strike from behind. As such, Ladybug focused solely on her enemy's eyes. They were, in an odd way, somewhat hypnotic. Looking into them, she felt her heart sink just a little. It was hard to describe what it was like, seeing behind his orbs such hatred and a clear desire to inflict pain. She couldn't lose, not like this. He would kill her without remorse and that was if she was lucky.

"Venom!"

Queen Bee's shout reached Marinette's ears just as she felt that she felt her own strength begin to buckle. She let out an internal sigh of relief. Hoping that they would be about to end it. Then, she caught sight of his smirk. This was exactly what he wanted. Ladybug opened her mouth, ready to scream a warning, to beg her friend to call off her attack before it was too late.

Cat Noir abandoned his original target, actually dropping his staff so as to have both hands free. He dealt his weapon a solid kick as it dropped however sending it flying into her chest. As the other hero approached, he spun around to meet her, side-stepping her as he went. He didn't blink, didn't shy away. That would have cost him and allowed her to make contact. It was specifically by refusing to let his enemy out of his sight that he was able to adjust for her movements, dodging the attack.

He grabbed her wrists but rather than stopping the hero, he spun her round before releasing her. Chloe was sent flying, colliding violently with the approaching Carapace. He crashed to the ground, suddenly heavy. Stunned, Queen Bee struggled to get back up. The turtle hero however remained motionless, frozen or more accurately paralysed from Venom, the top having made contact with him rather than its intended target.

Kahn took the opportunity to breathe. With one enemy incapacitated, he rolled his shoulders, contemplating his enemies for a moment. When he turned round, his attention fell upon Ladybug once more. He smirked but said nothing. Breathing heavily, she did her best to avoid backing down or her fear from showing. She had one chance, one trick up her sleeve:

"Lucky Charm!"

If ever she needed a miracle, this was it. The power of the earrings was unpredictable. She could never tell for sure what it could give her. It gave her what she needed but not what she wanted or asked for. Today, that was a good thing because for the life of her. She had no idea what could possibly bring an end to this.

A rose fell into her hands. She stared at it with disbelief. It had been so long since she had last used her superpower that she had almost forgotten the sensation of finding herself with something that she didn't immediately know what to do with and that at first glance was spectacularly useless in a situation such as this one. She looked around rapidly but didn't see anything which could immediately prove to be useful to her for some sort of plan. Instead, she found herself just fixing the flower, it's symbolism wasn't lost on her but right now, it seemed to be too little.

Laughter echoed through the chamber. It was Cat Noir. Her Lucky Charm seemed to have tickled his sense of humour, such as it was. She knew that it was going to be cruel and mocking. With one enemy paralysed and the others struggling to recuperate and keep up, he could afford in his mind to be cocky and take things a little easier:

"So it comes down to "love"-" He practically spat out the word. "-again does it? Seems like we're tied together Bugaboo."

She didn't dignify his comment with a response. Clenching her teeth, she tried her best to think of a way out of this. She wasn't entirely stupid, much like Kahn, she knew just what the rose symbolized. Cat Noir had always seemed terribly eager to present her with one, back in the days when they were teenagers and he was doing his utmost to impress "his lady". The flower meant love but moreover it was the bond between the two of them. A bond she would once have called unbreakable. Now, she's left with a monster in the body of the young man she once loved.

Her heart raced as she assumed that he had set his sights on her once more. Instead however, his attention turned elsewhere. He was standing near to Carapace, a very frozen Carapace. He made a move towards the young hero. Queen Bee seemed to have caught on to what was going on. She was quick to move in between the villain and her incapacitated ally. Cat Noir just grinned contemptuously, the challenge wasn't up to his standards it would seem.

She could, hopefully, buy them a few more seconds. Ladybug searched for Rena Rouge. At some point, she had taken a powerful blow to the chest. At the moment, she was struggling to do so much as even stand. A sinking sensation began to take over her. There was a voice in the back of her head which told her that they couldn't win. Not with half their number already more or less crippled. Queen Bee had used her power and a rose wasn't going to achieve much. Already, she could see that Chloe was struggling, trying to dodge another and another incoming attack.

Her gaze fell upon the rose in her hands. How could she possibly bring her friend back when he was like this?

Chloe fell. She couldn't keep up with the flurry and ended up tripping over the still motionless Carapace. Cat Noir raised his staff. His intention was clear, end things with a single, well-placed blow. It was Ladybug's yoyo which shot out, wrapping itself once more around the staff. This time, when he attempted to yank her off of her feet, she braced herself and put up some resistance. So he charged her. He rammed his staff into her throat, pushing her backwards until her back collided with the wall behind her.

"Marinette!" She heard her mother cry.

She couldn't breathe, no doubt that was the intention. Teeth clenched, Kahn pressed down all the harder. She placed both hands on either side of the staff, trying her best to push it back, if only to allow herself to breathe. Her attempts were thwarted violently when her opponent drove his knee into her stomach. She couldn't even gasp with pain. Instead, she felt her legs buckle but the staff pressed against her throat prevented her from falling.

Her vision was beginning to fail when suddenly she was released. She couldn't quite comprehend what happened, unable to pull herself together. She heard the scream however, a cry of pain from Alya. They were falling, failing. Gritting her teeth, the girl struggled to pull herself together. She had to get up, to help the others. Her arms were trembling, she could scarcely even pick herself up off of the ground. Where was Kahn? She could see Alya lying nearby, stunned. Carapace was still frozen. What about Queen Bee? She couldn't see her either.

A solid whack to her back with his staff sent her crashing back down to the ground. She couldn't rise again. Her arms and legs plainly wouldn't obey her commands. Her vision could only just flick around, trying to make sense of the world.

After a moment, she spotted the man's feet. Cat Noir was staring down at her pitilessly. There was no madness, no sick enjoyment of what was happening. He crouched down in front of her. With the last of her strength, groaning with pain, she managed to look up at him. She opened her mouth, desperate to croak out one last appeal to the young man that she loves. The words struggle to come but then, eventually, a few syllables manage to sleep out:

"P-Please Adrien… I know you're still in there."

He was their last hope. They needed him back. Not for long, a few seconds. Enough for him to remove his ring and for them to recover. She felt his breath against the back of her neck and closed her eyes. If he got his hand on her miraculous that would be it. He might not know how to use them, how to make a wish, it wouldn't matter. With two miraculous on his side, they wouldn't be able to stop him. They could seldom stand up to him as they were.

She wrapped his arms around hers and pulled her up so that she rested on his lap. Marinette tensed up, her eyes screwed shut, instinctively fearing the worst. Her body was aching and her strength had vanished, leaving her helpless. Even if one of the others came to her rescue, she wouldn't be able to act. In short, she was out of the race. As his hold on her shifted slightly, she expected him to either pluck the earrings off or snap her neck, either one. The pain in her body was such that she couldn't even react or resist. Lying there, she found herself drifting in and out of consciousness for a few seconds.

There was a certain gentleness to his embrace however. Looking up through dull eyes, it felt as if she was faced with Adrien once more or was it just her mind playing games with her? He fixed her with a tired and pained look, clearly spent. She felt him toy with her hand, slipping something into her hand.

"Time to end it Mari..." His voice was little more than a whisper.

"Marinette!"

It was a voice she'd never thought that she would hear again. Somehow, it managed to reach her ears, pulling her out of her semi-conscious state and back into the real world. Just as Adrien's face changed and the madness returned.

It was Plagg, calling out to her. She had just enough presence of mind to roll out of the way, scrambling on all fours. Adrien seemed to be convulsing, a silent battle raging within him. His appearance had changed, he was clearly just well… Adrien now but it was Kahn in control. Ordinarily, she would have fancied their chances but right now they were already spent. Carapace was frozen and the rest of them had taken such a beating in only a few minutes that they were struggling to pull themselves together for what would likely be the endgame.

"You've got to do it." Plagg was by her ear, looking towards his former master fearfully. "Make a wish."

"I- I don't know how-!" She spluttered out looking at the ring in her hand.

It was Gabriel who had used the power before. He'd brought back his wife with it. It was an ancient right with required the book (which she didn't have with her) and a certain amount of knowledge. She had neither and found herself lost. Could it be as simple as just slipping the ring on, powering it up and then just making a wish? Even then, what would happen? If Adrien was right then all that would happen was that Kahn would be transferred into another host. There was no telling who that would be. She loved Adrien, if she made the wish could someone else end up being afflicted? Her parents, maybe Luka?

"Marinette watch out!" It was her mother calling to her this time.

She was screaming with desperation and fear. The young woman had just enough time to look up and see just what the threat was. Adrien was charging towards her, a knife in his hand. She didn't know where he'd gotten it from. He must, she reasoned, have been wearing it when he first transformed. Not that it mattered much now. He was going to be upon her in a few seconds. She raised her hands instinctively, readying herself as best as she could. She could see the madness in his green eyes, it screamed murder.

Just as Adrien reached her, something else collided with him. Marinette didn't know what was going on. They were rolling on the floor. There were three of them. She could hear Kahn's screams of rage and someone else cried out in pain. She felt a couple of blows herself but was mostly shielded. Then eventually, they came to a stop. It took Ladybug a moment to realize that it was Nathalie, the woman protected her in her embrace for a moment before their enemy finally freed himself. He pulled back, rage unmistakable but this time mostly directed at the assistant:

"I've had enough of you!"

A powerful kick from the woman was enough to knock him back as he approached, blade raised.

He landed not all that far away. It was hard to believe that the assistant was all that strong. Perhaps he'd grown accustom to his own strength as Cat Noir and suddenly finding himself without the protection of the miraculous. Either that or finally, he was tiring. Whatever the case, Queen Bee was waiting. She approached cautiously. As soon as they grew closer, Adrien's attention turned to him. This time, he was clearly on the defensive. He took swipes only to keep her at a distance. With her own powers now on a timer, it wouldn't be long until she was a civilian and then, once more, he would have an advantage.

Marinette grit her teeth. Nearby, Alya was also pulling herself together, readying herself. She glanced back towards Adrien and then back to the ring in her hand. Beneath her, she felt the woman shift, letting out an audible groan of pain. She lay on her back, breathing heavily, clearly in a considerable amount of pain. Her strength had left her. Ladybug got up, quickly allowing her the opportunity to breathe. Nathalie doubled over, her hand reaching down for the lower part of her abdomen.

Kahn was insane, roaring with fury as he struggled to keep his enemies away from him.

"I-I might have a plan." She breathed into Nathalie's ear.

With only a couple of moments left, Chloe had opted to trying to keep at a distance. At the same time, in the back of her mind was Nino, still paralysed. Should Adrien suddenly decide to go after him for whatever reason, he would be helpless. Tom and Sabine watched from afar. Clearly torn. Their first encounter with Cat Noir had seemingly been enough to convince them that challenging him wasn't the best decision.

Seemingly benefiting from a sudden second-wind, Ladybug flung herself back into fight. She seemed more willing to take some risks, likely trying to spare her friends what would most definitely prove to be painful, potentially fatal injuries if the blade made contact with them. Queen Bee fell back, her own transformation had only a few moments left. Adrien adopted more of a fighting stance, gripping the blade tightly. From time to time, he would threaten her with a false lunge. She would back away, carefully keeping out of the way. All that could be found behind his green eyes was rage, his teeth were bared into an ugly snarl:

"What is it Kahn?" Ladybug taunted with a confident smirk as they circled. "Not as easy as you thought it would be."

"When I'm done with you, you'll wish that you were able to beg for death!"

He abandoned all caution charging into Ladybug. She attempted to move backwards, even raising her hands to defend herself. Her parents cried out. Kahn smirked excitedly. Savouring what was to come.

Yet the blade didn't make contact with flesh and blood. Instead, it passed through what seemed to be mist and Ladybug dissipated. Adrien found himself frozen, perplexed and alone in the room. His eyes darted round, looking for the source of this trickery. It was a green flash which drew her attention to the corner of the room. The Cat miraculous had been used, transforming Nathalie. The woman was lying on her stomach was in the process of putting on the earrings of the Ladybug miraculous. Next to her, Marinette looked on fearful, realizing that their last distraction had failed.

"What?!"

He let out a roar the likes of which Marinette had never heard before. The next thing that she knew, the man was charging towards them. They only needed a few seconds, the Nathalie Cat Noir only needed to say two words to power up the Ladybug Miraculous. On the other hand, it might not take that long for him to reach them. There was a flash next to her and woman transformed for the second time. It was only a few instants of distraction, but by the time that she looked back Adrien was almost upon them.

It was a split second decision.

Marinette got to her feet and charged forwards. She would meet him. It would buy them a few extra seconds. She was vaguely aware that others were calling out with alarm, telling her not to. The world around her seemed to fade. Instead, she only had eyes for her enemy. Adrien's gaze flicked to meet her. It was fury which took hold of him and she saw that his target was no longer Nathalie, the woman who was about to end his schemes. Instead, perhaps sensing that the game was up but keen to take someone down with him, it was towards the younger that he lunged, murder behind his eyes.

There was a sudden bright flash and they collided.

Her entire body ached. She was lying on her side, eyes closed. It took her a few moments to manage to gather her thoughts together. Just in front of her was a mop of golden blonde hair. Adrien… Summoning what little strength she had left to give, she pushed herself up. Dazed from the impact and struggling to get a feel for herself. For the time being however, that didn't seem to matter. The young man next to her appeared to be asleep.

Could he be unconscious? At this point, she couldn't even tell if he was wasn't too sure how to check or rather, remained apprehensive about doing so. One wrong move and he could catch her by surprise. He'd kill her. It would be effortless. Fear left her paralysed. For a short while, time just seemed to stand still. All that Marinette could hear was her heart thundering in her chest. Then, without warning. He gasped, filling his lungs with oxygen. It caused her to jump back, self-preservation instinct taking over. She didn't know if he was awakening as Adrien or Kahn. They had been fooled before.

The young man looked around, clearly confused. It took a few moments before his gaze found her. There, she found a familiar softness. The rage and madness had vanished. As lost as he was, it was clearly somebody else.

"Adrien..." She breathed out softly.

"Mari! Mari!"

It was pure and unbridled relief. All of his restraint, that emotional control that he'd struggled to build and maintain during his time in the mountains vanished. It was replaced instead with an almost childish sense of joy and relief. She wasn't too sure if he rushed over to her or she too him but within a few seconds she found herself in his arms. Adrien pulled her in close, seemingly fearful that she was now the only thing keeping him here and most certainly unable to express his recognition.

She closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. Everything seemed to hit her at once. The pain from the blows inflicted. The terror from everything that had happened. The hours of sleep lost. It all hit her. In those few instants, she floated somewhere between consciousness and drifting off. The exhaustion was something the likes of which she had never before experienced.

It was over. They were safe…

She sensed that Adrien had tensed up abruptly. Somewhat fearful, she found herself opening her eyes. Glancing up at him. There was a look of horror on his face which instantly sent shivers down her spine. After a few moments, she lowered her own gaze, despite her own anxiousness, to see just what had caused him to fix her in such a manner. Her heart sank as soon as she spotted it.

Blood. There was blood on her shirt.