Chapter 19 – Confined/Trapped

Adrien woke to a blaring siren in his ear and fell of his bed in a tangle of panic and blankets. It was just an akuma alert, he told himself, rubbing his hands over his face to wake himself up. A corner of the phone had left an indent in his cheek (because he may or may not have fallen asleep looking at pictures of Ladybug).

Reaching over to dismiss the alert, he took in only the most important bits of information. It was almost 7 a.m., Ladybug hadn't texted him today, school was delayed, because a purple monster with cannons for hands was rampaging in front of College Francoise Dupont.

He'd get to see Ladybug again already?! This was great! She almost kissed him last night! What if today was the day?!

He took the time to throw on clean clothes (just in case she asked him to reveal himself – he didn't want her to see the amazing Ladybug jammies he was wearing!), brush his teeth (because what if today was the day?!), and then text that he was on his way. He tacked a kissing emoji onto the end, before thinking better of it. That might come across as too desperate. And just because he was desperate didn't mean she should know that!

The route to the school was so ingrained that Cat Noir let his mind wander as he made his way to to the fight. Last night, Ladybug's lips had gotten so close to his that he could convince himself that they'd almost touched. She had almost kissed him two nights in a row! Focusing on the disappointment and frustration of that "almost" was tempting. He was so close, and he didn't know how to overcome what might be his last hurtle. Instead, he chose to look at the positive. Ladybug saw him as a possibility, someone she wanted to kiss, even if she wouldn't let herself yet. That was more than he would have ever thought possible until two nights ago.

Wind whipped across his face as he sliced through he air, pushing himself toward the school. What might have happened had she stayed? His imagination had been running wild ever since she'd left last night. Visions of whispered confessions, tender caresses, and kissing in the rain were extra fuel for his muscles, driving him toward the fight, toward seeing his Lady again.

When he got to the school, everything was deserted, but it was obvious why. The building and the street had dozens holes punched through them, two feet in diameter each. Shards of glass and chunks of asphalt littered the ground. That wasn't good. With a quick look toward the Dupain-Cheng bakery (he breathed a sigh of relief to see his friend's home undamaged), Cat Noir followed the trail of broken pavement.

It was easy to follow. Cars and people picked their way around the potholes as best they could, on their way to work despite the danger. Without any immediate threat, his mind automatically wandered back to Ladybug again. It was amazing that she'd spent so much time with him when all he'd done was ask. What if asking worked again? What if he asked her out on a date? Or if he could kiss her, or share his identity, or be her boyfriend, or call instead of just text?

No, those were too much. She didn't need to know how needy he really was. She wouldn't like that. He'd just ask for an official date. That was it.

The path turned at an intersection, toward the heart of the city. More people would be there, and Ladybug was probably already fighting alone, trying to protect them. He went faster.

The closer he got, the more gouges and craters he saw. A broken hydrant spewed water. Cars with dented roofs screamed their alarms. Someone whimpered nearby.

Following the sound, Cat Noir twisted his body mid-jump and landed beside a line of parked cars. They were covered in branches. The sidewalk tree next to them had been blasted apart.

Through the shattered windshield he saw a small family, a father huddling in the backseat, his arms around two small girls. Cat Noir opened the passenger door and slid in. "Hi! Everyone okay?" The younger girl looked about five, and was hugging a backpack to her tiny chest. She stopped crying when she saw him and smiled brightly.

"Kitty!"

"That's me."

The older girl was about eight, he guessed. She hadn't been crying, but she looked close. Her cheeks were splotchy and her lips trembled. "What are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be fighting that monster?"

The father looked afraid too, but it was edged with stiffness. Trying to keep his children calm. They shouldn't have to live with this.

"Oh, I was on my way over, but I think I need some help." Cat Noir leaned toward them like he was sharing a secret. "I'm kind of lost. Did you see which way the silly akuma went? I need to find it and save the day!"

"Are you gonna kick its butt?" the little one asked. She leaned forward too, eyes bright and eager, though the tears on her cheeks hadn't even dried yet.

"Definitely," he said. "Can you two help me?"

"It went that way!" the older girl said, pointing excitedly, all traces of fear gone. "Ladybug was chasing it! We saw her!"

"You did? Well, I better hurry or Ladybug might win the fight before I get there!" He shook all three of their hands before the father whispered, "Thanks."

"I'm here to help," Cat Noir said, and he climbed out of the car and launched himself in the direction the eight-year-old had pointed. Not that he'd needed the directions. The shattered pavement was a clear path.

In less than a minute, he heard the screech of twisting metal and Ladybug's yell of warning, and with another push, he was at her side as she huddled behind a smoking, overturned car. She spun toward him when she heard him land. Before he could even say hello, she dropped her gaze with a flushed smile. A good sign for him!

"The akuma is named Dodgeboy," she told his knees. "Cannon-hands, shooting dodgeballs. Something about not wanting to go to school because of gym class today."

Cat Noir peeked over the edge of the car. The akuma was hard to miss. Twice as tall and three times as thick as a normal human, all purple, and angry.

"No one ever wants me on their team!" Dodgeboy yelled to the sky. "Well, now I'm the best. Pick me!" He fired purple dodgeballs up into the air, spinning on the spot.

"I'm guessing the akuma is either in his hands or the backpack. Not sure which one." She pulled herself up next to Cat Noir to survey the scene, letting her hand rest next to his on the car's frame.

The dodgeballs crashed into the pavement in a circle around the akuma, splintering the ground with terrifying cracks.

"I feel like we should stick together on this one, since he's so dangerous," she said. "Then jump in opposite directions when he fires to confuse him."

"Ladybug." Cat Noir scooped up her hand and kissed it. "I will gladly stick by you."

Flirting while fighting was cruel. He never got to know what her response was because Dodgeboy finally saw their heads peeking up over the top of the car and fired. They both leaped over his head. The car's roof flattened into its floor as it slammed into a nearby building.

They landed on a set of wide stairs leading into an apartment complex. There wasn't any movement in the windows, and he hoped that meant the building was empty.

"That was close," Ladybug said.

"I wouldn't mind getting even closer," he said, snaking an arm around her waist.

Ladybug squeaked and pulled away, but didn't yell at him to stop like she normally would have. Another good sign for him. She threw her yoyo while Dodgeboy's back was to them, and he spun so fast he almost lost his balance, the cannon-hands making him top-heavy, and his next shots went wide, though he managed to knock Ladybug's yoyo off course.

Ladybug was right. This was a dangerous akuma. When they weren't directly in his sights, he would fire randomly, only interested in yelling to the city how no one wanted him. Whenever he saw them, he became laser-focused, firing an onslaught of stone-cracking ammunition. They were either hiding or dodging, which made fighting and capturing him difficult.

Of course, Cat Noir had to admit that he wasn't being very helpful. Like that day with Oblivio, he couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut, but this time every flirt distracted her as much as him.

When he told her that her eyes were like stars, she touched the spot where the pendant had rested. When he said she was the cat's meow, she covered her mouth too slowly to hide her smile. It was several seconds before she finally got ahold of herself enough to frown at him in warning. After a series of flips to keep herself out of harm's way, Ladybug complained, "It's too early for this."

Cat Noir took no time sliding up behind her and whispering, "I finally know how pretty you look first thing in the morning."

She slapped his arm, which he supposed he deserved.

"Are you going to help me or not?" she said. Her hands shook as she gripped her yoyo.

"Sorry, I can't. The sun is in my eyes." She turned to look at him then, confused. They were both standing in the shadow of skyscrapers. He winked. "Have I mentioned that you light up my life?"

It was his fault. Ladybug stared at him, completely unresponsive under his barrage of flirting, and she didn't turn around fast enough. Dodgeboy aimed, he fired, and Cat Noir dove forward, pulling her to him and using his baton to lift them both to safety. The akuma roared his fury at being thwarted.

They rose through the air, nose to nose, her hands around his neck, his arm around her waist, pinning her close to him. For her own safety, of course. With her face so close to his, it was easy to see her eyes find his lips. A midair kiss was not a fantasy he knew he wanted until right then, but she quickly rested her cheek against his, so she wouldn't be tempted. (Or so he told himself.)

She'd been too slow to react and had almost gotten in trouble for it. He should feel ashamed of himself for making this fight so much more difficult than it needed to be, but his giddiness at having such a strong effect on her drowned it out.

They touched down on a low, flat roof, far enough from the edge that Dodgeboy wouldn't see them. As soon as Ladybug regained her footing, she backed away from him. "You need to cut it out," she said. "I can't work like this."

"Cut what out?" Cat Noir asked, hands behind his back like he'd been caught stealing cookies. "I'm just happy. That's all."

"Happy," she scoffed. And then muttering to herself, "More like reveling in your victory."

"So you admit I've won your heart, huh?" He flinched at his own words, bracing himself against her inevitable rejection. That'd teach him to talk without thinking. He knew she wasn't ready to openly admit to anything.

Ladybug spun her yoyo in a large arc, hooked it to a railing across the street, and pulled the line taught, testing its hold. "Maybe." Then she swung away.

Leaning on his baton for support, Cat Noir watched her go, knees shaking. Maybe. Maybe. That little admission shouldn't be turning his legs to jelly. It wasn't a yes.

But it wasn't a no, either.

Feeling winded, he only gave himself to the count of three to collect himself before leaping after her. There was still an akuma to fight.

"I've decided to lay off the flirting," he announced as he dropped down next to her.

"How mature of you. I wouldn't have expected that."

Dodgeboy fired a stream of purple missiles at them, and they rolled away in opposite directions. Cat Noir called across the street to her. "It's only for the fight. I know you don't really want me to stop."

Ladybug zipped out her yoyo, tripping Dodgeboy, and giving herself a few seconds to dart across the street toward Cat Noir and drag him around the corner of a building and out of sight. "Have you noticed that he only targets us?"

"I don't hear a contradiction. You want me to lavish you with affection, don't you? You miss it already."

"He's leaving the civilians alone," she continued, pointing to a news crew gingerly picking its way around the edges of the fight and still not contradicting him!

"I hadn't noticed," he said. "I might be a little distracted today."

"But I'm still worried about bystanders getting hurt. We need to be careful of what's behind us when we dodge. Got it?" She poked her head around the corner to watch the monster.

"Keep aware of our surroundings. Got it. Nice observation, My Lady. I'm glad we're partners."

"STOP IT."

"That wasn't even flirting!" he yelled after her as she ran out of sight. "I was just being nice!"

"STOP BEING SO NICE."

Even with his renewed focus on the battle, it didn't go well. Dodgeboy was dangerous, and avoiding serious injury took all of his concentration.

Well, almost all of his concentration.

In between weaving and dodging, he still found the time to smile at her softly when he caught her eye, whisper compliments when they "accidentally" dodged in the same direction, and blow kisses when her back was turned. The cannon-hands were unbreakable, as far as they'd been able to tell. He suggested cataclysming them, but Ladybug insisted they should wait.

"He's trying to shield that backpack from us." She gasped for breath. "Have you noticed?" They were sheltering in a recessed doorway. It wasn't deep enough for them both, so they squeezed side by side in the corner where they could remain out of sight, and it was easy for Cat Noir to pretend she'd picked this hiding spot for that reason. She rested her face against the cool stone, eyes closed.

"You think that's where his akuma is?" he asked.

"Maybe? I think we should at least wait a little while longer before starting our timers. We don't know enough yet."

"I'd wait forever for you." A cracked flower pot had been knocked off its sill when the window had been blown out, and dirt, leaves and petals were scattered in front of their doorway. One undamaged daisy rested near his feet, so he risked grabbing it and held it out to her.

"I thought you said you were going to stop with the flirting," she said, staring at it.

"I did! I'm being honest."

Her hand trembled as she reached for it, before finally pulling back. "Thank you, but I don't have anywhere to put this."

Keeping his eyes trained on her face, making sure still welcomed his touch, he reached up behind her head and tucked the flower into her pigtail.

"It's just going to disappear as soon as I cleanse the akuma."

"So?" He tightened her pigtail, to make sure the flower was snugly in place.

"The reporters will see. It'll be all over the news."

He tightened her other pigtail, just for an excuse to keep touching her. "Do you want me to take it out?"

"No."

An earsplitting crack was the only warning they had. Chunks of stone rained down on them as they broke off from their doorway. Cat Noir reflexively pushed Ladybug against the door, shielding her head with his arms. One piece of stone caught his shoulder and he grunted in pain.

"Are you okay?"

Cat Noir blinked away tears.

Ladybug grabbed his face and repeated her question, worry lacing her words, while he kept his arms protectively over her head. The pain faded a little as she stroked her thumb over his cheek.

He wanted to say something flirty, something funny to break the tension building up between them that made him want to forget the monster, broken buildings and cracked stones, and just kiss her, but she was looking at him so openly, all of her well-maintained walls that usually kept him shut out down, and the only thing he could think to say was, "You're so beautiful."

Ladybug's eyes dropped to her feet, and he thought he might have overstepped some line, though he couldn't think of what. Why was she being quiet? It wasn't until she looked back up at him did he realize she was being bashful. He didn't realize Ladybug could even feel bashful. The smallest smile and the lightest blush crossed her face, but half a second later they were gone.

"You're a sweetheart. Why did you hide that from me for so long?" Before he could figure out what to say to that, she bounced on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek and ducked under his arm and ran toward the akuma. Well, she tried to run. Broken asphalt jutting up from the sidewalk tripped her, and she stumbled. He reached out reflexively to catch, though she was much too far away, but she didn't need the help.

She shouted, "Need to focus," and disappeared up the street. He wasn't sure he she'd been talking to him or herself.

Weighing his baton in his hand, back still sore, he willed himself to follow her, but his swirling thoughts held him in place. She called him a sweetheart. No one had ever said that about Cat Noir before. That sort of comment was always reserved for Adrien. But she liked it. She liked his sweetness, which meant she would like both sides of him. They really were made for each other!

When he returned to the fight, it was with a new desire to get the monster dealt with quickly, so he could have the time to show her just how sweet he was.

"We need to change scenery," Ladybug yelled to him over Dodgeboy's head. "These buildings are going to collapse if they're hit anymore."

"Got it. Hey Dog-boy, or whatever your name is." Cat Noir beaned him on the head with his baton. The impact vibrated all the way up to his shoulders. "Come chase the kitty!" he said, and pole vaulted himself above the street. If he could just stay overhead, Dodgeboy's attacks would be aimed upward and be less of a danger to the people and architecture. Or that was the plan, anyway.

Dodgeboy waited until Cat Noir was high above the skyline. It was Ladybug's yell that was his first sign something was wrong. At the top of his arc, he looked down and saw Dodgeboy aiming not at him, but at the bottom of the baton. Cat Noir's stomach lurched as it was knocked out from under him and he plummeted toward the jagged slabs of pavement. Ladybug caught him in midair, her flower fluttering to the ground.

"My Lady," he puffed when his feet touched down. Where had his baton gotten to? "I owe you my life. How do you want me to repay you?"

"Run."

"That's a weird request," he said, still looking around for his weapon. "I was hoping you'd want a kiss."

"Run!"

"Wha-"

He looked up from his search just in time to keep himself from tripping as Ladybug shoved him. A purple butterfly outlined Dodgeboy's eyes, and his face twisted with pain. He'd been taking too long, and Hawk Moth was unhappy. Bad news for them. With a jolt of panic, the duo sprinted into the shadows of an alley, Dodgeboy stomping behind them.

"Any ideas on where to go?" Cat Noir asked.

"Forward," she huffed. "Away from him."

"So we're winging it?"

She didn't answer.

The alley dead ended, and he tried to make the jump, and failed. As his hands started sliding down the bricks, Ladybug caught him, flinging them over the building and into a crowd.

There were too many people in this city. Everywhere they ran or swung, cars and people screeched and screamed as the monster fired wildly. And every time she picked him up, her grunt of exertion became more pronounced. The length of the fight and his weight were wearing on her stamina.

"We should go back to the school," Cat Noir finally said. "It'll still be evacuated. Fewer people." Ladybug changed direction with a groan.

"Sorry. We can go back and grab-"

Ladybug's answer was tightening her grip on his waist and swinging them both toward the school. Her arms must have been burning with all the heavy lifting she'd had to do in the last few minutes, though he couldn't complain about being this close to her as they flew over wide buildings and even wider parking lots. She twitched, then shook, and her hold on the yoyo line slipped slightly. "I'm making an emergency landing on that roof," she said. They missed, crumpling in a heap next to four sets of glass double doors as her strength finally gave out. A mall. Cat Noir rolled off his aching back and onto his side.

"Sorry," she said, rubbing her right shoulder.

Dodgeboy landed so hard on a nearby car that he flattened it. The impact rattled through the asphalt and into his feet.

"No time to worry about it," he said, picking up her yoyo and grabbing her uninjured arm. He hated it, but there was nowhere to go but inside. People milled around on the other side of the door, hardly noticing the two heroes running past them, though they noticed Dodgeboy. Shrieks and screams echoed off tiled floors and down wide corridors behind them. Cat Noir flinched at their fear. They needed to get out of here before someone got seriously hurt.

"There," Ladybug said, diving through the wide entrance to a clothing store, Cat Noir close behind her, and Dodgeboy just a little farther behind him.

They twisted and turned up aisles, trying to lose their pursuer and find a way out. Why were these stores always so enormous? Did people really need all these clothes? Oh look, he'd modeled that shirt just last month.

The crash of a clothing rack snapped his attention back, and he started pouring his focus into tracking the monster with his enhanced hearing. Dodgeboy's pounding footsteps were growing fainter. Then they paused and shuffled, trying to decide which way to turned.

"I think he lost us."

"Here," Ladybug breathed. She grabbed his hand and confidently dragged him down and aisle and between racks of clothing. His heart started beating faster in a way that had nothing to do with the fight. Even lost in a mall, their lives on the line, she had a plan, and currently it involved hauling him off somewhere secret.

"I like where this is going."

She hissed at him to be quiet as she shoved him – careful not to hurt his back – into a circular rack of dresses long enough to reach the floor. Once they were hidden in the middle, she shuffled the clothing, closing the gap they'd come through.

"If you wanted get me alone, Bugaboo-"

"Will you shut up?" Her voice was so quiet he could barely pick it up, even with his magically-enhanced hearing. "Those dodgeballs can snap metal beams. I'm sure they'd have no problem breaking your ribs."

Dodgeboy stalked closer, pounding each step into the tile, cracking it. They waited as he paused, then turned in another direction, only to circle back toward them, on the prowl to find them. It was only a matter of time until he did.

They were trapped.

Author's note: Oof. So I wanted to get two chapters out this week (since chapter 20's first draft has been done for days and I missed last week), but this week has just been overwhelming. Sorry! There will definitely be at least one update next week, though.