I don't have time for this.

Marinette sat in silence, her eyes fixed on the so dear friend that had become a heavy burden in little time, and hoped that her hands weren't shaking as much as she thought that they were.

Normally she would have felt guilty about this whole situation, criticising her own desire of running out of her bedroom and leave Alya behind without any explanation or valuable reason.

But there was no time to feel guilty now: Adrien and Chat had been taken, they were held hostage by the most dangerous man in Paris and there were only six hours left for her to save them both. So yes, jumping out of her window at that exact moment did sound like the most intelligent option available. Unfortunately, she had yet to find out how to get rid of her friend in a way that wouldn't cause her to freak out.

She watched as Alya adjusted her glasses, taking her hand in a soft gesture. She probably had mistaken Marinette's frown for an act of sadness or confusion, and she told herself that it was better in that way.

"Marinette," she heard her whisper. "I'm sorry."Alya's grip tightened, her whole body moving closer to Marinette's. "I know how hard this is for you, I know how hard this is for us, but we- we have to do something."

Her free hand instinctively moved up, stopping at the height of her cheek, and her fingers caressed the so precious earring.

"And I need you to help me doing the right thing for Adrien's sake. We can't afford stupid mistakes. There's too much at stake."

That's right. She had no time to lose.

"Alya."

The girl almost jumped backwards, completely taken by surprise by Marinette's strong, loud tone of voice.

"You said the video was posted on the ladyblog, right?" A soft nod was enough to make her continue. "Who posted it?"

"You see," Alya started, taking her phone away from Marinette's lap. "That's part of the problem."

The image of Adrien's face finally disappeared from the small screen, only to be replaced by the pinkish logo of the ladyblog.

"I don't know who posted it. All you need to make an account on my blog is an email, so it's pretty much impossible for me to find out who is behind this." Alya's fingers scrolled down and then tapped the screen, loading the page of the infamous video. "I only know that this guy chose to call himself 'Cadeau,' present."

Marinette gritted her teeth.

That jerk.

"I didn't know what to do," Alya continued. "Nearly 200 people had watched it by the time I had seen it and the word was traveling fast, so I just blocked it. Now I'm the only one who can access the video's page."

Her blue eyes moved to the floor, her teeth busy devastating the insides of her right cheek. If two hundred people had seen the video then that meant that they were also in great danger; it wasn't unusual for her and Chat to rescue civilians who had gotten themselves involved in some akuma attack, and this surely was not going to be any different. The Parisians were an overall nice population, always ready to fight for what they saw as the right thing to do, even if that meant making the lives of the two heroes even harder than they already were.

This time, however, Ladybug could not afford to be on the lookout for these kind of people. Two hostages were enough.

"You need to bring this to the police."

Alya shifted in her seat, the soft pillows of Marinette's bed moving underneath her weight. "I thought the same too at the beginning, Mari, but-"

"There's no buts, Alya." Marinette interrupted. "If we don't do something people are going to be there and they might get themselves into something dangerous. The police has to secure the area."

The brown-haired girl raised an eyebrow, both confused and annoyed at her friend's reaction. "I know, Mari, I'm not stupid. If you had let me finish, you'd probably know already why I think calling the police could become a problem."

Marinette didn't seem to take her friend's attitude too well, however, as she just sighed and closed her eyes in resignation. She didn't have time for this. There was no time, and her friend still thought that she had the freedom of explaining everything at her own, slow terms.

"Then just spit it out, Alya!"

The girl stayed in her place, not moving of an inch. Marinette watched as her eyes studied her, shifting from anger to resolution.

"I'm not telling you anything until you calm down, girl." She put her hands on Marinette's shoulders, forcing the two to stare at each other right in the eyes. "I came here because I know how much you care for Adrien and because I needed advice from the person I trust the most, not because I wanted to argue. I need you, and I need you as your usual, clumsy self."

The other teen couldn't help but stay silent at those sincere words. She had shouted at her friend, accusing her without a specific reason if not for her own nervousness, and yet she still talked to her as if she understood everything, as if none of what was happening was her fault.

Alya didn't know that she was Ladybug. Alya didn't know that her world was crumbling to pieces around her, that the weight of her actions was suffocating her at the point that she couldn't keep a steady breath. And yet, her support was everything she needed to keep going. That small smile that she pretended to hide when she was mad, that pat on her shoulder at the end of the day when she was feeling down… That was all she had left now, and she was glad she had it.

She glanced down, ashamed of herself, and hoped that her friend could forgive her.

"Alya… I'm sorry."

Alya's lips curled up into a smile.

"And also… I'm not that clumsy."

She looked up just in time to catch her friend rolling her eyes while giggling.

"If that's what makes you sleep at night, then keep believing that," she finally freed Marinette from her grasp, putting a bit of distance between the two. "Now, let's get to the serious business."

Alya grabbed again her phone, putting it on the bed just between her and Marinette. "I want to let the police know about the video, but I'm not sure what they would do with that information. You see, whether me or you or hundreds of other people see it and freak out because of it is not that important; the only thing that matters is that Ladybug watches it."

Marinette didn't need to hear anything more to start worrying: she knew that her normal life and her superhero persona were going to create one hell of a mess at any moment now.

"If the police takes the video, I can't be sure that they'll give it back to me. They could take complete control over the ladyblog - something that I really don't want to happen - and prevent the video from being shown ever again. That isn't necessarily bad, but how can I know that Ladybug knows what's going on if the video is only in the hands of the police?"

Exactly.

"So I have this sort of dilemma going on in my head and I really don't know what to do." She put her hands in the air, her long hair falling to the side as she tilted her head. "From one side I don't want to risk losing the ladyblog and I want to make sure that Ladybug has the chance to see the video, but from the other side I know that people might get hurt if I don't give it to the police as soon as possible."

Her round eyes looked at her friend, pure concern shining through them.

"What should I do?"

Marinette tried as hard as she could to not jump on her seat at her question, her hands clutching her knees. She concentrated, her gaze not meeting her friend as she tried to find a solution for a problem that really didn't exist. Ladybug knew everything regarding the situation and was already freaking out as well, there was no need for Alya to waste more time questioning which of the two options was the best one when there was nothing that could go against her. But then again, she couldn't know that.

"You could do both," she said. "Put it back up online, and then wait. The media is going to find out about it and it's going to be everywhere. Ladybug won't miss it." She acknowledged Alya's smile and excited expression, avoiding to point out how happy she was that for once she was having a great idea. "And it's only at that point that you call the police to make sure that they know what's happening."

Before she knew it, Alya was hugging her, overwhelmed with joy.

"That's a great idea!" She pinched the other's hips and smiled at the small squeal she received in return. "I knew that coming to you would have helped!"

Marinette didn't answer that. She gulped down, slowly taking her friend's hands away from her.

At least she had helped someone this time.

"We should go tell Nino after I put the video back up," Alya continued, not detecting her uneasiness. "And then go to the police with him."

The brown-haired girl stood up and gestured her friend to join her. "Come on, let's leave. We don't have much time."

Marinette didn't need to look at her to know that she was filled with hope now and was probably disappointed by her stillness. Her legs and her whole body refused to move, her mouth closed in an attempt to hide the small gasps that were assaulting her throat. She was so ashamed of herself.

"Alya," she managed to say in a not-so-steady voice. "I… I need some time."

The girl made a step towards her, her eyes full of worry. She looked like she was about to say something, but Marinette interrupted her.

"Alone."

Her hands once again grabbed her knees, and she desperately clung at the sensation of her fingers crashing the soft skin underneath their grasp to stay in control of her own body.

"I need some time alone."

Alya stayed silent, staring at her friend with an expression that Marinette couldn't read.

"Please," she asked, her voice almost inaudible.

Her friend frowned, inhaling sharply. "Mari… he will be all right." She kneeled before her, attempting to smile. "He is going to be okay. Ladybug will save him, she will save them both."

Yes, the same Ladybug who was currently trying to hide her tears from a friend that was way too close to her face to not notice. Everyone always took for granted that she was going to save the day, that the superheroine always managed to success. No one ever asked themselves how that who could become a stress for her, who saw that failing was not an option; of course, the nature of her job required that she succeeded for the sake of the Parisians, but that wasn't what necessarily scared her.

The people believed Ladybug was perfect, that she always won, but what would happen if she happened to fail? Would all the people that claimed to love her suddenly abandon her, angry and frustrated because of her mistakes? Or would they see her for what she really was, a pathetic fourteen years-old who didn't have the courage to ask her crush out?

Both options were terrifying to her.

"Please," she begged one last time.

Alya took a long while to take her decision. She was conflicted, it was evident: she didn't want to leave Marinette alone in that state, but also knew that her friend needed her space and that there was nothing she could do to cheer her up. The only thing that was left for her to help both Marinette and Adrien was giving the video to the police.

She hugged her friend, hoping that her hold would stop her weeping. She wasn't surprised when she saw that it didn't work as she hoped, and she let go of her, slowly getting out her room. A small nod was all she could do to give her friend a sort of goodbye, as she didn't find any words that could fit that situation. She looked back at her friend, and realised how much seeing her like this destroyed her. She had to be strong for her, too.

As soon as Alya left, Tikki came out from where she was hiding, behind the big computer that sat on Marinette's desk. She snuggled her chosen's cheek, listening to her cries until she calmed down a little.

"I'm… I'm sorry. It's just that..." the hero said. "I never felt this powerless before."

Tikki didn't add anything to what she said, giving the girl the comfort she needed with affectionate caresses. Sometimes everything someone needed was a little bit of silence to sort things out in their head, Tikki knew that. Her theory was proven right when Marinette stopped crying soon after, wiping away still fresh tears with the back of her hand. It was only then that she decided to speak.

"You are not powerless," she claimed while moving in Marinette's vision, staring at her wide, blue eyes with an understanding that belonged to the closest of friends. "You are one of the most cute and courageous Ladybugs I've ever met, and I'm proud of being your kwami."

"I'm so afraid… I'm so afraid that I won't make it this time, Tikki. Chat won't be there to help me. I'm alone now."

She felt pathetic. Why couldn't she stop being afraid? What kind of hero was she?

The kwami crossed her small arms in front of her chest, her back straightening as she almost shouted at the teen. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are you telling me that my moral support is not good enough for your standards?!" She saw Marinette giggle at her scolding; after all, she knew that she wasn't really that intimidating when she was mad. "How insulting! I'm genuinely offended!"

She caught herself staring at the girl, who seemed to be unable to hold her laughter now. She let a smile escape her own lips as well, her eyes softening at the amused girl. She hated seeing her sad.

"You are not alone, Marinette," she continued. "I won't let you ever be alone, and you are strong enough to deal with all this."

She again reached for Marinette's cheek, closing her eyes at the contact with the warm skin.

"I believe in you."

A pair of hands softly grabbed her in a sort of embrace, Marinette bringing her close to her nose so that she could rub it against her forehead. She found the kwami adorable with her eyes closed and her content smile, and almost didn't want to let go of her.

"Thank you, Tikki."

"Don't thank me, silly! I'm always here for you." The small deity flew towards the centre of the room, giggling. "Now, let's save those two, Marinette! We need to hurry to that abandoned building!"

"Yes," Marinette agreed, "but we have to wait for the news to talk about it, so that we can be sure that the police is going to be there to secure the area. I don't want anyone to get involved, it'd be too dangerous."

"Mmh, I see."

For a little while, the two stayed in silence as Marinette sat in front of her computer, refreshing the homepage of Le Monde every five minutes or so. She had thought about going down and look out for news while watching TV, but had concluded that it was too dangerous since she wanted Tikki to be with her.

"You know it's a trap, right?" She heard the kwami say.

Of course she knew that. She had known that from the very first second she had seen that damned video, but she hated to think that her friends were being used in order to trap her. It made her feel even more guilty.

"Yeah," she answered.

"And?"

"...'and' what?"

"Marinette, we can't go in there without a plan!"

The girl hid herself behind her arms, resting her head on her desk and avoiding in this way the kwami's enraged look. "But we have no idea of what is going to happen. We don't even know where this place is."

Tikki didn't sound happy with her answer, but didn't add anything to what she had said. She must have realised that planning was, in fact, impossible when you didn't know anything about either the location or the enemy you were going to face. She only prayed that the good luck that always seemed to be on their side helped them today as well.

"I don't plan on fighting Hawkmoth," Marinette mumbled. "I'll try to be out of there as soon as I free Chat and Adrien."

The kwami produced an unsatisfied grunt, and proceeded to sit on the now abandoned mouse, pressing by mistake the refresh button once again. Noticing that she had pressed something, she turned towards the screen and screamed at what she saw, catching her chosen's attention.

Marinette didn't lose a second: she grabbed Tikki, throwing her into her purse and ran out of her door, reaching the street. Her vision moved back and forth to find the entrance to the metro, and she almost got hit by a car while sprinting towards it.

She wasn't thinking; her legs moved on her own, and she had forgotten that she needed to breathe. Any of her characteristic kindness seemed to had gotten lost somehow as she pushed through the usual metro crowd, receiving any now and then mild insults or reproaches. She hadn't planned on taking public transportation at the beginning, but figured that her own subconscious had chosen well: her destination was far from where she lived, traveling by the Parisians rooftops would have been tiring and too risky, as she could have been spotted by the enemy. Sometimes having a double identity did have its advantages, after all.

She got out of the metallic cage with the same frantic speed she had used to get in it in the first place. Foot after foot, she resurfaced from the underground and was met with the sirens of the police. Many cars were, in fact, blocking the entrance to the road that preceded her, a dozen policemen guarding the entrance so that no one passed over the forbidden yellow line that had been especially set up for the occasion.

Behind them, Marinette spotted what she was searching for, and everything else disappeared from her sight. The building did indeed look abandoned, with the dirty concrete walls and the shattered windows, and was easy to spot, but she still thanked the police for making her life easier by making it even more obvious to her. She ran, her feet barely touching the ground because of how fast she was going and tried to not trip as she searched for a good spot where to transform. She abandoned the crowded street, leaving behind the curious Parisians and the loud cars, and entered a thin alley.

"Tikki, transform me!"

Her yoyo was swung high up, over the building's chimneys. Marinette started to breathe again as she was lifted up by the strong string, and proceeded to approach the location of her meeting, hiding occasionally behind dish antennas to not be seen.

She reached its proximity at incredible speed, and let herself fly through one of the shattered windows of the wall that faced her. Once inside, she didn't stand up, but instead stayed bowed down, looking around her with anxious care.

Hawkmoth could have been anywhere.

The building was, as she had noticed outside, of a squarish structure: it had had to be a sort of factory or storage building, as the centre was completely empty and the five floors followed the thick walls, acting as a border to this sort of bare void that was the centre. The floors faced directly the empty space of the building, a metal railing diving her from a fall that would have caused anyone to die. She made her way towards it, crawling on the worn-out red pavement, and tried to take a peek on what was going on on the other floors.

No one seemed to be there: only dirt, graffitis and abandoned objects seemed to inhabit this place. She glanced down, trying to get a glimpse of what was in the centre of the building instead, and had to stop herself from gasping.

That red, that vibrant colour that had been imprinted in her memory from that cursed recording was there, on the bottom floor.

Adrien was there.

She threw her yoyo out, trying to slowly descend towards her friend, and got a better view of him. His head was low, hair falling on his vision, and he seemed to be sat down, his hands and still hidden by a red cloak. The possibility that he could have been unconscious because he was hurt made her stomach twist in a way that she had never experienced before, her breathing becoming unsteady again as she bit the inside of her cheek.

She didn't have more time to focus on her own suffering, however, as a cold, metallic sound forced her to flinch. Instinctively, she let the string of her yoyo run loose, allowing her body to fall towards the bottom of the building at great speed, and glanced up just in time to catch a silver blade running over her head. She groaned as she hit the ground, pain resonating throughout her entire body, but still managed to get up with only a couple of bruises.

Superhero powers were really something else.

Her blue eyes scanned the room, searching for what could have been the source of that attack, and immediately recognised the unconscious figure at the end of the room.

Another spot of red, however, caught her eye, and she was greeted by messy golden hair and a whole set of blades. The figure approached, a red cape softly following him as well as a pair of black spade-shaped earrings, and revealed a bandaged chest and loose, black pants. Red eyes inspected her, the thick diagonal red marks on his cheeks deforming from their usual straight shape as he smiled.

Marinette couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Adrien?"

A/N: Cliffhanger. You're welcome.

Okay, I need to stop posting at 3 am, it's getting ridiculous, it's the third chapter in a row that I post at an unreasonable hour.

In any case, here's the new chapter! I wasn't planning on writing so much interaction between Mari and Alya, but what can I say, I love my two girls too much and my hands did everything on their own.

I hope it's okay? I don't know, I really struggled writing some parts of this, so I hope they turned out alright.

As usual, thank you for bearing with my awful grammar and spelling mistakes and thank you for your lovely comments. You are all angels.

Until next time (- w -)/