Ladybug had missed.
It didn't happen often, and when it did, Tikki's luck ensured that if the mistake didn't end up being beneficial, it at least didn't do any harm. But this time, Tikki's luck had failed her—and failed her spectacularly.
Chat Noir had engaged their foe in the upper levels of a skeletal new building, balancing on the steel beams of its frame, leaping from one to another as they fought. Ladybug had thrown her yoyo from a few levels down, intending to hit the akuma and temporarily draw its attention. She'd wanted to provide her partner with a window. Instead, she'd created one for the Akuma.
Chat had been poised to strike, his staff in hand, and she'd sent it flying. There was a flash of red, and a clunk, and it was gone. He stared after the falling staff, and his moment's distraction cost him: the akuma back-handed him with enough force to send him sailing through the air. He slammed headfirst into a vertical beam, and then he was falling.
Ladybug watched it in slow motion, horror filling her, until he was in a free fall. Then time resumed its normal pace. Her stunned partner hurtled toward the ground, too disoriented to catch himself even if he had the benefit of his staff, but Ladybug felt as if her limbs were moving through sludge as she recalled her yoyo and took off after him. She leapt from the incomplete building, and nearly wept when she caught him, her shoulder slamming into his stomach and her arms around his back. She twisted them in midair and launched her yoyo again, holding tight to Chat and praying to anyone who would listen that her luck had returned.
The yoyo caught on one of the beams and the line went taut. The sudden stop was hell on her shoulder, especially with Chat's weight added to her own, but Ladybug held fast and they swung down until she could safely drop them to the ground.
"Are you alright?" She asked him anxiously.
He winced, rubbing the back of his head. "Eh, I've been better."
"Oh, I can't believe I did that! I'm so sorry, I'm normally not so accident-prone as Ladybug, I don't know what happened—"
"Relax! I'll be fine, Bug. Let's take care of this akuma, and you can fuss over me later. Deal?"
She gave him a small smile, and started her yoyo to swinging. "Deal."