"I genuinely think that I'm dying," Nino mumbled, his face buried into the cushions.
"Same."
"Why is it so bright?"
"Probably because it's 1 p.m.," Alya claimed as she basically strutted into the room, as fresh as a rose.
"How do you do that?" Adrien asked.
"Do what?"
He vaguely gestured towards her. "That. How do you like, walk, talk, and look pretty?"
"A magician never reveals her secrets."
"Are you using Trixx to create an illusion of herself where you don't look half-dead?"
"Oh, my God, she could definitely do that!" Nino exclaimed, finally moving to sit properly on the couch.
"No, you idiots! Listen to me now, we need to talk."
The boys glanced at each other, unsure.
"About what?" Nino wondered.
"The elephant in the room."
"Alright, I might love eating, but I'm in no way—"
"Not you, Plagg. Victoria!"
For a moment, the whole apartment was silent as the men and the three kwamis simply stared at Alya. However, after a minute, Adrien forced himself to ask; "What about her?"
"Well, I've been thinking—"
"While you were passed out?"
"Shut up, Nino. I was thinking and I feel like something's wrong with this whole situation. This girl doesn't just look like Mari, she could be her identical twin!"
"Apparently, everyone has at least seven doppelgängers in the world," Adrien stated.
"Yeah, but hear me out. Lila and I, we've talked after Mari's death. I believe the last time was what, maybe two years ago? And she never said anything about Victoria. Not one thing that she existed or that she could look like Marinette. And yet, she claimed that, when she saw her, she almost cried because of how much they resembled each other. Which is weird in itself because they didn't even appreciate one another!"
"Guilt?" Nino offered. "Because they were on bad terms and now she's dead, maybe?"
"I have this feeling," Alya continued, completely ignoring her boyfriend, "right here, in my chest, that something's going on."
"That feeling might be alcohol poisoning."
"No, it's not that, Nino. Adrien, what do you think?"
She turned to Adrien who was simply looking through the windows, frowning.
"I don't know what you want me to say, Alya. Marinette is dead."
"I know, but…"
"There's no but, Alya. We saw her die."
"But we never found her earrings."
Everyone froze. Over the years, the earrings had been the reason for numerous fights and tensions in the team. How could it not? They were the only thing that could reverse the damages caused by Hawkmoth, but Tikki was nowhere to be found. There were no leads, no clues, nothing. The miraculous of the ladybug had simply vanished. Without it, so many lives had been lost. So many places, destroyed.
Their worst argument had happened six years ago after a nasty fight. Chat Noir had been lying on the ground, injured, with Hawkmoth standing on top of him. The whole team had watched, helpless, as the villain almost succeeded in taking Chat's right. In the end, it's Carapace who managed to free himself and save the day.
It wasn't the first time, nor the last, that Hawkmoth himself joined the battle, as he was determined to get Chat Noir's ring. But it was the first time that Adrien simply … gave up. He still could've fought back, but he didn't. That night, Alya and Nino absolutely lost it.
"How could you do this?" Alya screamed, tears streaming down her face. "You almost gave him your ring willingly! What the hell, Adrien? Do you have any idea what would've happened if he had won?"
But Adrien, who was standing with his back turned on them, simply shrugged, as if he was indifferent to the whole thing. Yet, the tautness in his body and the way his hands were clenched into tight fists betrayed him.
"Yeah, I do."
"Then why the fuck didn't you fight back? He would've killed you without a second thought! He's ruthless, dude!"
"I know."
"If you die, it's over! There's no one to bring you back anymore!"
Adrien suddenly turned around, his movements swift and forceful. His brows formed a deep frown, lines etching themselves upon his forehead, and the tension in his jaw was palpable. But it was his eyes that sent shivers down Nino and Alya's spines. Once vibrant, they now appeared haunted as despair seemed to burn like a fire in them.
"I know."
Nino's memories of that night remained vivid, forever etched in his mind. The look on Adrien's face, the stark realization that he wanted to die - it was something he could never forget.
If Tikki had been there, they would've had some sort of reassurance that she could bring him back, if anything was to happen. They had looked everywhere for her, without any luck. They scoured every corner, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to find her. They searched through every hospital across France, exhausting every possibility. Eventually, they went to the cemetery, sending Wayzz to look six feet under. But he returned empty-handed, leaving them disheartened.
Adrien touched the back of his neck. "So? What's your point?"
"My point is that we don't have them. But someone else might."
Adrien sighed. They had had this conversation multiple times. Of course, they had talked about the possibility of Hawkmoth having the miraculous. But wouldn't he have let it slip after so many years?
"Alya…"
"I know!" Alya screamed, throwing her hands in the air. "It might not be Hawkmoth. He might not have anything to do with it! But I just… Ugh, Wayzz, tell us again what happened."
"Alya, is it really…" Trixx started.
"It's fine. That night at the cemetery, I went into Ladybug's coffin. She was unrecognizable. I searched for the earrings, but they weren't there. Just like Tikki," Wayzz briefly said, placing his hand on Plagg's back.
They expected Plagg to shut down, as he usually did whenever Tikki was mentioned. But instead, his ears perked up and he turned around, leaving the Camembert he had been eating behind.
"Wait. What do you mean, unrecognizable?"
Wayzz raised one tiny eyebrow. "You all told me you didn't want to hear any details about Ladybug's state."
Plagg grabbed Wayzz's shoulders, while the others looked at each other, confused by the kwami of destruction's reaction.
"Wayzz, what do you mean?"
Wayzz seemed to hesitate for a second but, under the intense gaze of his friend, finally explained himself. "Alright. Ladybug's body had already started the process of decomposing, but I could still see the burn that marked her from head to toe. Her face was the worst. There was nothing left."
Plagg swiftly withdrew his paws, eyes wide.
"But that doesn't make sense. It's not the fire that…"
"I think that's enough," Adrien stated, standing up and trying, in vain, to hide his shaking hands by crossing his arms over his chest. "This whole thing is completely ridiculous. Marinette is dead and this girl looks like her. Well, good for her. But I don't want to hear about how she looked in … anyway, I know damn well how badly she was hurt. I don't need a recap, or to imagine …," a shiver ran through him. "There's nothing left to say. I'm gonna take a nap, don't wake me up."
He abruptly exited the room, leaving the others in total silence until Plagg zoomed right into Alya's face.
"You need to find out more about this girl, Foxy. You hear me?"
He didn't wait for her answer and immediately flew after Adrien. The other two kwamis started talking in whispers, but Alya didn't pay them any attention. She had a plan to make.
"When are you going to work?" She suddenly asked Nino, who was white as a ghost and still looking in the direction Adrien left.
"Reid's expecting me at 7 p.m. Why?"
"I want you to discover anything you can from him about Victoria and Dylan. Can you do that for me?"
He nodded. "Yes, but… Do you really think it's a good idea? What are you trying to find?"
"I'm not sure, but who am I to say no to a literal god?"
—
Adrien wasn't actually planning on falling asleep. He had just wanted some peace and quiet. A moment to forget about Victoria or Alya's conspiracies.
"She's dead," he whispered to himself. "She's dead, and she's not coming back. You have to move on. You're gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine. You're gonna be…"
He sighed and looked at Plagg who was already staring at him with so much pity in his eyes, it almost made Adrien feel ashamed.
"Why does it feel like this, Plagg?" he cried. "Why?"
"Losing someone you love is always painful, kid."
"But it's been seven years! Why can't I move on?"
"Because you are soulmates, just like Tikki and me. You are two parts of a whole. No matter what, you would always find your way back to each other. You two were never meant to be apart."
"Will I ever feel better?"
Plagg paused before murmuring: "I don't know."
I don't know… Have worst words ever been spoken? If Plagg could tell him that yes, things would eventually get better, Adrien wouldn't believe him, but he would have hoped. Hope that someday, he could live and be happy again. But now… Adrien grabbed his hair and pulled hard.
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry…
He burst into tears, his whole body shaking. Adrien could feel Plagg coddling him, curled up on his neck and purring to try and calm him down. Eventually, exhaustion won over, but even in his sleep, the tears kept on rolling down his cheeks.
He ran through the burning building, the smoke filling his lungs. He screamed her name, again and again, and again. Where was she? Maybe she wasn't hurt. Her suit might have protected her, right? He had to believe it. Had to believe that she was fine and unharmed. He couldn't bear to think of the other possibility. Wasn't she supposed to be Lady Luck?
Well, apparently, his bad luck had finally caught up on them.
He saw her over there, lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. He couldn't see her face as she was on her belly, but she was detransformed and he immediately knew that it was bad. Real bad. Where was Tikki? Why wasn't she there, helping her out?
Something near him blew up and fire brushed him, burning a hole through his suit, but he didn't care. He ran and grabbed her, not noticing the tiny whimper that escaped her in the midst of the chaos. As he ran to take her outside, he glanced down at her face and almost tripped.
No, no, no, no, this couldn't be … it was impossible… NO!
He didn't know how, exactly, he made it to safety. One second he was in the building, and the next he was falling on his knee to the ground, her small and fragile figure pressed against his. His eyes scanned her rapidly, trying to assess the damage. There was so much blood! It was coming out of everywhere, so much that it was impossible to say where she was bleeding from the most. Was it from the deep cuts that covered her whole body, or the internal injury that made blood pour from her mouth? And gosh, he couldn't even think about her legs and arms that were bent in unnatural directions or the huge piece of glass, most probably part of a window, that was lodged into her abdomen…
But worst of all, she wasn't moving. She had to be in so much agony, but there was nothing. Not a movement, not a breath, not a single beat of her heart.
Adrien screamed.
Victoria woke up gasping for air. She had fallen asleep on the couch, but, as always, the nightmares woke her up. She never remembered much about them, only this excruciating ghost pain that was still there when she opened her eyes and that she could never fully escape.
She winced as she forced herself upright, her aching limbs screaming in protest, and slowly walked into the kitchen. Her trembling hands struggled to pour the wine, the glass clinking against the countertop, and took two pills. They were supposed to help with the pain, but they weren't doing much. They were nothing more than a feeble attempt to dull the ache that gnawed at her soul. At this point, only alcohol could truly numb her, which Victoria knew wasn't good. But what else could she do? She was tired, exhausted really. Each passing day felt like a relentless cycle, trapping her in a monotonous routine that drained the last fragments of her fading strength. She had been stuck in the same place for years and no one seemed to be able to help her. Well, except for Dr. Duchaine. This woman was probably her guardian angel. Victoria didn't know what she would do without her, the woman who almost single-handedly saved her life. To be honest, Victoria's gratitude for her bordered on reverence. How could it not? The doctor had been her lifeline for years now, the one who kept her from the abyss.
"Hi, babe!" Lila greeted as she opened the front door. "What's up?"
Victoria's body jolted with surprise, but she quickly plastered a practiced smile on her face. Pretending to be fine around those she loved was a skill she had perfected years ago. She didn't need nor wanted them to worry about her.
"Hey, nothing much. Want a drink?"
"Gosh, yes!" Lila exclaimed as she jumped to sit on the counter and looked around. "Where's Dylan?"
"He went out to eat with his dad. He should be back later tonight. So," Victoria said as she handed her best friend her glass, "how was the rest of the dinner?"
Lila sighed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "They're nice, but it was awkward as hell. Reid and I tried to be all happy and over-the-top, but… It was weird."
"Yeah, I bet. I feel bad for them, though. Their faces, especially the blond guy…"
Lila stayed silent, her eyes fixed on her drink. She probably didn't know what to say to that, but Victoria was uncomfortable. Since last night, she couldn't stop picturing their faces. The way the girl silently started crying or the way the brown-haired boy seemed like he was ready to puke… It was too much. But worst of all, the blonde guy looked as if both his wildest dream and his worst nightmare had suddenly come true in front of his eyes. And knowing that all of this was because she looked like the girl? They must have loved her a lot…
She wondered if Lila and Dylan would miss her that much if she were to die. She thought so, yes.
"What happened to her, already? Their friend?"
"Akuma attack. Chat Noir and Ladybug couldn't save her, alongside hundreds of other people."
"This is so weird, this whole thing in Paris …," Victoria thought out loud.
"I guess." Lila shrugged. "We have superheroes and villains in the States, too."
"Yeah, but not nearly as much anymore. They're pretty much just in New York now."
"Hmm… Anyway!" Lila exclaimed, jumping on the ground. "Wanna watch a movie and eat too much junk food?"
"How do you always know exactly what I need?"
"That's what best friends are for, love."
As they sat on the couch, food and drinks ready, Victoria turned towards Lila and reached out to grasp her hand.
"Thank you. For everything. I love you, you know that, right?"
Lila squeezed her hand back. "Of course I do. It's you and me forever, Vee."
"You promise?"
"Don't worry about it. You'll never get rid of me."