Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Marinette knew that one day her clumsiness would get the best of her, whether she accidentally confessed to Adrien or embarrassed herself in front of Gabriel Agreste.

As she bounded across the rooftops, clad in red and black polka dots, she scanned the Parisian landscape for any sign of trouble. It seems relatively quiet , she thought to herself.

Summer vacation had just started, and Marinette was embracing her new free time with patrols and sewing commissions.

The next August will mark the beginning of her senior year. She couldn't be more excited, and she'd already started looking for colleges. There were so many options! After her first public debut with the derby hat made for a photoshoot for her favorite designer, Gabriel Agreste, her popularity spiked. Internship offers were coming at her, left and right. Not that I'm complaining, she thought to herself.

She smiled at the thought that her works were desired by so many different companies.

Ladybug came to a halt on a rooftop near the Eiffel Tower. As she caught her breath, she opened her yoyo and checked the LadyBlog. The newest post was a picture of her, mid-stride, jumping from one rooftop to the next. Alya captioned it, "Paris's favorite Ladybug is on the move!"

A grin tugged at the corner of her lips. A dull thud sounded behind her as she wound her yoyo back around her hips. Ladybug turned with a sly grin tugging at the corners of her lips. “My lady, you are a true vision when you’re looking over your domain,” Chat purred. She watched as he gave a swift bow. “But, then again,” he said, taking a generous step forward, “you’re always a vision.” He took her hand is his gingerly kissed her knuckles.

The young heroine rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away. “Always the charmer, Chat,” she mused.

He stood up straight, flashing her a wink. “Only for you, LB.”

“Whatever, you say, chaton ,” she scoffed lightly, still reaching up to scratch under his chin. “Ready to patrol?”

“Always.” Chat sent her another grin before taking off.

The rest of the patrol was relatively quiet, Chat shooting Ladybug some flirty puns, the latter turning them down and the former firing another after a few minutes of silence.

Ladybug always cherished these time. Although her feline-themed partner had grown quite attractive, she never saw him as more than her best friend, yet she felt the most peace when

she was sailing across the rooftops with Chat Noir by her side. She looked over at him. He had a carefree grin on his lips and his eyes were practically sparkling with excitement. What for, she wasn’t sure.

The clicking of the stone shingles trying to stay in place caused her to stop, too. She unwinded her yoyo, spinning on her heel in a defensive position, swinging it in preparation for a threat. It abruptly fell limp as she gazed down at her partner, sprawled across the roof, face first, and eyes wide in shock. Ladybug cocked an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips. “Chat, what on earth are you doing?” she scolded with pursed lips.

Ladybug’s head swiveled to survey the surroundings in case he spotted trouble she hadn’t. Chat, however, didn’t seem to be too worried about anything except the pigeon that sat between them. Ladybug looked at the bird, then Chat, then the bird, before finally, her gaze settled on Chat. “Chat, it’s one pigeon. It’s not gonna kill you,” I assure, offering a hand to him.

Chat scurried backward into a chimney, shaking his head. “B-but, my lady, I’m allergic to feathers! It could kill me!” He sounded absolutely baffled.

She rolled her eyes, dropping her hand. A scream caused the pigeon to fly away and Chat to spring up. There was a rumbling before a cloud of smoke plumed up into the sky, the smell already reaching her nose. She turned to look at Chat, nodding in silent agreement before launching herself toward the chaos. She perched herself on a roof, hidden from the danger.

An akuma was flying through the streets with test tubes and flasks filled with different colored liquids linked to a belt that was hanging around her waist. It was a young woman with her fiery red hair in a tight bun, two rulers holding it together. As she landed on a lamp post, she let out a maniacal fit of laughter with her long, white lab coat billowing in the wind.

“My name is Elementor, and I will prove that I am the best chemistry student this university has ever seen!” she howled, pulling a test tube from her belt and brought it close to her lips. Gently blowing over the rim, a bubbling liquid formed in the glass and spilled out onto the fire hydrant below her. There was a hiss and the liquid ate away the hydrant before water burst from it. Her eyes bulged out of her head, taking in the sight. “Acid,” she murmured herself. As Elementor continued to wreak havoc on the streets, Ladybug followed her silently, observing.

The akuma had gloves that resembled water, stray drops spraying when she whirled around to confront her observer, a snarl on her lips. “Ladybug, how kind of you to join me. Care for a chemistry lesson?” she said with mock kindness. The fakeness sickened Ladybug.

The spotted heroine slid to ground level, looking up at Elementor with sympathy. “I don’t know why you’re angry, but listening to Hawkmoth isn’t going to help!” she reasoned. Without moving her head, she looked for Chat. Where is he?

Elementor gazed down at Ladybug with a steely glare, lowering to the ground. The citizens who hadn’t fled the area yet were just as surprised as the superhero when Elementor’s boots of fire scorched the concrete. She grinned wickedly. “You can’t give me what he can.” Ladybug immediately took on a defensive stance. “So you should burn like the rest of them!” Elementor took two flasks, one in each hand and swung her arms across her body, springing forward with the acid spilling from the lips of the flasks.

Ladybug barely managed the swing out of the way, yet she still felt the disturbed air around the droplets as the whizzed past her. She landed very unceremoniously onto a nearby roof. Her heart was pounding her chest. Too close. Her pants came out short and heavy.

Elementor didn’t give the poor bug any time to recuperate before diving for her, a butterfly outline illuminating her mask. Ladybug yelped and leaped backward, colliding with bricks. She groaned as her head hit the unsuspected wall with a harsh thud. Her vision became spotted, but the gust of foul wind caused her heart to hammer against her ribs. Elementor charged, and Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

There was a crash followed by the sound of the chimney crumbling.

But the pain never came. Cautiously, she opened one eye. Chat Noir grinned down at her as he carried her bridal style away from the akuma, but something about his expression seemed forced.

Ladybug wiped the grin off of his face, punching his chest with a balled fist. “Where have you been?!” she demanded, her brows drawing together. “I had to deal with her on my own, Chat. She almost had me!” She took a moment to breathe before asking again, “Where were you?” Chat continued to bound across the rooftops, silent. Anger boiled in Ladybug, her lips pursing and teeth clenching. “Answer me!”

“ I froze! I froze, okay? I saw her attacking you and I froze . I couldn’t do anything,” he swiftly landed in an alley far from Elementor and took several steps away from Ladybug; his expression was unreadable, and it worried her. She was totally confused. Why would he choke up like that? Chat raked a hand through his blond tufts before sliding down the wall with his eyes closed, hands falling into his lap. “I’m sorry, Ladybug,” he mumbled.

She cocked her head. Hesitating, she stepped in front of him. Kneeling, she tucked her legs under her. “Chat,” she urged him. “Look at me.”

He turned his head to the side, let it fall, and raised it enough to peer at her through his lashes. She’d rarely ever seen him this vulnerable before. It obviously wasn’t a side he enjoyed showing. And yet, something tugged inside of her.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you. That wasn’t right. I don’t know why you froze, but you must have had a good reason,” she whispered gently, coaxing him to lift his eyes higher. There was another distant scream, and Ladybug fought the urge to shoot up from where she sat and rush to help. Instead, she glanced passively in the direction of the sound. “You can explain it later though. Paris needs us.” She paused and brought her hand up to his shoulder. “It needs you, and I can’t do this alone.”

Chat’s green eyes followed her movements as she stood, brushed herself off, and extended a hand to him. His eyes fell before he reached up for her hand. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

She smiled warmly at him, holding onto his hand for a little longer than necessary. “Don’t apologize. Instead, help me take down this akuma. The fight’s pretty boring without your commentary,” she quipped, giving his hand a quick squeeze.

Chat squeezed her hand in return, the corners of his mouth pulling into his signature, dazzling smile. “Of course, my lady.”

They found Elementor on top of the Champs Elysées. “All of Paris will feel my wrath!” she howled. There were fires everywhere and scorched roads, half melted buildings and

Ladybug grimaced. She crouched and waited. Blue orbs scanned over her form, trying to find where the akuma could be.

“The akuma’s in her lab coat,” Chat whispered, interrupting her thoughts. Ladybug’s eyes fell to meet his. “She broke all of her test tubes and she’s even thrown one of the rulers in her hair,” he reasoned, gesturing towards the villain. “It’s the one thing she hasn’t taken off.”

It was risky. Way too risky. “How are we supposed to get that off of her?” she asked incredulously.

“We can do it just like with Simon Says. I use my cataclysm and then you purify it!” he beamed with a smile, all traces of that scared cat gone.

She nods, surprised by his sudden change in mood. “Right. Ready?”

“Always for you, my lady.” He waggled his eyebrows, his mask following the movements.

They sprang forward together, baton and yoyo in hand. Elementor jumped with wide eyes. “Where did you come from, you biological mutations?” she screeched.

Chat brought his baton down on her, but she dodged it, using her boots to propel her to the side. “Now that’s not very nice,” he hissed. “Looks like we’ll have to teach you some manners!” He swung at her again. Elementor ducked and turned for a roundhouse kick. Chat narrowly missed her foot, but the fire singed the tips of his blond hair.

He yowled swatting at his hair. “Chat!” Ladybug called, wrapping her yoyo around his wrist and pulling him out of the way as a ball of fire erupted from her foot. “You can’t get too close,” she warned.

“Yeah, I gathered,” he grumbled still patting his bangs. “Now what?”

“Leave it to me, chaton .” She called for her Lucky Charm and a fire extinguisher fell into her arms. Her face contorted into a sneer. “That’s a little too convenient for you, Tikki.” She glanced around,  but nothing illuminated. Ladybug groaned.

“What’s wrong? That’s just what we-” Elementor’s flaming heel came down, shattering the stone where Ladybug and Chat Noir were just seconds ago and cutting off Chat mid-sentence. They scattered.

“Secrets don’t make friends!” Elementor screamed. Chat sent Ladybug a puzzled expression before leading the akuma away from Ladybug.

“Follow me and I’ll tell you!” he jeered, leaping away.

Elementor roared but followed nonetheless. Ladybug gave the fire extinguisher one more pointed look before pulling out the pin and racing after her partner. Chat had her stalled at another destroyed fire hydrant. She was caught in the stream with gurgling screams. Chat was hunched over holding his stomach, pure bursts of laughter causing his shoulders to shake. He waved his hand at Elementor struggling to regain her composure amidst the pressurized fountain she was trapped in. “Look, my lady! I put out her boots!” he gasped.

Ladybug found herself laughing right along with him. “Come on, Chat. Get her out of there!”

Then there was a loud splat. Elementor was on the ground, wet and cold. Her once previous bun was loose and matted to her shoulders. And she was absolutely seething. She rose on shaky legs. It was then that Ladybug’s earrings beeped. She cursed under her breathe. “Don’t get cocky, Chat. Let’s finish this quick.”

She stood firm with the extinguisher in one hand and her yoyo in the other. Looking down, Elementor’s fire boots were put out, yet she the glare she sent to the superheroes was scalding. “Nice try,” she rasped, voice laced with venom. “Let’s see how powerful you are without your Chat Noir!”

Her gloves drew in the water from spewing from the hydrant and formed a ball in her palms. She threw it at Chat, aimed at his head. “Chat, look out!” I warned, but it was too late. The orb engulfed his head. Chat gurgled and clawed at the bubble to no avail. Ladybug’s eyes bulged out of her head.

She was drowning him.

Chat had wild eyes, darting and shifting. He fell to his knees cradling his neck.

Ladybug looked at the akuma who held Chat’s life in her hands and then at the extinguisher that she had in one hand. Then a plan came to mind. It wasn’t the best plan, but she would do anything to save her best friend. And she did just that.

Running up to Elementor, Ladybug raised the fire extinguisher above her and brought it down on her head. The villain’s eyes found hers before rolling back, and she fell to the ground in a wet heap. Ladybug was panting when she dropped the metal cylinder and rushed to the feline’s side when the bubble popped and his legs folded under him. “Chat! Chat, are you okay?” She was frantic. She could’ve lost him. He was on his side coughing up what seemed like gallons of water. He gave her a thumbs up as she rubbed his back soothing.

He waved his hand, shooing her away. “Go finish it. I’m fine,” he said hoarsely. Ladybug listened and stood, strutting over to the akuma and crouching beside her. Ripping her lab coat sleeve, the black butterfly fluttered out, and Ladybug purified it without incident.

As the now white butterfly flitted back into the sky, Ladybug murmured to herself, “Bye bye, little butterfly.”

Throwing the spotted fire extinguisher into the air, she allowed the powers of the miraculous to clean up the city. A purple cloud came over the akuma victim before vanishing to reveal a young woman, probably about twenty or so. Her hair was back to a normal bright blonde. She blinked a few times, looking around with wide blue eyes. “W-what happened?” she murmured.

Ladybug kneeled down and put a hand on her shoulder. “You were akumatized by Hawkmoth,” she said gently.

The woman’s eye bugged. “I didn’t hurt anybody, did I?”

“Besides my pride?” Chat Noir piped in. “Not a thing.” His voice sounded clearer but his partner could tell that he was still recuperating. And something was still off about his whole demeanor.

Ladybug’s earring beeped again. Looking back at the woman, she said, “I think you should go back to the university and talk to your professor. Maybe you two can work something out.”

The woman nodded solemnly while Ladybug stood, unwinding her yoyo. “Meet me on the Eiffel Tower once your kwami is charged up. We need to talk,” she asserted. Before she swung off, she saw Chat’s face fall, and she didn't know whether to be amused or worried.

Marinette’s transformation peeled off as she landed in a dark alleyway. Tikki floated into her chosen’s open palm. Her blue eyes were fluttering with exhaustion. “Marinette, what was in those vials?” she said weakly.

Marinette’s heart suddenly throbbed. “I’m not sure. It was like some kind of acid that melted through everything. Why? What’s wrong?”

“I need you to take me to Master Fu. He’ll know what to do.”

Marinette’s brows drew together in worry. “Right,” she muttered. Gently placing Tikki in her purse and double checking that there were cookies for her, Marinette took off towards Master Fu’s. But she didn’t get very far. There was another explosion nearby. The young heroine yelped, her eyes darting every which-way to find the source. Then, there was another one directly above her head.

There was another akumatized citizen using some sort of baton to fire explosives at every intricate building they saw, raving about how carelessly the Champs Elysées was destroyed, a priceless and timeless masterpiece of architecture. It was fixed by the magic of her Lucky Charm, but the new akuma seemed to take it as a personal offense. Seriously? she thought. Two on the same day?

The tall building that towered over Marinette began to crumble. The akuma stood by and cackled all the while the stone fell around her. Marinette dodged the stones easily with her Ladybug agility, clutching her purse-and Tikki- to her chest. There was a cloud of dust surrounding her, stuffing her senses and clouding her vision. There was a sound of glass breaking from overhead but she couldn’t see anything falling. Instead, she gritted her teeth and used her left foot to propel her backward, off the sidewalk and into the street.

It didn’t occur to her then that the world had suddenly slowed down around her. Fellow Parisians were running away in an almost comical slow-motion run. Cars were askew on the road, abandoned by their drivers. Some brave souls stood gaping at the falling building, but Marinette was still mid-spring. Yet, she didn’t push off with her right, leaving her with less momentum.

Time resumed for the briefest moment. Her left foot came down on the edge of the curb, causing her to lose her balance with her right leg stretched uncomfortably away from her body.

Her body fell harshly against the concrete roads, leaving her vision spotted. She blinked several times before bringing her left leg up to her chest to assess the damage done to it.

Something caught her eye, and she tilted her head to the still crumbling building. A large broken piece of glass caught the sun and glared down at her, hurtling towards the ground faster than she could comprehend. Directly over her.

As the glass hit the ground, there was a sickening slicing sound.

The pain registered.

There was a scream. Was it her’s?

Then, darkness.

Chapter Text

Marinette’s consciousness continued to fade in and out even as she was wheeled into the hospital on a stretcher. Nonetheless, her vision was a constant blur. Colors blended together and shapes bled into one another.

Marinette vaguely registered tears trailing down her face, dripping by her ears. Her fists continued to clench and unclench, a nervous habit she had developed when she had to wait for her final exam results. Now, she did it to keep herself from totally giving into the darkness that threatened to take over her consciousness. She tried clenching her toes as well but something stopped her right foot from completing the action. Instead, she received a bolt of fresh pain that caused renewed tears to well up and spill.

It hurt. It hurt so much. Marinette heard the muffled voice of her parents beside her. However, she couldn’t understand much of what they said.

“My baby…” Her mother couldn’t finish without bursting into another round of sobs, her husband rubbing her shoulders affectionately.

“...couldn’t be saved…” said one doctor.

“...amputation... the only option…” said another.

Her heart pounded. Was she going to get an amputation? If that was the case, what was she going to lose

Her fluttering lids managed to open wide enough to see a sign above a doorway labeled “Operating Room” before they finally closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.

When Plagg hovered over Adrien’s shoulder, savoring his stupid camembert, the last thing he expected to hear after his lady’s purifying was an ambulance’s siren. Of course, it could just be a routine check they do with some of the newer drivers. But Adrien knew that something felt off.

“Plagg, hurry up,” Adrien groaned.

Plagg glared at his chosen with a cocked eyebrow. “What’s got you in such a rush, kid?”

“One: I owe Ladybug an explanation about why I froze back there. Two: I wanna follow that ambulance. Something about it just doesn’t feel right,” Adrien said adamantly, shaking his head.

“It’s not your problem. Just let the police handle it,” Plagg droned before taking a particularly large bite out of his slice of cheese.

“You’re so lazy,” the boy grumbled. “Plagg, claws out!”

“Wait a second, Adrieeeeennn!!” Plagg's cry was cut off as the transformation washed over the miraculous holder. Chat Noir vaulted away from the alley he had hidden in and followed to sound of sirens. He passed a building that looks like it was the victim of some sort of explosion. He grimaced at the site of blood at the base of the wreckage. Probably why there was an ambulance , Chat thought, hurriedly making his way toward the hospital. There was a twisted feeling in his gut, a feeling that told him to move faster.

Chat pushed his muscles as far as they would go. A dull burn flamed through his body, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. His steel-toed boot touched down onto an adjacent roof with his hands on his knees. His breath came out in labored pants as he surveyed the entrance of the emergency room. His green irises became trained on an arriving ambulance.

Nurses and doctors ran out of the hospital to help dismount the gurney from the ambulance. The hero’s eyes caught on familiar head of raven hair. He quirked an eyebrow and slinked down to ground level to get a better look, keeping in the back of his mind to stay out of sight.

Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng zoomed past him, rushing for the girl on the gurney. “Tom, what if something bad happened to her?” Sabine fretted.

Her husband gently placed a reassuring hand on his wife’s shoulder. “It’ll be alright. She’s a strong girl. Whatever it is, she’ll pull through.”

He lost the rest of their conversation when they entered the building. He took a moment to process everything that just happened. Was that Marinette on the gurney? It had to be. Why else would her parents be here? He scolded himself. “Okay, so if her parents are here for Marinette, what happened to her?” he murmured quietly. His lids fell closed as he thought. He knew she was a bit clumsy as he recalled the flying croissants on career day at school. The poor girl couldn’t even sting a full sentence together around him. So, did something happen in the bakery? Well, if that was the case, why did her parents show up only after Marinette arrived?

The image of the wrecked, bloody building flashed through his mind like a strike of lightning and hit him like a freight train. “No. Nonononono…” The mantra continued to fall from his lips that had begun to quiver. When did that start?

Marinette couldn’t have been caught in that. She couldn’t . A sickening chill ran through him, as if someone had thrown ice water on his back.

He dashed for the doors. He found Tom and Sabine standing in front of swinging doors labeled, “Operating Room”. The petite woman was sobbing while the larger man continued to rub her back, whispering quietly to her. Chat Noir cleared his throat awkwardly. The couple turned toward him. “Chat Noir?” Sabine inquired, her voice cracking. She sniffled. “What are you doing here?”

His throat closed up for a second. Why was he there? He had acted completely on instinct and ran for her. “I… uh… heard the ambulance right after the last akuma attack and wanted to make sure everything was alright,” the cat forced out despite his mounting anxiety. “Is… is Marinette okay?” Fresh tears sprung from Sabine’s eyes, and he immediately tried to backpedal. “I-I mean I was-I was wondering why you guys were here when you guys have the bakery and-”

“It’s okay, son,” Tom interrupted. “We know what you meant. It’s just…” He trailed off, his eyes falling to Sabine’s. “They said that she lost her leg. Just below her knee… Do you mind if we sit down somewhere?” Tom asked, looking around to find a place to sit.

Chat’s eyes widened. “No, no! Of course!” He sidestepped to allow them past. A nurse at the reception desk directed them to a waiting room. When they had finally settled themselves, Chat took the opportunity to observe Tom’s face. The lines near his mustache seemed deeper, making him look years older than he was. His short brown hair was sticking out every which way, an obvious sign that he’d run his hands through it time and time again.

He held Sabine’s hand on his leg and sighed deeply. “Someone found her at the base of a wrecked building, called 112, and helped with the bleeding. The police figure it was a faulty pipe or a gas leak that caused the building to come down, but they haven’t ruled anything out yet. Just now, before you came, the nurse was telling us that the… It was a clean cut. Under any other circumstances, they could’ve reattached it.” Tom let out a shaky breath, meeting Chat’s eyes. “But when they found it in the rubble, it was too mangled. Too damaged. They need to close it up, complete amputation,” he explained wearily.

“Oh, darling,” Sabine sobbed, drawing the hero’s attention. “How is she going to get around-” She gasped. “How she even going to get to her room ?” The petite woman proceeded to cry into her husband’s shoulder, clutching his arm.

“I could help,” Chat said without thinking. Could he, though? Between his modeling, school, and saving Paris, he didn’t have much time on his hands. But he didn’t save Paris, not really. If Marinette hadn’t have gotten hurt, Paris would truly be safe. But she did, and he owed it to her.

“That’s kind of you, son,” was all the baker said.

They sat in silence for a long time. The only sound between them was Sabine’s crying and Tom consoling her gently. Suddenly, Chat’s ring beeped. “Seriously?” he muttered. He stood and bowed respectfully. “I wish I could stay, but I have to go. I’ll be in touch.”

Tom nodded understandingly. “Thank you, Chat Noir, for everything.”

He returned the nod and rushed out of the hospital when his ring beeped again rather loudly. Finding an alley near the building, his transformation washed away. Plagg floated in front of him with his arms crossed. A stern look tugged at his face and his ears were pulled back. “What?” Adrien whispered.

“What was that?” Plagg demanded incredulously.

Adrien threw his arms out, palms towards the sky. “I don’t know! I just wanted to help, and I couldn’t stop myself!” Adrien wrapped his arms around himself. “Besides, what was I supposed to do? Marinette got hurt, and I wasn’t there to help her. I want to do whatever I can to make up for it,” he reasoned quietly

“So… Does your little lovebug have a new rival?”

Adrien’s head shot up. “What?!”

The little deity smirked. “You know… You’re spending an awfully long time focusing on Marinette when you still have to talk to Ladybug.”

The chosen’s eyes widened. “Oh, crap, Ladybug!” The realization hit him, and he slapped his palm on his forehead. “I completely forgot!”

Plagg found a seat on Adrien’s shoulder. “It was because she looked like your mom, wasn’t it?” Plagg asked cautiously.

Adrien didn’t answer, but the way he clenched his teeth was answer enough. “Let’s go,” he murmured. “We can’t keep my lady waiting.” He flashed Plagg a sly grin before calling his transformation for the third time that day.

Ladybug didn’t show. Instead, she was going through extensive physical therapy, learning all over again how to bend her right knee. Before Marinette had gotten too used to it though, she was given the opportunity of a clinical trial for a new type of prosthetic. It wasn’t like others where they attach onto the sealed nub by a slip on, but it was an extension. She took the offer, wanting more than anything to feel normal again.

However, the preparations for her surgery were extensive. She spent almost half of her summer in a wheelchair nearly itching with anticipation. At last, in the late days of June, she was called in, and when she came out, she was finally feeling better. Ironic, yes, I know. She felt like she could take her life back.

Then the process started all over again.

She re-relearned how to bend her knee with the new extension protruding from where she lost her leg. Marinette wasn’t allowed to put any pressure on her right leg for almost a month. She was either wheeled of carried everywhere by her father and her friends.

Alya came by every day to check up on her and key her in on the latest gossip, ranting about how Ladybug was MIA. She wasn’t MIA, though; she just had her leg chopped off and replaced with a metal rod. No big deal. Marinette just laughed through it. How could she tell her best friend that Ladybug was right in front of her nursing a fresh amputation? Well, she couldn’t. At least not then. After about another month, she was still wheelchair-bound, and her senior year was supposed to start in just a few weeks. She managed to convince her father that she needed to get some fresh air without someone coddling her. Sitting in her chair outside the bakery door with the end-of-summer sun blazing overhead unrelentingly. She sighed before situating her purse in her lap and starting toward Master Fu’s.

It took much longer than she expected. Sure, she gained some muscle being Ladybug, but she hadn’t been swinging across Parisian rooftops for the past two months. She wheeled herself in front of Master Fu’s door and knocked. “Master Fu?” she called. She couldn’t open doors by herself without losing her balance in her chair and falling out (something she learned the hard way). “I need to talk to you.”

Tikki poked her head out from her hiding spot in Marinette’s purse. “Do you want me to get him?” she asked.

As if on cue, the short man opened the door with a kind smile that quickly vanished when he saw Marinette in her wheelchair. “Goodness, please come in,” he urged, holding the door open for her. They both quickly found a quiet, undisturbed place to talk after Fu cautiously locked the door and flipped the sign to read “Closed”.

They finally settled themselves after Fu had made them each a cup of warm tea and their kwamis sat between them. “I heard on the news that there was an accident with a building explosion, but I could never have guessed that you were the one who was hurt,” the master started. “How are you feeling?”

Marinette slouched in her chair, taking a sip from her cup. She was grateful for the soothing warmth that traveled down her raw throat. “I’ve been better. I still can’t believe that this is real. I keep thinking that it’ll all go back to the way it was. But…” She trailed off.

“It’s okay to wish for that, Marinette,” Master Fu consoled. “But it’s also important to understand that not all wishes can come true.” He paused for a moment. “Destiny has an odd way of showing us our strengths and weaknesses. I believe that this experience is meant to show you those, Marinette. It may not be the most in the most conventional way or the easiest way, but it will help you grow into a remarkable woman. Knowing yourself can help become a better person and an even better Ladybug. Don’t think of this as something that is dragging you down. Rather it is an opportunity to improve yourself.”

Marinette sat in silence for a while, soaking in his words like a sponge. The whole “knowing yourself” can be reserved for a different time. I came here for a different reason. “Master Fu, I can't be Ladybug anymore. At least not now,” she murmured quietly. Her eyes bore holes into the mat floor beneath her. She was worried the old man would choke on his tea, but he didn’t.

“Then what do you suggest? Chat Noir cannot work alone without your powers of creation,” he countered calmly.

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

Master Fu stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I don’t think it makes difference right now. Seeing as how the accident was caused by an akuma, we can assume that Hawkmoth will be taking a break. No akuma has ever caused such devastating results,” he explained. “Keep your miraculous for now. If you can think of something to do to solve this, you know where to find me.”

And that was that. Marinette went on with getting used to one leg. When school came back around, Adrien and Nino switched rows with her and Alya for easier access in her wheelchair. For several months, she was trapped in that chair until her doctors finally came out with their first prosthetic for her. It looked like a normal one with the attachment at the base and a simple rod connecting it to the fake foot.

It was incredibly uncomfortable for her. It was unfamiliar, and it hurt like hell, but she needed to walk again. Marinette kept that basic prosthetic for about two months before she got bored with it. In her spare time between homework and crutching around the bakery, she began designing her own prosthetics. They would be much harder to walk on, but they would be worth the struggle. She teamed up with Max and Markov to run her designs through their 3D printer. When she finally had the new leg in her hands, she set it on her desk and stared at it for what seemed like hours.

Tikki wasn’t quite sure how to aid her holder. Marinette wouldn’t talk about it at all, and the kwami could tell it was hurting her. But she knew that the girl was stubborn, and wouldn’t want to burden others with her problems. Tikki also knew that it would take time for Marinette to come to terms with what happened and the results of the accident. All she could do was hope that her chosen would figure things out before it really got to her.

Adrien had visited the bakery before many times after school and on the weekends when Alya was too busy with her sisters or work to hang out. It was ironic. You would think that being around Adrien for prolonged periods of time quite often would drive Marinette into a sensory overload, but she handled it pretty well. Minor stuttering, the usual profuse blushing, and of course either reading too much into things or completely denying any possibility of advances. “He kept looking at me, Alya,” she’d told her friend on the phone after the walking beam of sunshine had left.

“Maybe he likes you back?” her friend had answered exasperatingly.

“Ugh, no. That’s not it.” She had gasped and ran to her vanity mirror. “What if I had something on my face?”

And conversations along the same lines were spread throughout all of their first semester.

It was the start of Christmas break when Adrien had first visited the bakery as Chat Noir. It was night, but the full moon cast an ethereal glow across the sleepy city. He bounded across the rooftops, itching with anticipation. The poor cat had been holding out on his word to help out the baker and his daughter. Why was he so hesitant? When his boots hit the pavement in front of the bakery door, his heart hammered inside his chest like a pinball.

He waved his hands, urging blood to circulate and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “You can do this, Adrien,” he assured himself. When his movements finally stilled, he took a deep breath and gently knocked on the front door. Moments ticked by, moments that held eternities. Finally, he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. He nearly yelped when the door suddenly swung wide.

Tom Dupain stood in the doorway and looked down at the startled boy with surprised interest. “Chat Noir?”

The black cat gave a weak wave. “Uh… Hi.”