Chapter Text
She never thought she would see them again, those empty blue eyes that held so much pain, but there he was. He stepped forward and smiled a horrible broken smile.
"Milady," his voice shook with disuse, all those months he was alone… She shook her head violently and took a step away. Her knees nearly gave out and tears gathered under her mask before slipping down her cheeks. They felt like fire on her blood drained face.
She opened her mouth to say something, anything, maybe she would have apologized, maybe she would have screamed, but the only thing that came out was a broken sob.
He just continued to approach her, that smile still plastered on. She held up a shaking hand in a weak attempt to keep him away but he just brushed it to the side. He was standing directly in front of her and before she could process what was happening his gloved hands were cradling her face and his forehead was pressed against hers. He was so cold.
"Milady, why did you do this to me?" She gasped at the question, and sobbed again.
"I-I"
"Shh" he hushed her gently by rubbing a clawed thumb over her trembling lips. He leaned in close and pressed his mouth to her ear.
"You failed me Ladybug."
She just shook her head again and sobbed harder.
"You failed me… Marinette"
Luckily Marinette had already been awake when the akuma alert went out. She was working on a project, and had just told herself "5 more minutes" for the twentieth time. Her phone, which she had tucked into her sports bra, let out a shrill alarm that had startled her so much, she dropped the piece of fabric she had been attempting to place for the past fifteen minutes. She cursed quietly and pulled her phone out to glance quickly at the screen.
Huh, that was odd.
Usually the alert, (which worked much like a severe weather alert), gave details about where the attack was, which was kind of important. But this time, the bolded red words simply said AKUMA ALERT.
Well crap.
“Let’s just pray that Chaton is awake.”
“Kid, it’s 2 in the morning.”
“I am well aware.”
“Don’t you need to like… sleep?”
Adrien leaned back in his chair and swung his head to the side to give his kwami a smug look.
“Aw, Plagg, are you actually concerned about my sleep schedule?” The kwami gagged and stuck his tongue out at Adrien, who chuckled before kicking his feet up onto his desk.
“I’ll be done in a second.” Adrien admitted, pulling a piece of paper from the top of a stack next to his feet, he stuck a hand behind his head and stared at the paper for a few seconds. Plagg had snuck up behind him and was glancing at the sheet as well.
“Why are you looking at those stupid drawings again?”
“They’re not stupid.” Adrien snapped, Plagg snorted and turned away, floating back to the couch where he had previously abandoned his Camembert.
“Aren’t those the designs your princess lent you.”
“Yeah.” Adrien sighed and put the paper back onto the desk, he planted a socked foot on the edge of the table and pushed. His chair rolled across the room spinning slowly, until he was facing away from the desk and toward Plagg. He pulled his legs onto the chair and sat cross-legged.
“You are pitifully in love with that girl.” Plagg said accusingly around a mouthful of cheese. Adrien scoffed, but didn’t make eye contact, choosing instead to pick at his Ladybug themed socks. Usually he would immediately shoot down Plagg’s ideas about a crush on Marinette, but honestly he was starting to wonder if he had fallen for the adorable fashion designer.
“Holy crap, you are!” Plagg laughed, finishing off his cheese.
“I didn’t confirm it!” Adrien instinctively went on the defensive crossing his arms in an act of defiance.
“You didn’t deny it either, admit it loverboy, you have a crush on Pigtails.” Adrien rolled his eyes and stood from the chair, he had opened his mouth to make a retort when his phone rang loudly from the desk where he had left it. Adrien began to approach the desk but his kwami beat him to it.
“Time to suit up kid, there’s an akuma.”
“Right now?” Adrien asked, baffled, he glanced at his clock.
Plagg shrugged, “Evil doesn’t care about your beauty sleep Sunshine, it’s Chat Noir time.”
Ladybug had taken a momentary break from beating the crap out of living nightmares to swing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and get a better vantage point. She was panting and exhausted, as well as slightly annoyed. She had beaten five different versions of huge spiders, a few snakes, and even a very clingy clown. And that was only the first seven minutes.
She leaned over the side of the Arc and looked down over the chaotic Paris streets.
Just a few more seconds, she would allow herself a few more seconds of rest before jumping back into the fray.
From directly below, a woman’s piercing scream shattered through the night. Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth. She needed her partner, she needed Chaton, she was close to admitting that this akuma may be too much for her to handle alone, or at all.
Last time there was a nightmare themed akuma the boy had to only float over a victim and sprinkle them with dream sand and their nightmare would come to life. This time, the akumatized victim had to physically touch a citizen before bringing forth their nightmare, and the monsters were much worse this time. With Sandboy it had only been petty fears and insecurities, but with Sandboy 2.0, it could really hit deep.
Ladybug had had to comfort a teen girl whose nightmare involved her mother rejecting and disowning her for having a girlfriend. A man whose son had died at a young age watched as his late child begged his father to save him.
Fortunately for people with little to no trauma it was the same old big spiders and creepy clowns. Unfortunately, Ladybug was a bit higher up on the trauma scale.
Another scream issued from below and Ladybug braced a foot on the edge of the roof preparing herself to jump. Just as she had taken in a bracing breath of air a black shadow dropped down next to her.
“Oh thank god.” Ladybug pulled away from the edge and turned to Chat who was leaning against his staff breathing heavily and gripping his side.
“Milady.” He said by way of greeting, then he winced.
“Are you alright?” Ladybug ducked under his arm that wasn’t gripping the staff and sighed in relief as Chat accepted the support and leaned heavily into her.
“I’m fine Bugaboo, just recovering from a minor panic attack.”
“What?!” Ladybug shot him a worried glance.
“Our old friend Sandboy got a few good swipes in and, well, let’s just say one of my worst nightmares is being trapped in enclosed spaces.”
“Oh Chat, you shouldn’t have engaged him head on, he’s much more dangerous than he was last time.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” Chat glared down at the citizens running scared through the streets.
“I think we may need some extra help this time around.”
“I agree.” Chat stared down at the busy street for a few more seconds before his eyes widened.
“Could we use Multi-mouse?” Ladybug sucked in shocked breath. She glanced up at Chat who was gazing at her, eyes sparkling.
“Please?” She had to turn her head away to hide the smile that broke through at his eagerness.
“Sorry Chaton, but you know Multi-mouse is out of commission.” She snuck another glance to see his reaction, his face fell significantly and Ladybug found herself wishing there was a way for them to use both Multi-mouse and Ladybug at the same time.
“Yeah, I know. It's just, Marinette would be really good with a Miraculous.”
“I believe you, but I think this calls for someone with a little more experience.” She squeezed his arm and he leaned further into her.
“Rena?”
“And Carapace.” Ladybug paused to think for a moment, “Maybe even Queenie.” Chat gave her an amused glance.
“You’ve used Chloe a lot lately, if I didn’t know any better, I would think that you're growing a soft spot for our resident bee.” Ladybug just grinned softly.
“Do you think you can handle the nightmares alone for a few minutes while I get the team together?”
“Don’t worry Milady, I’m pawsitive I can handle this.” He glanced down at Ladybug who was still half supporting him, he expected her to swat at his arm or roll her eyes but she was giving him an odd look.
“Ladybug?”
“Just, be careful Chaton.”
“Of course Milady.”
“I mean it.”
“So do I.” They stared at each other for a few more seconds before Ladybug ducked out from under his arm and faced him head-on. She cupped his face and tugged his head down so she could give him a small peck on the forehead.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can Chaton.”
“I don’t doubt it mon amour.” He immediately blushed at the nickname that slipped out. But Ladybug just smiled warmly before swinging off toward wherever she kept the Miraculouses.