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Ladybug swipes at Desperada with her yo-yo, aiming for the eye. But Desperada catches it just in time- and she then pulls Ladybug close and turns her into a sticker. Not again. Aspik kept his ear out for Plagg's routine reprimanding and unconsciously snapped back the snake-head on his miraculous as he hears the familiar tune of
his Lady disappearing again
him failing again.
Second Chance!
"Shut up Plagg, I can prove myself to her, I just need a little more time." Adrien grunts, not realizing he's back to the same place he was four minutes ago, in front of Ladybug.
"Plagg?" Ladybug blurts, dull and bleached. "Why would you know Plagg and talk to him… unless…"
Aspik notices what Ladybug was saying and catches up to where he is now. He bites his lip, mentally berating himself for the mistake. Ladybug's still staring at him, and he feels he has to correct her. He has to persuade her he can still do it.
"Don't worry, Bugaboo," Adrien shakes his head. "I'll just second-chance this, and you'll forget everything. I promise I'll make you proud! I won't screw up as Aspik," he titters.
Ladybug steps closer, and Adrien feels his muscles tense. "Kitty, how much have you tried already?"
'She's speaking softly, and she won't get angry...' Adrien repeats to himself. "It's just my fifteen thousand, four hundred and thirty-second try!"
Adrien senses he didn't make the situation better when he sees Ladybug freeze. He smiles a smile he thinks is too large to be convincing his Lady, but he hopes it can carry enough assurance to fool the two of them.
"Please don't panic, you said we don't need Chat Noir for this, and it's true!" He sees Ladybug's eyes narrow and immediately adds on. "I'm so close to saving you?" He croaks, voice trailing off towards the end.
Ladybug cranks up a brow.
"I am!" Adrien raises his hands, palms open. Lucky that he did, as when Ladybug pounced as she tried to grab the miraculous, she struggled to reach it. Unlucky that he did, as Ladybug fell on him, and both of them toppled, heading for the cold and green cement.
Her breath hit his cheeks, and for a moment all they could hear was their heartbeat and the flow of the sewage beside them. Ladybug had Aspik pinned by the chest, his arms splayed out.
She immediately attempts to snatch the snake bracelet once the shock of the moment faded. Aspik twists his hip and shoves her to the left. He throws his legs in the air and jumps up, Ladybug pushing herself off the ground.
Ladybug tries to make a move for his wrist, yet stopped when a thought appeared. If she took back the miraculous, which she should- he needs to end this, she'd now know Chat's identity, and she'll go against Master Fu's rules, and he'd take back both their miraculous, and there'd be no one left to fight Hawkmoth, and the world will end.
"Of course I'll always need you, mon Chaton." Ladybug whispers to him, silently laughing to herself about how she could have been so stupid, as Aspik snaps the ticking snake head back to its original place. She hopes he gives up soon. She'll need him in every timeline, and not as Aspik. He doesn't need to prove himself to her, for she's already ready to die for him another 15432 more times.
Second Chance!