Chapter Text
Adrien hadn’t been quite sure how to feel as the Snake Miraculous was thrust into his palms by Ladybug. She’d barged into his personal space without her usual bravado, a red flush and panic lining her features, and had taken the dreaded object out of her yoyo. He’d held her gaze for just a moment before she was gone again, her words falling on deaf ears as he stood there. Maybe she was apologizing for putting him in this situation. Or explaining what the plan was, what she needed him to do to defeat the Akuma. He didn’t know.
It had happened in mere seconds, but the interaction seemed to stretch on forever the moment that icy steel had touched his palms. The warmth radiating off her suit was completely negated by the coolness of the teal bracelet. Her touches didn’t burn with that pleasant thrum they usually did, and Adrien hated the fact she was so close she could see the pain at the realization flash across his face.
As soon as she was gone, Plagg and Sass were in his face, demanding explanations from him. But he didn’t know. He was in the dark on this one and didn’t like how used he had gotten to it. Ladybug had to have her reasons for not calling upon Chat Noir, him , with every battle anymore, but the stinging had gotten replaced with a dull pressure around his heart whenever he saw newer heroes by her side, pounding their fists together, smiling at her with adoration —
He swiftly opened the bracelet and closed it around his wrist, to replace the pain in his heart with this one. Sass seemed to dislike this as much as he did, never mind Plagg rightfully glaring at the other Kwami for ‘stealing’ him, and didn’t know if he felt validated in his emotions or doubted because of them.
Last time had been…bad. Bad enough he still woke up in a cold sweat sometimes, or flinched when the make-up artists would try to highlight his nose with golden powder. The tiny brush, filled with precious glitter, would have him shrinking away in his seat. Fashion shows and galas from his father weren’t much better, now that the new line filled with golden dresses and suits had come out. The number of times he’d snuck away with the lame excuse of needing the toilet or having forgotten his phone somewhere was getting suspicious, and not showing up would be even worse. His father would never forgive him.
And neither would Ladybug if he didn’t show up in time. (She most definitely would forgive him, but the lie he told himself gave him a false sense of responsibility and liability.)
One quick transformation and about three streets of running later had Adrien panting as he watched the scene. People were walking past him with confused and panicked looks on their faces. Some wobbled as they went, seemingly disoriented. Adrien made his way through them, heading toward the Akuma instead of away as any sensible person would do.
He couldn't gather a lot of information about the Akuma from the people he passed. They seemed physically fine, if not a bit unsteady on their feet, but that was usually the case. They didn’t recognize him further than that he was a new hero, and he relished the fact that they didn’t know him enough to approach him. He’d probably start panicking, and that was not exactly what people needed to see from a ‘new’ hero on his first day.
When the stream of people increased, he decided to move along the rooftops. It was a bit of a hassle to get up one without his baton, but he managed. Having a super-suit meant super jumps, regardless of which active Miraculous he was wearing. He ended up at Françoise Dupont, because when didn’t he, and went up on the roof. Ladybug was laying on her belly, head just peeking over the edge down into the atrium. She seemed to hear him because she patted the space next to her.
Ah, stealth. Amazing. Just fantastic. No associating thoughts connected to that whatsoever. Absolutely not.
‘I can’t protect you. I never managed to save you.’
Panic seized him. Golden dust, a shout of surprise, cut off by vanishing from reality. A wince. He reached for his Miraculous. Not this time. This time, he was going to succeed. No more. He needed this. This safe spot in time. And he’d be able to go back and save her–
Ladybug’s hand on his stopped him. Adrien’s hands shook as he separated them, turning toward her slowly as if she might disappear if he moved any quicker. She was crouched next to him and managed to hold his eyes for long enough to convey what she wanted to say. ‘Not yet.’ She laid back down on the roof and he silently followed her lead.
This was all so confusing.
“This is utterly ridiculous!”
Well, that was something that would never change.
“Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?!”
“I know better than you do right now,” a cool voice replied, a hint of amusement in their tone.
That had to be the Akumatized person talking, Adrien concluded. He shimmied up and also peeked down. Then he blinked, rubbed his eyes, and blinked again. “What am I seeing?”
“It’s a body-switching Akuma,” Ladybug whispered back, her tone unreadable. Adrien knew how Ladybug felt about Chloé, so she was probably the tiniest bit amused.
Sabrina Raincomprix, general people pleaser and Chloé’s unofficial PA, was shouting her lungs out at the Akuma. Chloé Bourgeois, mayor’s daughter, blonde white rich girl, and general Very Present Person, was shying away behind one of the beams holding up the galleries to the classrooms. Her hand was half stretched out to Sabrina, who ignored her and accusingly pointed at the Akuma that was floating maybe a meter above the ground, looking down on her. “I’ll let you know you won’t be getting away with this. My father—“
“Is not the mayor of Paris.”
Sabrina’s face ( Chloé, Adrien had to remind himself) contorted into something akin to shock and disbelief.
The Akuma leaned down from where she was floating, the floating mass of inky black hair following enchantingly. Her skin had turned into a pale blue color, black-colored lips forming a stark contrast. Her suit had a deep red lightning bolt-like insignia on her chest, which ran from her shoulder down to her hip. There was a gradient on her legs, running from a matt gray color into an almost white pastel aqua. Her left sleeve had the same pale aqua color, whereas her right matched the gray. Instead of her right hand, she had a cylindrical device attached to her wrist. Probably the weapon she used to swap people, possibly also the Akumatized object.
He had trouble tearing his eyes away from her.
“I think that’s enough, don’t you?”
Adrien jumped. He hadn’t noticed Ladybug had gotten up beside him and had jumped down onto the railing of the gallery below, now shouting down at the Akuma. He scrambled up and dropped to stand a little behind her on the floor, cowardly using her as a shield from the threat. He must’ve looked like a damn fool because the Akuma laughed. Straight at him, as if Ladybug weren’t even there.
“Egg.”
“Hey!”
The Akuma threw her hands up, innocence in her smokey eyes as she laughed. Adrien noticed floating golden bracelets around her forearms, which clinked together as she moved. She had matching ones around her ankles.
“Chloé,” Ladybug said in a chastising tone, “get out of here. And take Sabrina.”
“No but seriously, why are you wearing such a silly thing?” the Akuma continued, uncaring of the two girls leaving the building. She had her legs curled up under her now and was waving at them. “Most of the time, your costumes are a bit basic. Except for Chat Noir and Carapace. There’s just that little bit more depth to them, don’t you think?”
‘ I don’t care what costume comes with it. I have to try. Ladybug chose me.’
“Are you gonna care about what I look like when we beat your ass?”
Ladybug sputtered for some reason, and the Akuma blinked. Then she smirked as she lowered herself to the floor. “My my, such dirty words.” Her eyes darkened and her stance widened. “Why don’t you try, you spineless noodle.”
Adrien activated Second Chance and dove down, followed immediately by Ladybug. Her yoyo shot past him, wrapping itself around the Akuma’s raised right arm. Ladybug pulled herself toward the Akuma and zipped past Adrien, wrangling the weapon toward the sky instead of at him.
Adrien managed to trap her left arm between the strings of his harp as he moved past her, forcing her hand away from Ladybug. He spun half a circle before landing in a deep squat. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but he managed to hold onto his weapon.
“Pesky bug,” the Akuma gritted out. She was struggling heavily and Adrien had trouble keeping her hand trapped where it was. Adrien didn’t quite follow what happened, but one second he was struggling with an arm, and the next it wrapped around him. The Akuma had him in a death grip and a strong one at that. She was at least a head taller than him. Struggling was of no use. He watched Ladybug vault off of her with some backflips and other fancy jumps.
“Let him go, now!” she yelled.
The arm that wasn’t wrapped around his throat was pointed toward Ladybug, the weapon at the end glowing with an ominous scarlet hue. He yelled and tried to break free, but the arm tightened and he was forced to stop, vision going blurry and throat going dry and raw. “Get away from her.”
“Aw, honey,” the Akuma hummed, “she’ll be fine.” She aimed more carefully at Ladybug, closing one eye. “Now you stay still.”
Ladybug started running, yoyo spinning to block the attacks the Akuma never fired. She was just following her movements, rotating in her spot to follow the red flash dashing around the atrium.
With the Akuma focused on Ladybug, Adrien saw his chance. He pulled his arm forward and pushed it back, his elbow hitting the Akuma in the stomach.
The weapon fired.
Ladybug froze where she stood and halted in her movement. She stilled, stood up straight with empty eyes, and stopped. Like a statue, she didn’t move. Adrien delivered a blow to the side of the Akuma’s head with his now free elbow in a despa– distressed attempt to do something, which made the Akuma cry out and drop to the floor. He untangled himself from her grip as she went down and sprinted to the other side of the atrium. His harp and the Akuma left forgotten behind him.
His hands shook by his sides and got worse when he brought them up to cradle her face. Her hollow eyes didn’t follow his movements, and she didn’t flinch when his gloves made contact with her bare cheeks. He pressed a little harder, and then his eyes roamed over her to find a way to undo this. She had to move. She had to call her Lucky Charm, tell him what she needed him to do, and purify the Akuma. Then they’d fistbump, smile at each other, and go their separate ways. And he’d long for the next time he’d see her. Because she’d need him again.
‘She needs me. She needs Adrien . She thinks I’m the perfect guy for this mission.’
Another lie.
Adrien brushed her bangs out of her eyes, tears streaming down his face. He’d failed on the first try within a mere minute. Because he wasn’t brave enough to stand next to his Lady when she didn’t know it was him. Because he was foolish to think charging first was a good idea. Because he was stupid enough to think he could handle it. His eyes shot to the offending object that was wrapped around his wrist, and he wanted nothing more than to tear it off and break it underneath his foot.
But he couldn’t.
With the Akuma on the ground a good distance behind him, he gave himself one more second to breathe. Then he reached for the bracelet. “I’ll get it right next time.”
“No, you won’t,” came from behind him.
The last second he had was spent looking into Ladybug’s faded eyes, and he imagined them shining bright like they usually did.
And then everything went black.