I didn't wait for an invitation. I launched myself at Gabriel, yo-yo at the ready as I attempted to wrap his ankles together. Chat simultaneously attacked. We just had to hold out until the other three arrived.

"Tsk, tsk. Let's not be hasty." Hawkmoth easily dodged Chat and I's attack by disappearing in a cloud of moths. I couldn't get through them without receiving several cuts. What were the moths doing, carrying knives? Sheesh.

Chat clearly had the same luck as he came to stand next to me. Eventually the moth's dispersed and Hawkmoth stood unscathed. Typical.

"Now, can we have a civilized conversation? I expected more from you two, honestly. Didn't even stop to chat." Gabriel stood tall and proud and my heart clenched.

"Maybe once upon a time, I would have. But you've gone too far this time, Gabriel. An entire building? Children? How sick can you get? You disgust me. You started by stripping people's free will and using them as slaves, then you kidnap people, and now you're killing them? Jail seems too good for you." I heatedly told him. My left hand clenched and unclenched in anticipation. "Stop hiding behind your moth's like the coward you are and fight us."

I whipped my yo-yo back and flung it forward watching it sail through the air, aimed to tie around his chest.

Both Chat and I stood in amazement as Gabriel caught my yo-yo in his hand, looking at it as though it was merely a children's toy.

"My turn." He growled.

He yanked the cord and I suppressed the small shriek as my feet left the ground and I went flying forward.

"Ladybug!" Chat lunges forward in what I assume was the hope to catch me but I was going too fast.

I landed harshly on the rubble, my body hitting painful edges as I finally rolled to a stop in front of him. The next thing I knew his foot was on my neck and I was struggling to breathe as he pressed down and cut off my air.

"No! Please, stop!" Chat shouted desperately.

My face felt funny, as though it was heating up and going numb at the same time. I couldn't go without air for that much longer.

"Hand me your Miraculous and she lives. Simple as that, Chat Noir." Gabriel said.

My eyes teared up and my hands uselessly clawed at Hawkmoth's foot in an attempt to relieve the pressure. Black dots danced around my vision. At this moment, I felt like a complete and utter failure. All that training, all of these years spent being a heroine, all of the hype only to be defeated so quickly? Paris deserves so much better.

I really need air.

"Hey mister!" A feminine voice shouted. A surge of hope flooded through me.

The pressure was released from my throat as Hawkmoth went sailing through the air after a powerful kick from Rena was dealt.

I instantly started coughing and trying to fill my lungs with as much oxygen as I could muster. Chat was by my side in a flash, his face full of concern. I waved him off and pointed towards where Hawkmoth went.

"Get him." I ordered.

Chat nodded to me and stood, motioning for Rena and Queenie to follow him. Carapace stayed back with me and awkwardly patted my back in a soothing manner as I tried to control my ragged breath.

I cringed as a loud siren pierced the air, slicing through the night with it's annoying sound. The evacuation siren. At least I don't have to worry about civilians.

I stood, although a bit uneasily, and focused on the fight. I'd had worse hits before.

"Come on, Carapace. Let's join them."

•••

"Ugh!" I growled in frustration, running a hand through my hair just to vent some of my anger.

I was crouched at the last place Hawkmoth had crashed into. There was no sign of him anywhere and after a thorough scan of the area we came to the conclusion that he had fled the scene. Coward.

"Where do you think he went?" Queenie asked, her hands on her hips as she stood next to me.

"Who knows?" Rena said, her voice giving away her frustration as well. I just couldn't believe it. We finally had him! We had the upper hand, the advantage, and all he did was run with his tail between his legs.

"Chat!" I whipped my head around and spotted Ladybug running toward me, a hand on her side as she finally reached me, falling on her knees.

"What's the matter?!" I asked, moving to her side.

"Hawk-Hawkmoth ambushed us. On our way here. He took Carapace." She gasped out. My eyebrows scrunched in concern. My child has been taken!

"We have to get him back!" Rena yelled.

"We will, Rena. But we don't know where he is and we don't have a plan. Carapace is strong, I think he will be fine." I told her, even though I hardly believed myself. Even as I maintained my cool exterior, my heart thudded in fear for my teammate. Hawkmoth had just destroyed an entire building. What else was he capable of?

•••

We spent the rest of the next hour using our powers to search the now-evacuated city. With the dark and the rain I had a hard time looking and I was starting to lose my patience.

I called Chat on my yo-yo and could see the anger painted on his face when he picked up. Guess he didn't have any luck either.

"What do we do, Chat?" I asked him as I slumped to the ground, bringing my knees to my chest. Everything was so bloody unfair.

"I don't know, Mari. I just... I don't know anymore." Chat said right next to me.

I startled and would have instinctively socked him had he not been prepared and caught my fist.

"Don't do that!" I snapped, frowning as I turned away from him.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to upset you, Mari. Don't be mad, please." Adrien begged me; I wasn't looking at him but could feel the puppy dog eyes he was giving me.

"I'm not mad... just tired, I guess." I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder, his arm coming around mine. "I hope Carapace is okay."

"Me too."

I gave Chat and I fifteen minutes of sitting before I called Rena and Queenie to come meet us at the Eiffel Tower. Since Chat and I were at the Louvre, we wouldn't be too long.

I stood up and gave a hand to Chat to haul him up. We started towards the Eiffel Tower, racing across the rooftops in a short race.

An ear shattering explosion went off, knocking both Chat and I off course. What the hell?!

I panicked as my feet slipped out from underneath me and I went sliding down the rooftop I was on. I tried to grab my yo-yo that was on my hip but I was too discombobulated to secure a grip on it.

"Ladybug!" Chat shouted, in an equally precarious situation. I closed my eyes and thought for a few seconds as my body finally rolled off of the building and I hurtled towards the ground.

"Baton!" I yelled, hoping he'd know what I meant. When I opened my eyes I saw his baton had indeed lengthened to catch him on the opposing balconies. I finally grabbed my yo-yo and swung it at the baton, catching myself just in time.

I let go and let myself tumble onto the ground. That was a close call.

Chat lithely landed next to me and huffed.

"What the heck was that?" He asked, scratching his head.

"Oh no. Chat, look!" I pointed my hand to where the Eiffel Tower was, but instead of the normal monument the entire tower was engulfed in flames and parts were falling off, bright enough to see through the rain and dark.

"Hawkmoth." We both said.

We both took off running, dodging abandoned cars as we went. Rena Rouge and Queenie were already there by the time Chat and I arrived.

We met them at the base of the tower, staring up at the close-to-becoming ruins.

"What's going on? Do you see -..." I was interrupted by another explosion going off, this time one of the legs of the tower. Uh oh.

The tower creaked and groaned as it suddenly lost one of its supporting legs. 

"Queenie, support top!" I ordered as I started running. The tower was going to crush Paris. Everyone else followed suit, chasing behind me.

I threw my yo-yo and leaped up onto a nearby building sat behind the tower. I then used my yo-yo to wrap around the tower, anchoring myself by grabbing ahold of the building's piping.

I could vaguely see Chat using his baton to prop up to tower, with Queenie working above him as she tried to push the tower with all of her might. I assumed Rena was somewhere trying to save the tower as well.

"Well, well, well... your effort is cute, I'll say. But there's no point in trying to save the stupid tower."

I turned my head as I saw Gabriel standing behind me, Carapace limp on the ground beside him. A flash of pure aggression tore through me.

I abandoned the tower and just as quickly whipped my yo-yo to secure around my teammate's ankle. I yanked and watched as he jolted and came towards me.

I grunted as Carapace crashed into me, dead weight. I flipped him over and checked his pulse, relieved to find it still there.

I stood and spun my yo-yo around, glaring at Hawkmoth who was just calmly standing there.

"I was giving him back." He tutted, crossing his arms as he stared at me. "You know, it may have taken me a while to figure it out, but I finally got it. Suppose I was stupid not to realize it before... Miss Dupain-Cheng."

My heart jolted but I tried not to let it show.

"What makes you think that?" I asked him, smirking slightly as though I wasn't quaking.

"Let's call it a wild guess. But I'm sure your parents will be thrilled to discover that their only child died failing to protect the city she swore to." Gabriel mused. I clenched my fists in fury.

A loud crashing alerted me to the failed battle against the falling Eiffel Tower. I just glanced behind me to check that everyone was alright, instinctual.

I spotted Chat on the ground at the building, standing next to Rena. It looks like they were heading up here. I just raised my head to look for Queenie when someone suddenly shouted, "Ladybug, watch out!"

I turned just in time to watch Queenie shove her way between myself and Hawkmoth, who was poised behind me with a sword raised.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, for me. I watched as she stumbled forward a few feet. I watched as her arms spread out, as if to cover every inch of me from harm. I watched as Hawkmoth didn't stop his attack. I could hear Rena's too late shout of warning. I watched the almost deafeningly loud scream come from Queenie as the blade suddenly pierced through her armor, her eyes went wide as she stared at me in shock. I felt her falling body collide with mine as she jerked forward, the blade barely missing me as she slumped. I could see as her miraculous collapsed, revealing the girl behind the mask.

Then, all I could hear was a loud scream.

I can't say I'm sorry. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm not particularly skilled at writing action scenes, so I hope this chapter wasn't a major disappointment. I tired my best, guys.

I know! I'm a cruel author-chan. But I promise, the next chapter will be great!

The song for the chapter; To Be Human, by Sia (feat. Labrinth)

Word total: 2,021