"What do I get if I win?" Ladybug asked as her eyes scanned over her pieces, stopping only for a few seconds to look at "Chat Noir".

"My crown, I suppose. And if I win, I get your miraculous." Sovereign looked at his nails like he was trying to see if there was any problem with his nail polish.

Ladybug shook her head. What significance would a crown have to her? Unless that was where the akuma was. Sovereign only had one of those puffed fabric capes wrapped around his shoulders and shoes with a slight heel.

"If I win, I get your akuma." She declared, locking eyes with Askook. His eyebrows were pulled together, and they shared a knowing look.

"Mmm, yes. I suppose that would be fair. It's a deal." Sovereign looked at his pieces, his brain miles ahead of Ladybug's."Pawn 2A move to 4A"

"D7 move to D5" Ladybug said with uncertainty. She didn't lie, she knew how to play. But it had been years, and her strategy wasn't the best in the first place.

"2H move to 4H."

The game continued for a while. Ladybug had a lot more pieces stolen by the akuma then she had taken of his. She was too late to realize that she was cornered. She only had a few pawns, King, and her Bishop, Askook.

"Check." Ladybug chewed her bottom lip.

She couldn't move the Queen, if she did, the rook would take it. Which would be okay if the King could take it. But it couldn't since a knight was ready to take any piece that got in its way. There was only one way she could win this. And Askook realized at the same moment she did.

"Askook, please don't" Ladybug pleaded. She was greeted by a reassuring smile. His fingers fiddled at his wrist.

He visibly gulped, his adam's apple bobbed. "It's okay." He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Ladybug. It's okay." He offered a glance at the spot. "Sometimes people have to make sacrifices. And I'm willing to be that sacrifice."

Askook slowly took several steps to the place she so desperately hated. "Check." He managed to say, forcing himself to stand tall like anxiety wasn't twisting through his veins.

Sovereign smirked as he ordered a pawn to take Luka out. It hit him and he felt shooting pains in his leg as he slowly faded away, just like the other stolen pieces.

Ladybug moved herself to where Luka used to stand. "Checkmate."

Before Ladybug knew what was happening, a rush of fog whipped around her. Her eyes squeezed closed, and her feet dug into their spot.

Everything stopped and bluebell eyes fluttered open. They were standing in the same place they left off. The empty space between the Eiffel tower and the buildings. The only difference was that the horizon was a light shade of green and birds were chirping. Askook was off to the side, resting on a bench with his leg curled to his chest.

"Fair is fair I suppose." Sovereign sighed as he stepped towards her, his fingers curled around something. She extended her hand out.

Everything moved in slow motion. Sovereign twisted his body around the arm and was at her side in a second. He managed to get one earring out. Alarmed bluebell eyes met wide blue as a red light began at her nose and ponytails.

"Second chance!" Askook choked out as he pulled the snakehead back on his bracelet. In a flash, everything went back to where it was not five minutes before.

"Askook, please don't" Ladybug pleaded. He allowed himself to meet her eyes. She didn't remember what had just happened. He forced a smile on his lips as he gave himself a second to admire her eyes. Familiar. Like they actually wanted to cry for me, even though they don't know me.

"It's okay. Ladybug, it's okay." At least it would be if it didn't result in him being injured. It didn't matter to him that he was about to feel the bolts of pain that would shoot up his leg, he could handle the pain if he had to. But if he was injured, he couldn't protect Ladybug or her identity. "Sometimes people have to make sacrifices. And I'm willing to be that sacrifice."

He took the steps slowly to make sure he didn't slip up. He couldn't afford to do it wrong. "Check." He stood a bit straighter, bracing for the impact the rook would have.

Askook bit back a groan as he slammed into the ground and noticed that he was fading away. It wasn't so scary now that he knew he was going back to reality.

The cold air was like a slap to the face and the concrete pulled away any remaining heat he had left. Askook's eyes darted around. Ladybug was going to wrap this up in the next thirty seconds or so and he couldn't go back to his spot on the bench. He would just have to wait until she reappeared.

With a gust of wind and rush of fog, Ladybug and the Akuma appeared.

"Fair is fair I suppose" Sovereign sighed.

"Ladybug" Askook whispered, forcing himself up. He hobbled on one leg, hissing when his injured leg has weight put on it. She looked back at him with alarmed eyes.

The akuma took this chance to lunge for Ladybug's miraculous. A pained gasp escaped Askook's lips as he lunged for Ladybug.

His body hit hers, causing all of the air in their lungs to escape.

"Askook!" Ladybug pulled herself up on her elbows so she hovered over him. His chest was rapidly rising and falling and his eyes were scrunched closed. "Your leg...." She brushed her fingers over it and he jerked back.

"Sovereign- he cheated, he was trying to get your miraculous." Askook panted, opening his eyes to see her face. "Second chance, I had to. Win for me, yeah?"

He let his head fall back as tried to stay still as possible as to not cause any more pain than needed. Ladybug let out a shaky breath as she turned to Sovereign.

"I didn't see that coming." Sovereign mused as he took a slow, analyzing step closer to her. "The normal human instinct is to allow fear and pain to swallow you completely. His leg, surely it's broken. And yet he was willing to endure that pain for you. Interesting."

A purple outline of a butterfly appeared before his face. "Use Askook. Threaten to take his miraculous. Push her limits, see what Ladybug will do for him." Hawkmoth ordered.

"Yes, Hawkmoth."

Ladybug knew something was off. The smirk that curled onto Sovereign lips was not reassuring. So she did the only thing she knew how to do. Weasel her way out of a problem, barely missing the cut.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Her yo-yo was thrown up and ladybugs swirled together before dropping something into her hands. She opened them to see a red and black polka-dotted bishop resting in her palm.

"Askook?" She scowled at the piece. She lifted her eyes to him. "Oh God, Askook!" She bolted to him, throwing her yo-yo to hit Sovereign's arm.

She should have been paying attention! Ladybug scooped the injured hero in her arms and bolted away from the akuma.

"Askook I need you to close your eyes." Ladybug told him, glancing at his face. His lips were curled letting a hiss escape, and his skin was horrifyingly pale. He gave a stiff nod and allowed his eyelids to fall closed.

In a matter of minutes, Ladybug ran into an alleyway and chewed her bottom lip. "Please don't open your eyes." She ordered before whispering "Tikki, spots off."

With a flash of red, Marinette Dupain-Chang was standing next to Askook. "You need to detransform. Where I'm taking you, no one can know you're a superhero. But you're not allowed to see it. It's too risky."

"Sass, scales dissolve."

Sass joined Tikki in Marinette's purse as she hauled the man into the doors.

"Uncle Fu!" She called out. Years ago he had asked her to call him that if it was an emergency so he could take the correct precautions while going to her.

Shuffling was heard before the door leading to his room was opened. He popped his head out and looked at the man in her arms. "Ladybug." Master Fu drug with uncertainty.

"I know. I'm sorry. But Hawkmoth can probably gain access to hospitals. How many people are breaking their legs today? As far as I know, only one. And that's Askook. If I checked him in as Luka, Hawkmoth would know and we'd be backed up for weeks thinking of covers stories and safety measures."

Luka frowned as he listened to her talk with the other voice. He felt his head rest on something soft, a pillow. As he sunk into it, he allowed his thoughts to take over.

Was this the place Ladybug got Sass from? Is that why he couldn't look? Why was she throwing around his civilian name so easily?

"Do you trust him enough to be here?" The man's voice questioned.

"I wouldn't have brought him if I didn't."

There was a moment of silence before Luka felt something touch his leg. He jerked back and bit back a groan.

"I should have something that should speed up the healing process. Normally it'd take a few months, but if you take it, it'll cut the time in half. You'll have to wear a brace and probably use crutches." The voice said.

Silence lapsed again as the man worked his way around the room. "Uncle Fu." Ladybug whispered.

"Yes, my dear?"

"I have to go. The akuma won't wait."

"Of course. Will you need assistance? Another miraculous?"

"No. It's too early to be waking up anybody. I'll be back shortly for him." Ladybug finished before she ran out of the room, leaving Luka in the hands of a stranger.

"It's okay. You don't have to be so tense. I will not harm you." Luka felt a presence above him. "Drink this."

Luka stretched his arm out hesitantly, feeling the cool glass brush against his fingers. How was he sure it wasn't poison or a drug? Ladybug obviously trusted this man, so why shouldn't he? "All of it?" He croaked.

"Yes."

Tipping his head back, Luka dumped the liquid into his mouth. He coughed as it slipped down his throat, leaving a burning trail of what tasted like gasoline. "I know it doesn't taste good, but there's not much I could do about it." The man sighed.

"It's okay." Luka rasped as he laid his head back down. He was fighting for consciousness, his brain was too exhausted to think of anything to stay awake. And he didn't want to betray Ladybug's trust and open his eyes.

"The snake miraculous." 'Uncle' Fu mentioned simply. "It takes a special kind of person to use it. No one decides who it chooses other than itself. In many cultures, the snake is a symbol of magic and healing. And that's almost exactly what it is. Second chance gives you the opportunity to mend the past for a better future."

Luka took a moment to process that. A few years ago- back in highschool- someone else had been chosen for the snake. Luka didn't know who it was, but it didn't last long, not even a day. Was that why Paris never saw that guy as a hero again? Because the snake didn't choose him?

"It was quite odd how quickly it chose you. I'm sure you're familiar with the hero who tried the snake years ago. Usually, it takes hundreds of years for someone to suit it. But you, I don't know why, but it chose you right off the rip. Sass never has the opportunity to get close to his holder, they mistreat him anyhow." There was a pause. "It almost makes me wonder if it would suit you better to allow you to be the permanent holder of the snake miraculous."

"Oh please, Master!" A new voice said, drawing out the 's' in please. Luka easily identified him as Sass. "Let him take me home!"

"Are you sure? You choose Luka Couffaine to be your permanent holder until Hawkmoth is defeated?"

"Yessss! A hundred times yes!"

The man went silent. Luka wasn't one hundred percent sure what was going on, and his brain was working three times as hard to process it.

"Luka Couffaine, you now have the chance to be the permanent holder of the snake miraculous. Do you accept or decline?"
______________________________________
Author's notes:
This fandom is going to be the death of me. I just watched Loveater and Kwami Buster an uuugggggghhhhh.
Also, this chapter is loosely based off the chess game from Harry Potter in the first book.
Don't forget to comment and vote! Fluffy moments you want? Have a great day/night!