A/n: time for a darker multi-parter. TW for basically everything depressing.

Post Akuma Psychosis.

That's what everyone was afraid of at the moment, and no one could blame the civilians for fearing it. Somehow, hawkmoth had gotten worse than he already was. Whatever wild shit he was putting into the recent akumas has resulted in a new side effect, one that presented AFTER being de-akumatized.

Victims were reporting continuing to hear his voice telling them all kinds of hurtful things, seemingly in an attempt to get them emotional again to re-akumatize them. Anything from petty insults to personal attacks. Pushing them to the point they would become belligerent and all the symptoms lined up with a psychosis episode. Hearing voices, seeing akumas that weren't there, believing they were still akumatized, it was like a full blown mental breakdown at its worst point.

Victims conditions varied, some only had mild symptoms, some had to be hospitalised. But last nights akuma was a first, and the most extreme case so far. Ladybug and Cat Noir had adjusted their post-akuma comforting the victim routine given the recent developments. They'd stay with the victim and keep them grounded until paramedics arrived. If they had to run off because they were going to de-transform they'd just rush them straight to the hospital. But they preferred the staying with them approach, as it was less stressful for the victim than being picked up and rushed across the city while they were still dazed.

Last night, they'd gone about things as usual. Once the akuma was purified, they carefully approached the victim. Making sure they were lucid, knew where they were and what had happened. But something in this particular victim? They just snapped. They went from dazed to panicked, panicked to manic. Screaming at akumas that weren't there, trying to attack both heroes, begging the voices to stop.

And then, before anyone could react or stop them... they jumped.

Off the highway overpass they'd all been sat on, traffic stopped in the area because of the akuma attack. They'd screamed at hawkmoth, telling him to shut up, get out of my head, go away, don't say that, I WON'T LET YOU TAKE ME- and then... they were gone.

All day following that night, Adrien had been in a daze. He couldn't get the sound of bones breaking and civilians who'd witnessed everything out of his head. Couldn't un-see the blood, the way the broken limbs contorted. Couldn't get the taste of stomach acid out of his mouth, when he'd got home and thrown up from the stress and image of a dead body in his mind. This wasn't what was was meant to happen, he was a 16 year old superhero who was meant to fight magic villains, ones that would have all their damage reversed back to normal with the lucky charm. Not... watching a victim throw themselves off an overpass in a state of post akuma psychosis...

As if he wasn't already traumatised by his fathers bullshit, mothers death and the fears his other mother figure would die of the same sickness. But watching someone kill themselves mid mental breakdown? He felt like he needed to take his brain out, wash it with hospital grade disinfectant, wipe it clean of all the things he'd seen.

In truth, that night was a real harsh wake up call. Paris was in a state of constant threat, as long as hawkmoth was around. His attacks could happen at any moment, and now with his sick new methods of akumatizing, everyone was terrified to be the next victim. The more stress and fear? The more potential victims to prey on. No one was safe, not even the heroes themselves who were just as stressed out, if not more with the added pressure of having to protect the city. And he was only 16! What maniac chooses teenagers to fight a grown man?! He couldn't exactly back out now, he'd taken that responsibility and he wasn't going to just abandon the city. But fuck man... he was really starting to question what the fuck Master Fu was thinking.

The state he was in hadn't gone unnoticed, he felt like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and it showed. He was quieter than usual, jumpy, anxious, dissociated a lot. He'd been telling everyone that day he was just overtired, and they'd bought it since he DID have a packed schedule that week. But he wasn't sure he could hold himself together much longer. Strangely Marinette seemed a little stressed too... although she was usually a scrambled mess as it was with her tendency to be late and tripping over her own feet.

When school finally let out, Adrien just wanted to go home and lock himself in his room. Not do anything, just go to bed and sleep away the nerves. But he was stopped by someone who he was actually rather glad to see. He was always glad to see Luka, he liked Luka.

"Adrien! Hey!"

He turned to find Luka taking his usual bike route home, this time without picking up his sister. She must be going to her girlfriends place or something today.

"Luka, hi" he replied.

"Can you make band this weekend?"

Shit, that was this weekend? He'd totally forgot in all the mess that's been going on.

"Uh... I'm gonna be honest I completely forgot to ask Nathalie to sweet talk my dad into letting me. I've had... a lot... to do this week" Adrien admitted.

"That's cool, just let me know before Sunday so we know how much pizza to order" Luka replied.

"Yeah, yeah... I'll do that..."

Luka had always had a sixth sense for knowing when something was wrong, but even with that power he didn't exactly need to use it right now. It was obvious, Adrien was a wreck. His eyes were baggy, his usually styled hair looked like it hadn't been brushed, usually he had rather put together outfits thanks to his model eye for fashion. But today he'd thrown on the first shirt and pair of jeans he grabbed, no accessories aside from his ring. He looked like he'd rolled out of bed and gone straight to school. And there was this empty look in his eye, the thousand yard stare of someone who'd seen some shit.

"Adrien... you ok?" Luka asked, kicking his bike stand out so he could put his hands assuringly on his shoulders.

"Yeah..." Adrien muttered.

Only to immediately tear up. He hated when that happened, when you're hanging on by a thread and the moment someone asks what's wrong, you just completely fall apart.

"No- no, I'm not, I'm so tired Luka. I'm so stressed and the stress is only increasing my risk of being akumatized and that's making me scared which is only making that risk even bigger! And I can't get akumatized, I can't! And I can't get the image out of my head, or the sound of everything that happened, and I was up all night throwing up from the sight of it all and-" Adrien rambled, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Woah, Woah! Adrien, breathe. Slow down, what's- what... what happened? Are you... safe?" Luka stammered, unsure how to even start unpacking all of that.

Adrien couldn't reply at first, just sobbing hard and hyperventilating. Luka bought Adrien into his arms, letting him cry onto his shoulder and trying to ease him into steadying his breathing. Adrien clung to him tight, so tight you'd think he was holding on to Luka for his life. Realising something was definitely wrong here, and out in the middle of the street wasn't a good place to be, Luka ran a hand though Adrien's hair and tilted his head to look up at him.

"Come on, let's not stand here in the middle of the street. Come back to my place, it's closer. We can talk there" Luka said.

Adrien nodded, still unable to stop the shoulder shaking sobs. Luka was also mindful of the fact Adrien's famous status would probably attract attention if people saw him having a breakdown in public. So he took his jacket off to wrap around Adrien and put the hood up to hide his face a bit better. Walking back home with him wrapped in one arm and his other steering his bike alongside him.

His mother was out, as was usual. She got home a bit later than school knock off time, so it was just Luka and Adrien in the cabin. Luka sat him down on the couch, and gave him a box of tissues. Although it seemed no matter how much Adrien tried to dry his tears, they just kept coming. This was a nervous breakdown if ever Luka had seen one...

"Ok... what's going on, what happened last night? I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to..." Luka began.

Adrien thought a moment. He knew he wasn't meant to reveal his identity as cat noir to anyone, but he was at his wits fucking end here. He needed someone to know, someone to talk to. So even if it'd break some rules, he HAD to do this.

He hoped Luka was ready for the trauma dump of the century...