Warning: I got a tad bit violent with the slicing and dicing. 

"Where did you hide Adrien?!" Riposte shrieked. Ladybug had cornered them far, far from her family's bakery.

"Like I'd tell you!"

Beside them, the beheaded mannequin rolled up against Ladybug's ankle. She kicked it away. Her decoy worked for a while. She didn't feel exactly comfortable knowing that Riposte had been willing to go for the kill. Adrien was far from safe, even if she placed him on the furthest corner of Paris.

Just then it started to rain.

Fire.

"Oh come on, now of all times?"! Ladybug complained as flaming locusts fell from the sky. It had been a while since the locusts had infested like this. Ladybug had actually almost forgotten about Fraay's curse. But Fraay was still an issue. The fire locusts and the rest of her wretched curse was definitely still an issue.

Riposte took the opportunity of distraction to slash at Ladybug. Ladybug didn't even have the chance to react, fully expecting to have to take the blow against her abdomen and hope that her miraculous would keep her intact.

However, someone intervened. Chat Noir's staff was just quick enough to get between the two and deflect the blade. Shortly after, Chat Noir appeared at Ladybug's side.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug felt her knees nearly give in. Chat Noir swiftly twisted his baton, a maneuver that would have ordinarily thrown the sword out of an opponents hand. Riposte's hands were the swords though, so it didn't really have much of an effect.

"Sorry I'm late," Chat Noir said, "I was trying to convince Plagg to give me a sword instead of a baton but he said 'the last time I did that, my user used it for bull fighting and killed his enemies' so I guess I'm not getting a sword."

"Maybe I will," Ladybug said, summoning her lucky charm. Indeed, she got a sword. A katana to go up against Riposte.

She offered it to Chat but he shook his head. "I'm a fencer, I don't know how to use a sword like that."

"Neither do I..." Ladybug frowned. Riposte made another effort to behead her, screaming as she did so. Chat Noir, again, deflected her blade with his baton.

Unfortunately, Riposte predicted the move and maneuvered themself around Chat Noir, tripping him up and stomping harshly on his ankle. Chat Noir yelped, going down after Riposte slashed him across the back. Riposte glared at Ladybug who now pointed the tip of her own sword at Riposte's neck. "You shouldn't have done that," Ladybug said darkly.

Riposte laughed. "You have healing powers! What's it matter if he gets a little hurt?!" Behind them, Chat Noir was groaning, trying to get back on his feet. Clearly, his back was flaring up with pain but it seemed like his ankle was causing him more trouble. Ladybug felt her blood boiling. Without thinking, she attacked with her own sword, officially starting their duel.

Ladybug sucked at sword fighting. It especially wasn't fair that her opponent had two swords. Riposte easily cornered her on a rooftop against a chimney, Chat Noir barely climbing up there just in time to try and join. But by then, Riposte had disarmed Ladybug. She was screwed.

At the most inconvenient time possible, Ladybug's hanfu caught on fire. (Everyone, say thank you to the raining flaming locusts!)

"OH HELL!" Ladybug screamed.

"LADYBUG!" Chat Noir vaulted his baton into the square of Riposte's back, pushing them right off the side of the rooftop so he could launch himself over Ladybug. Landing clearly made the condition of his ankle worse but he wasted no time pulling his jacket off and throwing it over Ladybug to smother the fire. "God, of all times for Fraay's curse to act up, now?!"

"It seems worse than usual," Ladybug said after they'd successfully patted out the fire together, "look around." Sure enough, several buildings were catching flame if they had plants around them or anything dry, perfect for kindling. Sirens were blaring all around Paris as firemen raced all over the place. Normally, during the fire storms like this, Ladybug and Chat Noir did their best to help out and keep people safe. But right now, they had to deal with an akuma! And there was no one else! Carapace was busy moving the kwamis, and who knew what condition he was in right now. Rena was still on the hunt for her fox miraculous, but maybe there was a chance she could step in. Except she'd been inactive for months! They didn't even know if she was in the city still or not! It was just the two of them, and they had a decision to make.

"We have to deal with Riposte first," Chat Noir said, "they don't seem to be merciful, we can't let any civilians get in their path or bad things will come of it."

"GIVE ME YOUR MIRACULOUS!" Riposte screamed, lunging back onto the roof.

"Never!" Ladybug said, then looked to Chat Noir with concern. "Are you alright though? I can deal with her on my–"

"No, I'm fine," Chat Noir grimaced, preparing his baton. Ladybug nodded and momentarily swung back down to the street to fetch her katana (where Riposte had thrown it).

"AAAAAAAAH!" Riposte yelled.

"Calm down already!" Ladybug exclaimed, placing herself between Riposte and Chat Noir. They began to duel again, but this time, Ladybug had a few tricks. "This is NOT how you're supposed to handle a breakup!"

"The hell do you know?!" Riposte said, tricking Ladybug with a fake swing. Sharp pain flooded Ladybug's senses as Riposte cleanly carved their sword right over Ladybug's hip bone. Ladybug's eyes went wide in shock and Riposte discarded her off the roof. Ladybug painfully landed in a dumpster, blood gushing from her side and darkening her already red hanfu. She could already hear Riposte and Chat Noir clashing katanas and baton up on the roof before she had the chance to open her eyes.

The dumpster had some fires starting in it. This was REALLY bad. The cursed storms weren't usually so extreme. Mostly, they only targeted one area at a time, making it very easy to help civilians and put those fires out. But this was EVERYWHERE. And there were a LOT of flaming locusts.

Ladybug painfully pulled herself out of the dumpster. Riposte could be heard screaming her head off, per the usual, and Chat Noir was probably not going to be able to hold out for very long. There was so much to do, so many people to save, and yet for some reason, Ladybug could only think, 'get back up there and save Chat Noir.'

"Chat!" Ladybug's eyes were met with horror when she managed to get back up on the roof. Chat was horribly bloodied and now flat on his back, pinned by Riposte. Yet for some reason, despite all the pain he had to have been in, he was smiling.

"Go ahead, take it," Chat said with a knowing tone in his voice.

Riposte growled and screamed in frustration. Then it dawned on Ladybug. Chat Noir's baton was nowhere in sight. He had nothing to defend himself with except his own power which was useless in a situation like this, unless he was trying to kill Riposte. Virtually, at every angle, Riposte had bested him and won. They only had to take his miraculous, which would be easy since he was unable to move away from where they'd pinned him. It was so easy, it was almost sad, Ladybug nearly found herself sympathizing with the akuma villain.

Riposte didn't have hands.

Riposte had swords.

It was such a laughable design flaw, Ladybug nearly cried.

Riposte had no way to get that ring off of Chat Noir's finger. Theoretically, she could just cut his finger off. That would be simple. But Riposte, now finding themself in such a predicament, knew that the effort would be useless. How were they supposed to hold the ring? How were they supposed to bring either miraculous to Hawkmoth when they had nothing to hold it with. Not even pockets!

Angered by this, Riposte pulled themself off of Chat Noir and turned their back on him. Chat Noir laughed a little, watching Riposte try to cross their arms to show their frustration but failing to due to the swords. It was a little sad, really.

"Do you–"

"Just get this off of me," Riposte said with a defeated, but still angry, tone.

"Where's your akuma?" Ladybug asked. Hawkmoth was showing no signs of trying to take back control over Riposte. He'd clearly realized he'd made a stupid mistake, and carrying out this futile attempt would be utterly fruitless.

Riposte pointed their sword at Ladybug without looking back. "The blade," was all they said. Ladybug approached. She couldn't believe they'd won like this! Ladybug prepared to try breaking the blade as she got closer, but suddenly, in one swift motion, Riposte had sharply turned and shoved their other sword straight through Ladybug's gut.

Blood sputtered from Ladybug's lips and she gagged. Tears were already brimming her eyes from the shock. She didn't feel any pain. All her senses seemed to have been shut off. After skewering her right through the gut, Riposte jerked their sword out of Ladybug and kicked her off the roof again. This time, Ladybug didn't have a dumpster to cushion her fall. She hit the pavement below hard, whacking her head against it so badly she could feel herself bleeding everywhere. But she couldn't feel the pain. The sensation of warmth trickling over her eyebrows and down her temples was there, but it didn't hurt. The stab wound didn't hurt, and neither did the gash in her side. She felt like her skull had cracked open, or maybe she just assumed it did. She couldn't actually feel it. But she couldn't control her body either. She could taste iron in her mouth as more blood gurgled up from her throat. But she couldn't spit it out. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even blink.

The locusts stopped raining down, replaced by actual rain. It drizzled lightly on her cheeks, the cool contrasting the warmth of her blood. It was nice.

Green lightning appeared to crackle over the rooftop she'd fallen from–Chat Noir summoning ruination. A beat of alarm chimed in Ladybug's heart. He was going too far. The rooftop crumbled, sending rubble and debris flying. None of it hit Ladybug, she just lay there, still motionless and forced to stare at the sky.

Then, Chat Noir appeared over her. She could only assume Riposte had been taken care of in some manner. She felt his hands trace over her cheeks but she couldn't process a single word he said. It was all... background noise to her. He looked at her as though she were lifeless. Maybe she was, she didn't know what dying was supposed to feel like. The sound in her ears was scratchy, static like a damaged record trying to play music. She thought of Luka. He didn't even know where she was right now. But strangely, Ladybug did not believe this was the end. Not that, 'oh, it can't be the end! There's still so much to do!' but more, 'this isn't the right time.'

Chat Noir was now cradling her, holding her close enough to himself that she could actually hear him. "Just use restoration, use restoration, use restoration please!" He said, repeating it multiple times but Ladybug could barely even move.

"I-I can't," she said, which caused more blood to spit out. He gasped as she spoke and clung to her tighter.

"You can! Everything will be okay. You can! You can! You can! You can!"

"I can't," she said again.

"You can! I swear you can!" Chat Noir said, pulling her into a hug. Her head fell limply against his and he began to sob. "You can! You can! You can!"

"I-I-" she gurgled on her own blood.

"Ladybug, please," he pleaded, pulling away. He cupped her face, a desperate look on his own. "Please, there's so many people who need you right now! I need you! I need you!"

Trembling, he brought her head closer to his again, and this time, placed a careful, desperate kiss on her forehead. "I swear you can," he said again, his voice shaking out of his control. "I can help you, you just have to say the words. Just say the words..."

"I..." Ladybug felt like she was suffocating. "M-m-"

"Yes!" Chat Noir cheered, urging her to get the whole incantation out. But Ladybug just couldn't get her voice to work! Let alone her tongue and lips!

"M-Mir-" she choked on her blood again– "Mir-Mirac...Ck...kkk...."

"Ladybug please!"

"Miraculous–" she lifted a hand and placed it on his chest– "ladybug."

Her hand fell. Where she'd touched his chest, a burst of her magic bloomed. Ladybug's rushed out in all directions, swarming the two of them then leaving to fix the rest of the city. Ladybug was so exhausted, she felt like she was about to pass out. She hadn't even realized Chat Noir was tightly hugging her again.

"Thank you," he whispered into her shoulder, "thank you."

"I'm alright," Ladybug assured, trying to feel for her abdomen. She was able to move better now but just adjusting her arm felt like an exhausting laborious chore. However, there was no longer a wound at her side, and similarly, the one in her gut was gone too. Her trembling hand reached for the back of her head where she was sure her skull cracked right open, but it was perfectly intact. Chat Noir pulled away, unable to stop his crying. Ladybug found herself smiling at him. "I-"

Chat Noir, holding her cheek still, kissed the top of her hairline. Ladybug felt herself redden almost as deeply as her suit. "You're alright... You're alright..." he said, barely even pulling away. She could feel his breath on her skin. It sounded like he was assuring himself more than her. "You're alright..."

"I'm okay," Ladybug said.

"You're okay," he pulled back, "you're okay..."

"And... are you okay?" Ladybug asked.

"No, I thought you died."

"Well, I didn't die," Ladybug said.

"You're so... strong..."

"Chat Noir," Ladybug said, trying to get his focus on her, "Chat..."

"Riposte," he struggled over his words, "is okay. I killed the akuma. Kagami is okay."

"Good," Ladybug smiled at him. "How long until your transformation wears off?"

"... Three minutes," he answered. Using ruination had the habit of doing that to him. Originally, they both had five minute timers after they used their power. Then, Chat Noir unlocked ruination, and his power expanded. He'd also gained the ability to use cataclysm twice. His length extended far beyond five minutes, but ruination often kept him back at five. Ladybug hadn't upgraded quite the same. Over time, she was able to use her lucky charm at the beginning of the battle and had about an hour before her transformation would wear off. It was handy for when they both wanted to stay after a battle and keep each other company.

"I've got a while," Ladybug informed. "So we've got... Two minutes and thirty seconds to stay like this."

"Stay like this?"

"Yeah. Just... Keep holding me. I don't think I can move on my own right now." Ladybug admitted.

"I should take you somewhere safe," Chat Noir said, "and I'll stay with you. You can't just be stranded like this."

"We're still following the rules, chaton," Ladybug said, "I can't know your identity."

There was heartbreak in his eyes.

"I'll take care of Kagami. I just need a moment to... breathe..."

"You just nearly died! I can take care of Kagami, you just need to get somewhere safe to rest!"

"Ughhh Chaton, you have a minute left," Ladybug groaned, "just be quiet, okay?"

Chat Noir didn't say anything else. As his time was almost up, he carefully set Ladybug up against a wall. "I feel awful leaving you like this. I can come back after Plagg refuels, just stay here."

"That... would be nice... but–"

"Then it's settled. I'm coming back, just wait for me," Chat Noir said. Ladybug couldn't even get a word in before he'd run off. She saw a flash of green light emit from the alleyway a few paces away. Stubborn boy. He wasn't going to leave her.

"Um... I– I'm sorry," came a voice. Ladybug turned her head and saw Kagami. "That... That wasn't me... I– I don't know what I'm saying."

"It's alright," Ladybug said with a small smile, "It's my job to take care of things like this."

"But–"

"You're not evil," Ladybug said, "Hawkmoth has the ability to prey on emotions. It's not your fault for getting upset. You're not the only victim of his, okay?"

"Okay..." Kamai could only stare shamefully at their shoes.

"Come, sit with me," Ladybug said, patting the concrete next to her. Kagami looked hesitant but eventually sat next to Ladybug. "Do you remember it?"

"I remember all of it."

"I figured," Ladybug let out a sigh. That had been the same case for every akuma ever since Reflekta. Still, Ladybug hoped it would change for the sake of the akuma victims. "Just so you know, this isn't the first time I've been battered around like this. I've got the scars to prove it. Don't feel guilty, okay?"

"That isn't fair," Kagami said.

"Oh?"

"It's not fair at all. Why do you have to fight these villains on your own? You seem like you're... Well, you're my age, aren't you?" Kagami asked. Ladybug nodded. "And you could die doing this. How is that fair? Are you getting paid?" Ladybug shook her head. "I just... How could... Who even is Hawkmoth? How does that kind of power even work? Why would he do all of this? I just don't get it! You don't deserve to die. If I... If I somehow did kill you... Who would protect Paris?"

"Chat Noir would have to take my earrings and find a new person to be Ladybug. And I would have to do the same if it was reversed," Ladybug said. She didn't want to bother explaining kwamis to Kagami. Still, it was partially true. If Chat died in a battle, Ladybug would just have to take his ring and safely return it to Plagg after battle. She would have to mourn over Chat very quickly, finish whatever fight she was in, and then afterward, after Plagg would have gone to find a new user, she'd have to look upon the face of a boy she didn't actually know and... What would she even do? How would she move on from something like that.

"That's not fair either," Kagami said. Ladybug nodded in agreement. "I've never really liked you superheroes, actually. To me, you were a representation of these akumas. How could I not, when every time we saw you it was in the face of peril and destruction? And how can you be so sympathetic toward me if I think like that? I almost killed you. You'd be dead if you didn't have that power of yours. And thank god I didn't get to Adrien because... I would have killed him... And I don't know why because no part of me wants him dead! It's not fair... I feel so sick I just– I can't...."

"Huh," came Chat Noir's voice. He'd just freshly returned, looking much healthier now than before. "She fell asleep."

"Huh?" Kagami looked to the side and found Ladybug had actually drifted off probably halfway through their rant.

"If you can walk, I'm going to carry her while we get you somewhere safe," Chat Noir said, already shuffling over to Ladybug. Kagami nodded meekly. With Kagami's help, they got Ladybug on Chat Noir like a piggy back. She was still out cold, but Chat Noir wasn't alarmed.

"Is she going to be okay?" Kagami asked.

"Her ladybugs healed her body rapidly. Wounds that severe probably took a lot out of her to heal that quickly, so she's probably going to be sleeping for a while. But she'll be okay."

"Alright..." Kagami looked at their shoes. "I'm okay too, you know. I can take myself home just fine. I'll call my mom."

"Or..." Chat Noir looked up at the sky, rain dampening his cheeks, "we get you out of this rain so you don't get sick. And then you won't call your mom until we're far from this site, and no one will know it was you who was Riposte."

"Do you... always try to keep the victims anonymous?"

"If we can. But you're a Tsuguri. We definitely wouldn't want anything bad coming to your family's industry because of the politics around akumas."

"They'll find out anyway... I'm sure."

"Not if I can help it," Chat Noir assured, "now come on, the rain's getting heavier."

***

Marc's whole body went stiff as something somewhat large thunked against Nathaniel's window. Marc was currently surrounded by a sea of index cards and sticky notes, numbering and organizing them for a plot line. Nathaniel was commenting on this, doodling a little on his sketchpad, but it was very clear he'd been watching Marc work for the past ten minutes or so, uninterrupted. Both boys didn't know what to make of the fat, flaming grasshopper in the outside windowsill.

Before either could even open their mouths, the grasshopper rolled and fell from the window, disappearing outside. Nathaniel got to his feet faster than Marc, rushing to see what was happening. It was that mysterious flaming locust plague again! No one really knew what to call it. Many believed the whole city had been damned by Satan, others thought it was a punishment from God. Marc suspected it had something to do with the akumas and heroes.

"Uh–"

"Oh shit! My neighbor!" Nathaniel said, tearing away from the window and running out of his room.

"Huh?!" Marc chased after him.

"I saw her down there! Looks like she's got groceries and uh–"

"Fire?"

"Fire!"

Marc was now trying to keep up with Nathaniel as he raced out into the apartment halls and down the stairs. Why bother using an elevator if you could run faster, I guess... And the next thing Marc knew, he was helping haul paper bagged groceries in from the lady's car parked on the street to the first floor of the apartment building, making sure no locusts fell on them and destroyed the bags. Nathaniel's neighbor was an old woman who couldn't move very fast. Marc admired how quick Nathaniel had been to act but... Well, he actually hadn't expected it.

Nathaniel went a step further and helped the woman bring her groceries up to her apartment. Marc, of course, assisted in this too. He didn't say much. He was... Terrible talking to strangers. Something about meeting new people made him extremely nervous, so all he'd managed to get out so far was, "you're welcome," and, when she asked his name, "it's Marc."

"You're too kind, Nathan," this old woman said after Nathaniel set the last few bags on her kitchen counter. Marc was awkwardly standing in the doorway, waiting to leave.

"I didn't want you to get hurt, that's all Mrs. Chavett," Nathaniel replied.

"I have some popsicles in my freezer if you boys would like some!"

"No, no, it's alright Mrs. Chavett."

But it was too late. Mrs. Chavette was already opening the freezer. "Cherry, wildberry, or pineapple?"

"... Pineapple," Nathaniel said. He glanced at Marc who still hadn't moved from the doorway.

"And you, kiddo?"

Marc was still awkwardly silent. So silent it got to a point where it was actually more embarrassing to just say nothing than to say anything at all. "Cherry."

Mrs. Chavett handed both flavors to Nathaniel. "Your boyfriend's a bit shy," she whispered to Nathaniel who instantly flushed red. Mrs. Chavett obviously thought she'd been quiet with her whispering but it was definitely loud enough for Marc to have heard. His whole body went rigid and his face was beat red, just like Nathan's.

"He's my friend," Nathan corrected.

"Peh," Mrs. Chavett said.

"Do you need help putting away your groceries?"

"No, that's quite alright. I don't want you to find out I'm hauling hoards of drugs, and I'm secretly our neighborhood's drug lord."

"Ah, haha," Nathaniel laughed awkwardly, "right. See you later then, Mrs. Chavett."

"Enjoy the evening, you two. Hopefully this cursed weather stops soon!"

"Thank you," Nathaniel said, finally leaving with Marc. He handed him the cherry popsicle.

"She's kinda funny," Marc said quietly while Nathaniel fished for his apartment keys.

"She's got a weird sense of humor for an old lady," Nathaniel agreed. Suddenly, he looked panicked, turning his pockets inside out and patting himself down. "I left the keys inside."

"And the door is locked?" Marc asked, checking for himself to see the door was indeed locked.

"Shit. My parents don't get home till tomorrow!" Nathaniel said.

"What do we do then?"

"... I guess we go hang out elsewhere."

"Shouldn't your landlord have a key?"

"I guess there's absolutely NO OTHER OPTION," Nathaniel said, "we HAVE to hang out elsewhere."

A smile escaped Marc's lips. "Oh, right, uh huh."

"Too bad," Nathaniel said, spinning away from the door and unwrapping his popsicle. "Our writing project will just have to wait till later!"

"Are you wanting us to go outside, because need I remind you, everything is going to be on fire?"

"Nope," Nathaniel said, pointing to the window at the end of the hall. Raindrops were pitter pattering against the glass softly. "I'll ask Mrs. Chavett if she has a spare umbrella."

Nathaniel then returned to Mrs. Chavett's front door and knocked. Marc, however, stayed back. He was still wearing Orikko's thumb ring, but he'd left Orikko in Nathan's bedroom. Kwamis could be alone... right? Would she be mad at him for leaving? He assumed she'd be able to follow since she had a talent for getting into his locked room back home without his permission. He could never get away from her, but he knew nothing about her in the first place! It was a bit frustrating but, seeing as she hadn't mysteriously appeared next to him yet, he took some relief in hoping maybe, maybe for now, she'd let him actually be alone.

"Marc!" Nathaniel exclaimed and waved the umbrella Mrs. Chavette gave him over his head. He then turned with a playful look on his face and bolted for the stairs.

"Hey! Wait up you idiot!" Marc said, and ran after him. 

A/N this chapter was originally like 3k words longer but I was like "man... these 3k words could be a whole new chapter" and thus it got broken apart. Going mad crazy updating this literally two days after the last chapter.