Last edit: 8/3/20

With no appetite, Marinette put down the croissant her dad baked for her. Tikki picked it up and brought it back to her.

"You have to eat something, Marinette," she insisted, pressing it against her lips.

"How can I eat when Adrien hasn't contacted me in three weeks!" Marinette cried. "The baby's going to come in a little over than a month, and - what if I have to raise her on my own?"

"Then I'll help you. And so will your parents. Don't worry, Marinette. Things will get better."

"If only there was a way to see him and apologize - tell him that he's really the one."

And just like that, as if the fates were listening, Marinette and Tikki heard screaming and stomping outside the window.

"An akuma attack!" Tikki exclaimed. "There hasn't been one in months! We have to go!"

"That's it! A way to apologize" cried Marinette. "Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug jumped out the window and landed on the roof.

Okay. You're probably wondering - how the heck does an eight month pregnant woman fight crime with her big belly? Somehow when she turns into Ladybug, her stomach disappears. Not in that way, but you know what I mean. (Edit: Wtf??)

Ladybug jumped eagerly on the rooftops, hoping to catch a glimpse of the black cat. Finally, she spotted the crime scene, and even better, Chat noir.

The villain he was fighting off on his own was called Darkfire. His eyes were bright red, and his whole body was set aflame. He was at least ten feet tall and towered over the escaping civilians. Whenever the akuminized victim touched something, it burst into fire and disintegrated.

"Chat!" Ladybug hollered. Her partner took no time to even glance at her and continued fighting. "Chat, I know you're mad at me, but if we're going to take him down, we need to cooperate."

On the other hand, that was not the reason Chat noir was ignoring her. He avoided her eyes in shame and guilt. And it was easier to run away than to say anything.

"Chat, please . . . " Ladybug pleaded. "Please forgive me."

"I already have," he whispered to himself.

Sighing with frustration, Ladybug joined her partner and scanned the monster for an akuma. There, clenched in his fist, she saw a glimpse of a glowing match. "In his hands!" she shouted. Her fingers found her yo-yo and she thrust it into the air.

"Lucky Charm!"

A tennis racket and water balloon came flying down. She caught the balloon right before it popped on the cement.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Then suddenly, she saw it. The racket, the balloon, then the villain, and then his fire hand.

"Aha!" She tossed the water balloon in the air like a birdie and swung the tennis racket, sending it flying straight towards Darkfire's fingers. The water exploded and his hand was washed out. The match flew free, but before the heroin could take it, the akumatized victim snatched it out of the air with his other hand.

Ladybug cursed under her breath and continued trying to solve the problem. She knew that if she and Chat didn't work together, they would never be able to catch the akuma.

"Why won't you talk to me? Please!" she begged Chat. "I know I was wrong, but you can't go on like this, ignoring me forever! You need to put your feelings aside and think of the safety of these people."

Chat didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't think straight.

"Please, Adrien! If not for me, do it for Paris! I need you now, more tha-"

At that moment of distraction, Darkfire struck her in the back, knocking Ladybug to the ground. She screamed in pain, but forced herself to stay conscious.

"NO!" Chat shouted, filled with sudden rage. "NO! You'll pay for that, you monster!" He used his Cataclysm on a building wall, and it came crashing down on Darkfire. The match slipped out of his hands. Chat grabbed it and snapped it in half, the black butterfly fluttering out.

Ladybug squinted weakly at the scene.
"No more evil . . ." She clutched her yo-yo and slid her finger across it. Then with all the strength left in her, Ladybug lifted her head and swung the yo-yo at the akuma. She watched as it soared out, it's wings pure white.

Then Ladybug blacked out.

Hi!

I was kinda spacing out as I was writing this and I wondered, hmm...can animals get akumatized? Like they're fighting for food and then suddenly one of them turns into a monster. That would be quite strange.

Anyways, sorry for the really weird author's note but tell me what you think about that in the comments.

Signing out!

~Laurel