The Big Scheme

Chapter 19

"Please, Brenda, snap out of it."

Brenda, the love of Dolphin's life, was in front of her. Except, she wasn't Brenda. Flames engulfed Dolphin's girlfriend while she propped herself up with her trident. Brenda's blonde hair was replaced with flames. Her skin glowed with heat, similar to Dark Soul, except she was much different. Brenda's skin was cracked with lava oozing out of every orifice.

"Brenda's gone. Only Magma is in control," Dolphin's girlfriend said, in a raspy voice.

Brenda lifted her hand and sharply pointed it at Dolphin. The lava from her skin was quickly shot at Dolphin. The lava was small and spiky at first, but soon grouped together to form a bigger missile.

Dolphin shut her eyes tight and lifted her arms up, forming an "x". Some of the water on the ground came to her aid, performing as a round shield. The lava cooled down and fell to the floor, but the water also became boiling hot, letting off steam. Dolphin watched her only water float away.

Unlike Dolphin, Magma didn't lose her power source. She shot more lava at Dolphin. Dodging the shots as fast as she could, Dolphin managed to make her way to an unconscious Dark Soul. She tried to pick him up, only to drop him instantly.

"Why do you have to be so burning hot?" Dolphin muttered.

Dolphin heard a shriek. She twisted her head around to find Magma using her lava to break Shadow Chaser out of the ice trapping her.

"No," she gasped as Shadow Chaser broke free.

"GIVE ME ADRIEN!"

A sharp pain overwhelmed Dolphin. She saw her suit disintegrate on her abdomen. She had been hit by the lava. Magma smirked as she had finally hit her shot.

"I won't hurt you, Ren."

"Well, that sucks, because I am more than willing to hurt you." Another sharp strike of lava was shot along with a mass of dark energy from Shadow Chaser. Dolphin turned her back to them, shielding the body of an unconscious Dark Soul. She cried out as she felt the substances sear into her skin.

Dolphin grabbed her trident and held it up towards the sky. She held Dark Soul against her body, ignoring the pain of doing so. Dolphin screamed as more pain was delivered as Magma and Shadow Chaser hit her repeatedly.

Water shot up through the ground, breaking the pavement. The sewer water circled around Dark Soul and Dolphin as she held the boy up to her.

"Listen, Cat Noir, I know you're in there. You're one of the strongest people I know. I'm aware that you have been through so much. Please, you need to resist. Do it to save Ladybug."

Dark Soul's blank eyes shot wide open. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, HAWKMOTH!" He screamed, clutching his head. Dolphin backed away. The akuma flew out of his ring. The boy, Adrien, groaned and slumped to the floor. Dolphin quickly trapped the akuma in a circle of ice filled with air.

"Cat Noir," Dolphin rushed up to the blond boy, "you have to get up. You cannot let them win."

"Who–"

Dolphin yelled again as more lava hit her back. She swore under her breath before grasping onto Adrien's shoulders.

"Transform," she gasped, "now."

Adrien's eyes widened, "Plagg, claws out!"

The water bubble broke as Dolphin stumbled to the ground.

"I'll take the fish, you take the cat," Magma hissed.

Magma approached Dolphin, who was struggling to breathe. Her back was burnt severely, the magic desperately trying to repair itself.

"Brenda, please, you have to fight it."

Magma clutched her hand around Dolphin's throat and lifted her up. Dolphin winced as the lava started to sizzle through the magic around her neck.

"I am Magma. You will call me as such."

"No, I will not. You are not Magma. You are Brenda. You are the mother of the two sweetest little kids named Evan and Olivia. They have two fish. Remember the fish? Speedy and Goldie," Dolphin felt the lava break through the magic, "they're the first fish our kids have gotten!"

Magma spread open her fingers, dropping Dolphin to the floor. She grabbed her shoulders and smashed her against a building, pinning her up. "SHUT UP!"

Dolphin ignored the pain searing up her spine. She spotted Cat Noir wrap his arms around Shadow Chaser as she struggled against him. There was still hope. Dolphin just had to delay Magma a bit longer.

"I won't stop, Brenda. Remember our first date? You took us to the Seine. We went on a boat ride at night. You set up candles and roses. You even made pizza shaped like jellyfish and seahorses." Dolphin laughed, her voice etched with pain. "You were so accepting of the twins. You are the only person meant for me Brenda. The only person I will ever love. Please come back to me. Don't let that evil man turn you into something you're not."

Cat Noir was now hugging Shadow Chaser as she sobbed into his shoulder. His lips repeated the same sentence over and over again. "I'm sorry, Bugaboo, I'll always love you."

Magma brought Dolphin's attention back to her by lifting her and slamming her into the ground. She wrenched away Dolphin's miraculous, immediately causing her to become Lydia again.

Lydia curled up, tears starting to run down her face. The magic didn't protect her anymore. Magma reeled her fist back, but the punch never made it. Magma was flown back by a royal blue blur.

"NO!" Lydia yelled, "don't hurt her!"

"Well, I'm not going to let her hurt you!"

The voice was strangely familiar, but Lydia couldn't place where she had hear it.

"That doesn't matter," she groaned, "just don't hurt her."

The blue person groaned and abandoned Magma to reach Lydia instead. Lydia broke out of their grasp.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Peafowl, just let me help you."

Lydia flinched away from the hand, "you're working for Hawk Moth. Just because I'm dying doesn't mean I'm dumb."

"Just let me help you, Lydia!"

Lydia tried to muster a response, but couldn't as her dazed eyes landed on someone else.

"Cat Noir!" She screamed, "Hawk Moth is–" Lydia felt a sharp jab at her head before she fell to the ground.