Invisible

7 - Desesperation

After around one month of looking with no rest, Marinette didn't find the person that could help her. She started to become desperate. What if she didn't find the one? Would she be a ghost for all eternity? Maybe she would wake up after some time... But the fact that her body and soul weren't one in the same anymore was scaring the heck out of her.
She visited everyone she thought she knew well, well, except Adrien and Chat.

She didn't know why, though, but those two were impossible to find. Even if Marinette knew Adrien's schedule, it seemed as if his father changed it. She didn't see him at school the second time she went there.

And Chat... Marinette of course knew where and when he patrolled, they were partners after all. She once tried to go to the nearest place to the ground to encounter him, but he didn't go.

That reminded her of Tikki. Marinette didn't know where her kwami was and that worried her even more. She felt how her heart beat got faster as she thought of every possible situation in which Tikki could be.

She could be inside the earrings, that was the first and probably most possible situation. Marinette believed that if her earrings accidentally fell off, Tikki would return inside of them.
Also, the earrings were supposedly still in the park.

The second situation was that someone kind found Tikki and was keeping the earrings until she woke up.

Third situation was that someone cruel and bad found the earrings and was probably using them to be Ladybug. Poor Tikki just had to obey.

Fourth, and the most terrible, situation was that the earrings were destroyed during the explosion and Marinette would never be Ladybug again and Paris would only have Chat as a protection.

Marinette took a deep breath and tried to erase those thoughts from her mind. Tikki was surely safe, or at least that was what Marinette prayed for.

What could she do know? Adrien and Chat came to mind once again, but her hope was almost gone. There was no reason of trying with them. It was already late at night, so she went to her hospital room.

~~~

Chat went to the usual meeting spot. After around one month of trying, he couldn't find out who Ladybug was. He wasted the opportunities he had when the blonde wasn't experienced with her weapon. During those times, he could've easily followed her.

But he waited way too much. The new Ladybug already knew how to use her yo-yo perfectly, so now she could go to farther places fast. He just decided to give up and act as normally as he could, and imagine that that girl was the real Ladybug.

Still, there was something that would never change.

The blonde arrived and waved her hand while smiling "Hello Chaton".
He waved back, coldly "Hi... Ladybug". Adrien would never, ever, call that person M'Lady. Usually he wasn't that cold, but he couldn't avoid it. That girl forced him to be that way.

"Let's do it separate ways this time, alright? That way I'll see if you can guide your way through the city" he said, preparing his baton.

"Fine" Ladybug nodded.

As soon as she said it, Chat left her alone there. He needed time, and space, to think. Leaping from building to building always helped him clear his mind. He was disappointed of himself, he didn't fulfill the promise he made to Marinette. Chat also felt that way because he wasn't able to find out who Ladybug was. He told Plagg he would try, and he did, but as mentiond before; it became impossible once she learned how to use her yo-yo properly.

After patrolling for a while, he reached Marinette's home. He stayed on the building in front of it for some time. Adrien sighed and was about to leave and keep patrolling when he heard sobs. Chat looked at the bakery again and jumped to one of the windows. He didn't make any noise.

Chat looked inside and caught a glimpse of Marinette's mother crying on Tom's shoulder. After some brief seconds, the door of the room in which the couple was in closed. Chat let go of his grip and stood on the ground.

He thought of how much Sabine and Tom were suffering. Adrien knew that the Akuma had to pay. But first, he had to unmask Ladybug. That was a priority.

###

45 minutes passed after they got separated and both superheroes went back to the meeting spot. Chat got there first. Ladybug arrived some seconds later.

"You didn't get lost?" Chat asked, smiling a bit.

Ladybug chuckled. "No, I didn't. I know the streets pretty well by now" she reassured, smiling widely.

"Well... I'll see you soon! Bye Ladybug" he said and left once he finished.

Ladybug sighed and left as well.