The wind made a whistling sound as I flew through the air, landing back on the ground with a somersault.
"Here kitty, kitty!" A male voice taunted me. I almost growled in frustration. How many times had I fought this guy already? I fought him only three days ago. And two days before that. Tormentor, he called himself. He was a nasty Akuma with the ability to cause anyone he touched with his hands to live out their worst nightmare. Lucky for me, I was already living mine.
I had warned everyone to treat post-akumatized people with as much caution as they could and warned the post-akumatized victims to try to control their emotions so that we could all avoid situations like this one. It was hard enough fighting Akuma's without Ladybug.
Ladybug. Marinette.
I shoved those thoughts away as quickly as they came. I couldn't afford to get distracted around this Akuma. Already, there were dozens of people curled into balls on the ground; some were crying, some were screaming, and others had blank expressions on their faces. my heart ached at the sight. Without my partner's healing Miraculous Ladybug's, Paris remained chaotic.
"Hey, Terminator!" I shouted as I got my head back into the game. I stood about fifteen feet behind him, my baton at the ready as Tormentor whipped around to sneer at me in disgust.
"My name is Tormentor!" He raged as he charged me, his arms outstretched towards me. I easily dodged his attack and skipped a few feet away as he continuously lunged at me. I had fought this particular Akuma enough to know his style.
After a few more minutes of feinting and dodging, I saw my opportunity. Muttering the command words under my breath I swiped at the akumatized item and destroyed it using my Cataclysm. But the damage couldn't be erased. The people Tormentor affected would remain that way until their worst fear was over. For some people, it didn't take long. There were some people from Tormentor's first attack, almost three weeks ago, that are still in the hospital.
I watched in utter distaste as the butterfly emerged and flew away, knowing I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't wait around for the guy to come to his senses, instead, I used my baton to propel myself away. How badly I wished I could just propel myself from everything. I wished I could propel myself into a whole new reality where Marinette was safe and sound in my arms as we cuddled together on her balcony, whispering so her parents didn't find us out.
Five weeks. Five whole weeks and they still knew nothing as to where she was. My Marinette. My poor, lovely Marinette. The number one thing I could do was keep suspicion off of the coincidence between Marinette's disappearance and Ladybug's. Luckily, everyone who knew Marinette was too worried about her to care about the super heroine's disappearance. Only Alya had suspected, I think. But the fact that Ladybug's disappearance was only noticed when an Akuma attacked almost two weeks after Marinette's was my saving grace.
I was the only one who knew the connection between the two people. And, again, possibilities flooded my mind. Did Hawkmoth somehow find out Ladybug's civilian identity and capture her? Was she robbed? But why hasn't she turned into Ladybug and escaped whatever situation she was in? Was she... was she... could she be dead?
The police have no clues as to where she is. The last contact she had was when she told her parents goodbye before heading over to my house. But somewhere from her parent's bakery to my house, she must've detoured. Or someone detoured her. The log that keeps track of who enters the house and when they enter showed that Marinette never made it.
I hadn't been too worried when she was late to arrive at my house. It was when the hour late mark hit that the worry began to set. I called her, texted her. Nothing. When she didn't respond, I started making calls to first her parents, then Alya, Nino, and even Chloe. No one knew where she was.
Everyone gathered that evening for a search party. I remembered the assurances everyone made to me. Reminding me of when I disappeared that one Christmas. I should've been more worried.
It seemed as if the whole neighborhood was there. Even my father, Nathalie, and The Gorilla came to help look. Alya and her parents, Nino, Chloe, and all of our classmates and even some teachers. The Dupain-Cheng's were, of course, there as well. We all fanned out in search of the missing girl.
As soon as I could, I separated from everyone to transform into my alter ego Chat Noir. Once transformed, I repeatedly called Marinette's phone while leaping through the city in hopes of picking the sound up with my hypersensitive hearing. Through all of the bustle of the city, the noises, movement, and lights I was able to focus only on this single sound. It called to me, her ringtone. Literally. Her ringtone for me was a cat's meow looped. She always thought it was hilarious.
A few minutes, and I had located the phone. It was in a dumpster, with a pink dress wrapped around it. My heart had jumped into my throat when my night vision detected the substance coating the dress. Blood.
Marinette's parents later confirmed that that was the dress she had been wearing when she went out of the house. And a DNA test confirmed that the blood on it was hers. There had seemed to be so much blood on the fabric. And all of the blood seemed to originate in a condensed area where there was a tear in the dress. I was told that it appeared to be a knife cut. I could almost feel a literal knife cut into my heart.
Snapping back to the present, I easily glided through my window and into my room. I flopped onto my bed just as the transformation wore off.
"Hey, kid." Plagg greeted softly. He had been cautious around me lately, careful not to say something upsetting. I supposed even superheroes could become akumatized when put through enough crap. But I was too determined to find Marinette to give into my grief of losing her, even after five weeks.
"Hey." I barely had the energy to look at my Kwami.
"Adrien... I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but maybe you should ease up a little. You're patrolling every day, fighting Akumas, and when you're not doing those things you're searching for Mari. If you could just... -"
"I can't, Plagg! What do you want me to do? She's missing! And I don't have Ladybug to help with patrols without her. Paris is in chaos. People are hospitalized because she's gone. I have to find her, or Paris is going to become a war zone. Don't you want to find her? To find Tikki?" I knew I hit a sore spot and instantly regretted snapping at him.
"Don't you dare throw Tikki in my face like that! Of course, I want to find her. I want to find her as badly as you want to find Marinette. Don't forget I'm having to work double time, too. It's not just you, Adrien. But I'm a Kwami. You're only human. And trust me, kid, I know we need her and Tikki. We need them bad. But what use are you to her half dead, huh? You've barely slept, hardly eaten. You're dropping weight, have dark circles under your eyes. You're starting to wear thin, Adrien. Look at yourself!" Plagg huffed as he turned his back to me.
He was right, of course. I was depriving myself of food and sleep to look for her. But I hadn't gotten anywhere. I may have been a superhero, but Plagg was right when he said I was wearing thin. My rational side knew I wouldn't last much longer going like this, but my irrational side just wanted Marinette and was willing to pay any price to find her. But even now my eyelids were heavy as I laid on my bed, even though it was in the early afternoon.
"I'm sorry, Plagg." I sniffled as I rubbed my nose. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just so frustrated, you know? I'm sorry I took it out on you. I know you miss Tikki."
"I know, kid. I know. Don't cry, kid. Really. Just rest, eat. Take it easy on the patrols. Take care of yourself first, then we'll find Mari and Tikki. You know it's what Marinette would tell you if she was here." I nodded my head at him and he flew over to me and nuzzled into the crook of my neck. I brought up a hand to gently pet him.
We both fell asleep in this position.
~
I panted hard, tears streaming down my face as my hands uselessly pulled at the chains clamped around my ankles which prevented my escape. I was alone, scared, and without a clue what to do. The chains chaffed the already sore and tender skin surrounding my ankles, causing fresh tears to pour out.
Gabriel, or should I say Hawkmoth, had deposited my clothes and phone somewhere unknown. And Tikki... my beloved Kwami was gone. When Gabriel had first captured me, he had shoved me into a room and told me to undress and change, with NooRoo carefully watching me, into the outfit I was currently dressed in; a skintight black dress that just fell past my thighs with no places to hide anything. I bitterly recognised it from his Night Life fashion line. I almost cried when he had demanded that I take my earrings off too, but I couldn't arouse suspicion of my being Ladybug. Later that night Nooroo approached me and told me he had safely hidden the earrings somewhere Hawkmoth couldn't find them. I had been so relieved.
But, now, I was truly defenseless. Alone. Cold. Scared.
I jerked my hands off of the chains as a loud scraping filled the room as the door opened and Gabriel strolled in, a tray of food in hand. This was the only time I saw a light; when he opened the door and the artificial hallway light flooded in. Gritting my teeth against the assaulting light, I focused on the tray. Its contents were the same as every other meal; two yeast rolls, a bowl of tasteless soup, a small dish of mashed potatoes, and a small cup of water. I got no silverware, so I had to use my hands to eat. When you're hungry, nothing will stop you. Not that he starved me. I got this meal twice a day. At least I guessed it was twice a day.
It was hard to tell time without the sky or a clock to guide you. All I knew was that every other time he gave me food, a little while later he'd take me to go to the bathroom. This always frustrated me. To feel so close to freedom without having it. The bathroom was useless. There was only a single toilet with guarded piping. No sink, no mirror, and no window. Even the overhead light had a protective covering. I wondered where I was for the millionth time. Gabriel had knocked me unconscious before bringing me here.
Gabriel set the tray on the ground and slid it to me. I snatched it and started devouring the food. I always made sure to eat every last bite. I had to keep my strength up for when Adrien found and rescued me. He was coming for me. I knew it. Even if it had been at least a few weeks since I had been taken. Gabriel lazily watched me eat, a bored expression on his face. I avoided the gaze of his steel eyes the best I could. I didn't want him to see the defiance in mine.
Realizing Gabriel was Hawkmoth was like finding out Adrien was Chat Noir. The signs were always obvious, I just wasn't looking hard enough.
I finished up my food, shoving the tray back towards Gabriel who bent down and picked it up, turning to leave.
"Are you going to kill me?" The question slipped from my mouth before I could stop it.
Gabriel turned back to me, his eyebrows raised. "Honestly, Miss Dupain-Cheng I haven't the faintest what I'm going to do with you. But between you and me, murder is a bit overkill for this situation, don't you agree?
"You know my secret, which makes you a liability. I obviously can't have you running off and telling Ladybug and Chat Noir that I'm Hawkmoth. And if you hadn't been a nosy little brat, neither of us would be in this situation. But no, Miss Dupain-Cheng, I'm not going to kill you. For now, at least. Prevent you from telling everyone my secret, yes. But for now, you're going to be kept alive." And with that Gabriel left, leaving me to the darkness of my thoughts and my cell.
Chat, please come soon. Please. I need you.
~
I woke with a start, Marinette's name on my lips as I reached towards the phantom girl who haunted my dreams. Plagg, who had rolled from my neck onto the pillow beside mine, mumbled something as he shifted and dozed back off again. I let out a sigh relief.
A chill swept over me as I uncovered myself from the blankets and the air touched my sweat drenched clothes that clung to my body. I shakily climbed out of bed and stumbled my way into the bathroom, blindly switching the shower on. I quickly stripped and jumped in. It had been a while since I'd taken a shower. Even with the frigid water, which was rapidly becoming hot, I felt a sense of relief as I scrubbed my body with a soap-soaked loofah and ridded myself of the grime that covered me.
Once I was positive there was no more dirt, I hopped back out and towel dried myself. I wrapped a towel around my waist and made the brisk walk to my closet to find some clothes. The sky outside was still dark, so I assumed it was early in the morning. Sure enough, the digital clock on my wall read 3:49 AM.
I pulled on some comfortable jeans and a soft shirt before sneaking through my room and heading towards the door. As soon as I was out, I silently jogged to the kitchen.
I stared at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. I did have horrible dark circles under my eyes. I was lucky there hadn't been many photo shoots lately. I was doubly lucky that it was summer, which meant no school for this cat.
I was bent over, rinsing my mouth with water after I had just spit when I could hear my phone buzzing on my nightstand. I quickly spit the water out and rushed to my phone, accepting the call without bothering to check the caller ID.
"Hello?" I asked, my breaths in small pants from my short marathon but quickly evening.
"Adrien! I'm glad you're awake." Alya's voice replied. "The police just got news of possible whereabouts of Marinette. An anonymous tip from some pay phone. The police are going to send a squad out in a couple hours."
"Where?"
"I texted you the address. But don't think of doing something stupid, Adrien Agreste. You're not a superhero."
"Thanks, Alya. And I know. I'm no superhero. But perhaps a mutual cat superhero friend of ours could check it out." I was already eager to transform and go. "I got to go, bye." I hung up before she could respond and threw my phone on my bed while calling Plagg's name.
"Huh? What is it?" Came the sleepy response.
"We may have Tikki and Mari's location, Plagg!" I whooped excitedly. Plagg immediately flew up and approached me.
"What are you waiting for? Transform!" My Kwami demanded. I needed no further invitations.
"Plagg, claws out!"
~
I woke up when light flooded my prison cell. I blinked against the harsh light and attempted to look around. I didn't know that my cell even had lights. The door opened in a rush and I shied away from the startling noise.
Gabriel, who was dressed in his Hawkmoth suit, barrelled into the room and made a beeline for the section of the wall the chains around my ankles were tied to. He brought out the keys and started unchaining me. What was going on?
"I'm moving you. A new building before someone discovers this one." Gabriel told me as he finished unchaining the cuff that connected my left ankle to the wall and started on the right.
This is my chance, I realized, maybe my last chance.
I couldn't waste it.
I started gathering the excess chains in my hands, their weight was hefty and I grabbed as much as I could. As soon as Hawkmoth finished the right side and turned to me I clasped my hands and the chains together and hit him with a sharp uppercut. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell to the ground, unconscious. I smiled triumphantly as I dropped the chains from my now stinging hands and snatched the keys, quickly undoing the chains from around my ankles.
I ignored the awful scabbing and possible infection affecting the skin that had been chained and instead focused on locking the cuffs around Hawkmoth's wrists. I didn't waste any time in picking myself off of the floor and taking off running. I was a bit wobbly at first but picked up the pace soon enough.
The corridors and hallways seemed endless, and I kept having to double back when I hit dead ends. I wasn't sure how long Gabriel would be out for so I just kept running. Eventually, I ran into a large room. I spotted several windows but no doors and wasted no time in grabbing the nearest heavy object and tossing it through the window. I hesitantly climbed through the hole, scraping my arm in the process but paying no mind. I was finally outside! But I had no shoes so I carefully picked my way through the glass until it was clear enough to run.
I was running through several puddles, and I almost twisted my ankle in a deep one that drenched my lower body. I didn't care. I just picked myself back up and continued running. I seemed to have been, as best I could tell by the darkness, held in a warehouse of some kind. An old one. There was a fifty-yard radius of grass before everything morphed into a forest. I couldn't see an apparent road and didn't stop long enough to look for one.
I plunged into the darkness of the forest and ran until my lungs screamed and my legs gave out. Even then, I only stopped for a minute before picking myself up and running again. I only stopped when daylight started to show.
I collapsed at the base of a tree, tears in my eyes as I tried to breathe. My feet were cut up and bruised from the various roots I tripped over and branches I stepped on, not to mention the thorns and various other bushes and plants. My arm was numb and covered in blood.
After a while, long enough for the sun to fully come out, I managed to find the strength to rip the bottom of my dress. It took a while, with relentless tugging from both my good arm and my teeth. Once I got it, I hastily tied it around my arm to stanch the flow of blood.
I finally allowed myself to relax. Surely I was far enough away. I let my eyes close as my breathing evened.
I have to find Chat and warn him, I thought, right after I take a short nap...
~
It was apparent that someone had been here. When I arrived at the warehouse, daylight was just starting to rise. It had taken me a while, too long, to find the place. There were no marked roads leading here, with over fifty miles of forest surrounding the place. It was the perfect place to keep someone captive.
I had searched the entire place room by room, being careful not to incriminate evidence, but found nothing helpful until I'd almost given up. One room caught my attention the moment I'd entered it. Chains were littered on the ground, and I caught the sharp, metallic smell of blood. Scrunching my nose, I had entered the room hesitantly. The chains were coated in a layer of blood like someone had tugged on them too many times.
Marinette had been here. I could feel it in my bones. The room even smelled like her. Once I swept through the room and found no more clues, I continued my search.
After further investigation, I saw a broken window with blood smearing one of the jagged points. I wondered what had happened. Had she escaped somehow?
After sweeping through the building one last time, I finally resigned myself to sitting on the roof. The sun was now up fully, and I basked in the light. Maybe if I'd been a few hours earlier, I could have saved her. She could be in my arms right now.
I didn't know how long I'd perched on that roof before I heard the collective voices of the police coming to finally investigate. I didn't feel like explaining myself to them, so I chose this as my moment to leave. As I bounded away, I only had one thought on my mind; Where are you, Marinette?
A/N; Hey everyone! I finally finished the first chapter! Exciting, I know. Comment below what you guys thought of it, and try to guess what you think is going to happen. I'm hoping to get these chapters to you as quick as I can. I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter, which I'm going to start working on soon. Hope you enjoyed!