Just Fine

Justice

(Hey guys! I've been up in the mountains, taking a break from reality. I'm back and ready to write <3)

"Hello bug."

The voice rung in her ears like a tolling bell. It was deep and dark and it had the rough cut of gravel shaking through it.

It was a voice she had heard before.

Ladybug frantically looked around, her eyes unable to focus on a singular object. There was dust and dirt all around her, and the air was thick with soot.

Her hands were covered in black ash, and she could feel the same ash falling from her hair as she turned her head rapidly.

Standing there behind her, was the holder of the butterfly miraculous, a tall, dark figure that she could barely make out in the darkness of the cloud of smog around her.

"Look at you." He laughed, leaning over her.

It was now that she realized she was on the ground, and try as she might she couldn't move her legs. Looking down at them, they were so covered in dirt and ash that she couldn't tell if they were in tact or not.

Her body felt incredibly heavy.

"Look how pathetic you are." His mouth was pulled into a grin, and he kneeled in front of her.

"Try as you might, you can't get me."

Ladybug flinched as the figure uncurled his fist, revealing a thick silver band.

"But I got him."

Ladybug jolted, her voice bubbling from her throat in a broken cry.

She felt her lungs heave against her ribs, as if they were trying to push them through her skin.

When she felt a hand touch her shoulder, she flailed her arm outwards, violently slamming into the figure next to her.

A pair of worried green eyes were caught staring at her.

"Ladybug. It's me."

Chat hovered his hand above her shoulder, as if he were afraid to touch her.

"You're safe...you just had a nightmare." He whispered, worried that if he spoke too loudly she would startle.

"A nightmare?" She breathed.

Her voice came out like a child's, when they believe there is a monster in their closet. Begging someone to go and check for them.

"I was asleep?"

Why hadn't she known? Most people don't know when they're asleep of course, but how come she hadn't noticed that she had woken up?

"Yeah. You said you were tired. I...you don't remember?" He finally placed his hand on her shoulder, taking note of the way her body tensed.

"No..."

He blinked, mask pulling against the contours of his changing expression.

"I told you that you should head home, but you said that you needed to watch out for evil. And then you dozed off on my shoulder." He explained.

"You didn't try to wake me up?"

His face scrunched uncomfortably.

"I...I did."

"What?" She felt her face scrunch too.

"You started freaking out so I tried to wake you up."

"I....oh." She sighed.