The Miraculous Which Was Never Hers

Worse Than Future

"Shit."

Iris swore under her bated breath, looking side to side, cautiously, analyzing the routes she had left, much like a predator hunting down its prey.

Except she was the prey.

How could she have been stupid enough to not see this coming!?

They were caught off guard.

She caught them off guard.

She was blinded by her recent discovery, thinking she had the upper hand.

If this was a game, she certainly wasn't winning.

"Chat, you need to get out of here! Get Carapace too!"

She knew there was no point in saying that. There was no way Chat could escape, it wasn't for lack of trying though.

Neither was there a way to get in contact with Carapace. Shadowbug had them played right into her hands.

How did she figure out their late-night meet-up spot? Did she follow Iris there? But she hadn't transformed until she reached the sewer. There was no way someone followed her and she didn't notice. Did Shadowbug follow Chat? He'd never do anything as reckless as that. Was she spying on them long before?

A thousand questions were in the air.

She played them. And left them as shocked and scared as a child caught eating candy in the middle of the night.

Iris feared.

She very much feared.

She didn't like this situation. Not one bit.

Late night, her as Iris, Chat and Shadowbug alone, no external help.

She feared it was the same as her premonition.

Wait,

Her premonition!

Shadowbug knew Marinette's identity in the premonition!

Did she follow... Marinette!?

If that were true, then if she and Chat were to lose tonight, it would be all because of her.

No, not right now.

This was neither the time for a mental breakdown nor a self-doubting session.

"M'lady, WATCH OUT!" She barely managed to dodge the yo-yo flying towards her.

She and Chat signaled to each other through eye contact, nodded, and dared to close in on the villain.

Shadowbug skillfully dodged all their attacks, throwing in her own (which Chat dodged by the width of a hair) with enough energy left to leave snarky remarks.

"Stop this! Why are you doing this!?"

"Must I say this again? I just want his miraculous~"

"Must I say this again? I just want his miraculous~"

Those were the exact same words in her vision.

She was scared now. 

But...

It wouldn't hurt to confirm, right?

She wanted to test whether it was a coincidence or not.

She barked out, "Darkbug wanted it too! He never went this far! You're—"

This was it.

The moment of truth.

If Shadowbug replied exactly as she did before then—