A Death of a Hero

Chapter 1

I still see her in my dreams sometimes. She's running across the rooftops of Paris, her hair flying back against the wind... sometimes she laughs at one of my puns. Her ghost haunts me. 

What's going on?

I sit up in my bed, my lungs fighting for air. I'm in Nino's room, sleeping on the floor. Is it an akuma? 

No. It isn't an akuma. Because we defeated Hawkmoth weeks ago. 

How could someone so cold and distant, someone who could be kind when he wanted to terrorize Paris all for a selfish wish? 

My mother was dead and would stay dead. She's been in my dreams, alongside my Lady. 

I gulp down a sob. I can't cry I can't cry I can't cry...

She's dead. She's dead and there's nothing I can do about it. But I long for her... long for her kiss, her hug, her laugh... and she's not here. She buried underneath a pile of dirt. 

Marinette. Everything suddenly made sense and suddenly caused me the most pain I've ever felt when Hawkmoth...

The water on my face reminds me where I am. I can't live with Father -- he's in jail -- and I can't live with Natalie either, because she's on trial. The Gorilla was let go, but he pops in every once and awhile, to check on me. And so I went to live with Nino. 

Nino is still recovering from Marinette's death. Sometimes I hear him crying at night, while I pretend to be asleep. But the truth is, I'm crying myself. 

Ladybug was hurt. That much was obvious. She couldn't stand anymore, falling to the ground as her legs gave way. 

Something was seriously wrong. 

"M'Lady!" 

She smiled. Her eyes sparkled even as she was being pulled away by death. "My Kitty," she said. 

I rushed to her side. She needed a doctor. She needed a doctor, now. Now! 

She caressed my cheek, gazed into my eyes. "I love you. Never forget that I love you."

"M'Lady!" My tears against the leather. Her blood against her suit. "Shh, Kitty," she said, comforting me when she was at death's door. "Be kind to Tikki, okay? And tell my parents that I loved them, and tell Alya that I'll miss her, and tell Adrien... tell Adrien... I loved him."

My heart stopped. And with mine, hers did too. 

Tears leaked from my face like air leaked from a tire in need of patching up. I needed help. 

I woke up Nino. 

"Five more minutes, Mom, I told you..." Nino rolled over, pulling the bedsheets with him. 

"Nino, please." 

Nino sat up, squinting. His glasses were on the nightstand. "Adrien?"

He felt around for his glasses, and when he found them, he slid them on. "Adrien?" 

He saw my tears. My bloodshot eyes. With the rate my eyelids were puffing up, I could never model again.

I hate modeling. 

"Oh, dude."

"Now's not a good time for me to be alone in the dark," was all I said.

"I see," Nino agreed. His eyes were also bloodshot, but less so than mine. They had to be. He only mourned for one friend... Marinette, whereas I cried for two friends... Marinette, who loved me I was too blind to see, and Ladybug, whom I loved. 

"Let's go downstairs and talk in the kitchen," Nino suggested. 

All I could do was nod.