Shadow

29

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Ladybug's P.O.V

Everything happened so fast. I'm still trying to process it all.

   Shadow ran away, leaving me in my petrified state. My muscles are locked in place but my knees were loose enough for me to fall down onto them. My eyes kept glued onto the spot where Adrien last stood—where the imprint of his shadowy form now stained the street.

His last words stuck in her head like a broken record.

"Just yell and I'll always come running, M'lady."

   Those words continued to ring in my ears, his voice was as fresh as it was just moments ago. The same ones I—that Marinette—said him.

   Realization fell upon me like getting hit by a semi-truck.

   "There was no way my brain heard it correctly! It's too good to be true! Maybe, the smoke is doing something to my head?" denial continued to swirl through my thoughts.

   Yet, I know what I heard. I can't deny the truth. The truth that connects my close friend and my partner.

   "K...Kitty?" my voice cracked, barely able to let his nickname slip past my lips. The shock of it all still paralyzes me.

   This entire time...Adrien and Chat Noir were the same person. Adrien is Chat Noir.

Adrien was the one who makes silly cat puns.

Adrien was the one who stood by my side in battle.

Adrien is the one I love...with my whole heart, not just half anymore. I love all of him.

Adrien was the one who protects me, even if it means taking the hit...

...even if it means sacrificing his own life for mine.

Droplets fell onto Adrien's silhouette from my glassy eyes. No noise, not even a whimper, escapes out of my mouth. I just sit and stare down at the human-like form staining the street. My heart clenches, hurting in my chest. My hands tighten into fists, shaking from the trembling.

I grit my teeth before finally pulling my act together. I can't just sit around while Paris is crumbling right before me. I stood on my feet and wipe my eyes.

"No...no more crying," I thought, "I have to save Mallorie. That'll save the people who were caught in her path—it'll save Adrien too."

I take a deep breath in then out.

"There's no way you'll save them. You're pathetic and a weakling. You're useless! You should just give your miraculous back to Sabrina and let her have it, permanently. She'd do a lot better of a job than you," the voice in my head berated me, its prickly tone poking at my insecurities.

"You're wrong," I replied in my head, "I just let my negative thoughts get the better of me. I'm not useless, weak, or pathetic. I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng and I won't let even my mind change that. Sabrina may have done a good job but I shouldn't have given her my responsibility. Chat Noir—Adrien has always believed in me. Now, it's time I start believing in myself too."

The voice seemed to diminish, its presence seemed to wan away. It's still around but not as much as it was.

I grabbed my yoyo and swung onto a rooftop. My gaze darted left to right in search of wherever Shadow had gone.

I have to put myself in Mallorie's shoes for a moment and think like her.

Her goal is to probably destroy all of Paris but that would take way too long just going around the entire city. She would find a spot and make some sort of bomb to get everything at once. But where would that be?