A Masked Game

Level 15: Open Wounds

Flashback Cutscene: Bad Luck

9 years and 5 months ago...

Ladybug was having a lucky day, only it was all bad.

The skies over Paris darkened as Lila took on her final attack. This had been harder than anything Gabriel had ever thrown at them and Ladybug could feel her energy draining. They'd been fighting for hours and even though they didn't need to recharge anymore, the constant Lucky Charms and Cataclysm's were draining their energy, quickly.

"LB," Chat Noir said, "we need to take a break. She's killing us out there."

She didn't want to agree, to admit that they were losing, but it was the truth. They were at a stalemate. Closing her eyes, she bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head.

"We can't, what if something happens to Adrien? What if, whilst we're unsuited, she finds him?"

Reaching out, Chat Noir placed his hands on the upper arms of his partner and lowered himself down to her eye level. Her eyes were misty, her lip quivering as her eyes darted around the scene.

"Adrien will be fine," he said. "I promise! Trust me!"

She nodded in response, bringing a fist up to wipe her eyes and rub under her nose. "Okay," she said softly. "I trust you."

"Good," he smiled. "Let's get this done and get back out there. We'll save Adrien and everything will be back to normal."

Moving behind the chimney of their current hide out, Ladybug dropped her transformation and collapsed down onto the rooftop. This was unbelievably difficult. More than she'd ever encountered before and every single muscle in her body was screaming for some sort of release.

"Are you hurting as much as I am?" Chat Noir's voice was weak and all she wanted to do was crawl around to the other side of the chimney and take him into her arms.

"I feel like someone's dropped a truck on me!"

His laughter drifted through the progressive boom's and reached her ears. "I'm with you there. How's Tikki holding up?"

Marinette looked down to where Tikki was laying on her leg. She was munching on a cookie, but, in all, she seemed fine. "Okay, I think. Plagg?"

"Absolutely fine."

"Good! Listen, we need to find her weakness and take the opportunity when she's surprised, taking her down."

"What are you thinking? Just let me know and I'll be there. We're a team, we do this together."

Marinette took a deep breath before talking. "We use Adrien to lure her out. Maybe I can contact Rena and she can draw up an illusion of him."

"It won't work," Chat Noir replied. "She's too smart. She was Volpina once, remember, she'll figure it out."

"What do you suggest then? That we actually use Adrien as bait?"

Silence. That was never a good sign.

"No!" she said stubbornly.

"It's the only option, and you're right, it will work."

"I can't believe you're volunteering a civilian to become sacrificial bait!"

"You came up with the idea, plus I know he'd want to help."

Silence again, this time on her part.

"I'll find him and speak to him," she eventually said.

"As you wish," Chat Noir replied. "Claws out."

"I'll go and distract her. He's at the Dupain-Cheng boulangerie. He was worried about Marinette."