A Masked Game

Level 21: Part I and Part II

Level 21 Part 1: Holding Hands

"I don't know what the hell you're thinking, but you're not going out there! You're injured!" Sabine looked up at her daughter, jabbing her finger into the hero's chest.

"I can't leave Adrien to do this by himself."

"You don't always need to hold his hand, Ladybug, this is how you got into this mess in the first place."

She looked apologetically towards her mother before turning her full attention to her father-in-law and cousin-in-law, and collapsing down on the edge of the bed, still coated in her super suit.

"Call me if you need me, but right now I'm going searching." Sabrina said a couple of quick goodbyes before vacating the room and the atmosphere forming inside it.

Sabine made her way over and crouched in front of Ladybug. "Listen, sweetheart," she took Marinette's hands in hers. "I know you want to be there for him, that you think he needs you, but that's not true. He's strong, stronger than any of us are and as much as you want to be there for him all the time, when you've been stabbed and almost lost your child in the process, I'm certain Adrien would want you to sit this one out."

"If it is Luka, I'm the only one who could stop him. Talk him down."

"Ch-ch-child?! You're pregnant?!" If Marinette cared about her father-in-law she would have turned around at that moment and discussed this with him, but she really didn't give a shit.

"Marinette, you need to stay here! You can't go out there! You have a team for that." Ladybug knew her mother was speaking reasonably, but she didn't want to accept it. She knew there were many variations in place, having returned the snake Miraculous to Luka, but she didn't want to consider one of the options being her husband dying. Right now, everything was about him.

Félix moved forward, his face coated in worry as he came to sit alongside her. "Marinette," he said, his voice soft and gentle, taking her hand and holding it in his. There were times she would have right hooked Félix in the face for such an action, but over the years — and with Kagami's involvement — she'd been able to push past feelings aside to actually become, dare she say, friends with Félix.

"I know you all think I'm crazy, but without Adrien there will be no child because I refuse to live without him."

A deep, dark laugh sounded behind her, the hairs hidden under the supersuit standing up as she turned to look at Gabriel. Gabriel, who seemed to be beside himself in laughter.

"Is this amusing to you?" Ladybug grabbed her hand back from Félix's and marched her way over to where Gabriel was standing. "Do you think my pain is comical?"

"Calm down," Gabriel retorted. Alya stood, moving forward, Trixx appearing beside her as she approached the pair, intent on separating them.

"Don't you tell me to calm down when one of my best friends is out there obviously not happy, and maybe attempting to kill my husband! Adrien is my life, not that you would understand that!"

"Understand?!" Gabriel boomed, Dusuu and Trixx flying forward in protection. "Understand?!" he hissed again. "If anyone knows about the insanity of losing the one you love, Ladybug, it's me!"

Ladybug felt her eye twitch. He was right, she was reacting in a similar way to what he did.

"You get it now, don't you?" Gabriel said, his arm folding in a defensive blockade between two of them. "You understand the pain and the torment it can put you through. But don't do the same as I did; don't be the person I became! If you need to go and fight, Ladybug, not only do I support you, but I stand beside you! I will not allow someone else I love to be hurt, so if you want to fight Ladybug... I'm fighting too"