The Last Stand: A Miraculous Story

Chapter 5: Captured

Ladybug woke up with a groan.  She then looked around.  She realized that she was hanging by the ceiling.  Her yo-yo was wrapped around her entire body.  She tried to move, but felt too weak.

"Finally, you're awake." said Hawk Moth as he walked by her.

"Hawk Moth!" shouted Ladybug.

All the heroine could remember was Gabriel drugging her to sleep with that awful soup.  This'll be the last time she'd ever eat soup ever again.  It'd just remind her of this.  She couldn't however remember Gabriel saying the akumas were his.  It was right before she fell alseep, so of course Hawk Moth knew this.

"Where's Adrien?!" she demanded.

"Oh, don't worry.  The sedative ought to have worn off by now." said Hawk Moth.

"You drugged him too!  Why?!"

"Ovbiously, he'd get in the way and ruin my plans if he saw you suddenly pass out."

Ladybug sighed to herself in relief.  At least Adrien was okay.  She then wondered just why and how did both Hawk Moth and Gabriel set this trap so amazingly well that she couldn't detect the trap?  

Realization hit her like a heart attack.  They used him.  They used Adrien against her.  They knew just how insanely in love with him she was.  It was ovbious that Gabriel had spotted the fifty times she blushed by the model's mere presence.

Ladybug looked down in shame.  She had let them down.  She's let everyone down: Her partner, Cat Noir, her crush, Adrien, all of Paris, her teacher, Master Fu, her Kwami, Tikki, and also herself.  Now she's tied up.  She had been beaten.  Beaten by love.

"Why didn't you just take the earrings from me and just leave me in the middle of a street?" asked Ladybug.

"Because I wanted to see that same pathedic look on your face before I have to explain the entire plan to you." Hawk Moth answered.

He then began to reach for Ladybug's earrings.  Ladybug closed her eyes hopelessly.  She tried to kick, but the effects from the sedative were still affecting her.  Suddenly, a small aura zapped at Hawk Moth's finger.  He backed away in a mixture of shock and pain.  He then looked at her.

"No...no, no, no, no!" he screamed in anger, "This can't be happening!"

Ladybug herself was shocked as well.  It was as if the earrings had some sort of defense mechanism.  She couldn't tell if they could do that before this whole time or it was her apparent will to keep going on.

"Nevertheless," said Hawk Moth stubbornly, "I'll wait this out.  I suppose it wouldn't kill me to wait a little longer."

Ladybug and Hawk Moth were at the opposite sides for the lair.  Only time was at the essence.  However, as Hawk Moth began to leave, several akumas stepped into the room.

"Break her." he commanded.

It was a few akumas Ladybug could remember saving a while ago.  Due to her barely-clearing up vision, the closest to her was Mr. Pigeon.  Suddenly, they all began to attack her, one by one.

...

Adrien woke up in his bed.  He didn't understand.  Just what had happened?  He then remembered, he had fallen asleep.  He realized that his face was all dried up.  He got up.  He looked around, he was back in his room.  His father came into the room.

"Thank goodness, Adrien," said Gabriel, "you're alright."

"What happened?" Adrien groaned.

"Your food was too spicy.  But don't worry, you're okay now."

"And Ladybug?"

"She's...alright.  She had to leave soon however."

Adrien looked down in disappointment.  Then again, Ladybug couldn't stay forever.  She'd turn back into whoever she was.  Gabriel left shortly.  Adrien then saw Plagg hovering by.

"At least you're okay." said Adrien with a smile.

"I was...until about close to an hour ago..." said Plagg. 

"Wh-What do you mean?"

Plagg had followed Gabriel to a lair, hidden within the Agreste Mansion.  He saw Gabriel transform in Hawk Moth.  He then followed him out as he saw Ladybug about to get tortured by the akumas down there.  

The Kwami had absolutely no idea to tell the secret superhero that he was the literal son of the very villain they've been searching for over an entire year.

"Adrien...I...discovered..." said Plagg, then sighed, "...Hawk Moth's lair...within your home..."

The Kwami felt just horrible.  He had just lied to his chosen.  Adrien looked at Plagg in utter disbelief.  He prayed that the littel cat-looking Kwami was only joking.  But Plagg didn't even look like he was in the time for jokes.  

He had also just called him "Adrien", not "kid", that meant that he was serious.  He'd be eating a piece of camembert cheese right about now.  

He was showing how much he cared, because he was telling the truth.

"A...Adrien?" asked Plagg.

"I-I'm fine, Plagg..." said Adrien, almost crying, "...wh-what are we going to do?  I-Is my father w-working with Hawk Moth?"

"I-I don't think so, Adrien.  But I know one thing: We've got to find Ladybug.  I've seen Hawk Moth take her into his lair."

"Alright, then..."

Adrien got up, looking at his disgussed ring.

"...Plagg...claws out!" he shouted.

"Right with you, Adrien!" replied back Plagg.

...

Ladybug felt terrible.  She had been enduring about half an hour of being attacked by all of the akumas.  Suddenly, they all left, sneering at her, wishing they had all but finished the job.  Hawk Moth walked back in and studied her earrings.

"Ah, so you've reach your limit." he snickered, "Say, 'goodbye', Ladybug."

Ladybug's eyes began to tear up as her costume began to disappear.  This was it.  She had lost.  Hawk Moth was going to win.  Finally, they were all off, however, Cat Noir lashed out of nowhere and kicked Hawk Moth down.  The cat-themed superhero then threw out a blanket (from his room of course) to cover Ladybug.

"You!" shouted Hawk Moth.

"Yes, I'm here!" shouted Cat Noir, "And I believ you've got something my lady needs!"

"Never!  I've come far too close!"

"Then I'll rip them from your fingers!"

"Cat Noir, no!" screamed Ladybug.

It was too late however.  Hawk Moth slammed his cane into Cat Noir's side.  He pinned him into a wall.  He gripped his ring and was about to slide it off.  Cat Noir, however, kicked off the wall and bashed into Ladybug.  

She was freed.  And the two's civillian forms were on full display for Hawk Moth, who stood frozen in shock for some reason.  Adrien took advantage of it and kicked him down, taking both Miraculouses back.

"Go, go!" he commanded.

The two then clashed outside of the window.  Cat Noir used whatever he had left and used his claws to slow their fall.  They fell near a building.  Cat Noir kept the blanket over Ladybug as they entered an alleyway, despite it'd do nothing when it came to Hawk Moth anyway.  

They then got behind a pile of crates.  The two looked at each other.

"Marinette?" asked Cat Noir.

"Adrien?" asked Marinette.

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