Thunderstorms Series: Part 3 (Drenched)

Chapter 13

"So why did you want to come Felix?" Marinette asked.

"She is my Aunt Emelie, I haven't seen her in a long time... plus... I might as well accompany you and my cousin." He said.

"Thank you Felix." Adrien smiled, knowing that he was trying to be nice to him, but just didn't want it to show through.

Felix wanted to make more conversation, but his eyes kept drifting to the bodyguard and Nathalie... and every once in a while they would make eye contact. It would only be for a split second and then he would look out the window to his left but then when Nathalie wouldn't be looking in his direction... he would look back at her again.

Marinette sat in the middle, feeling a little tension as both boys sat quiet looking out of each window. She took Adrien's hand in hers as she gripped it a little tighter to let him know that she was there for him if she needed him. Since the last time he had seen his mother she was encased in glass in a coffin type box. She was still in a coma but she would be at least in a bed in the hospital where Adrien could actually touch her and hug her and speak to her like a normal person could do.

The car parked at the hospital and all four of them exited the car. They made their way to Adrien's mothers room. Adrien took hold of the cold doorknob and twisted it as he swallowed, mentally preparing himself. He stepped inside the room and he held his breath and his mind went blank. He felt like crying but he tried to remain calm, for not only himself but for everyone else as well. He couldn't get akumatized. He couldn't break his promise.

Marinette took a seat and let go of Adrien's hand, allowing him to take the seat beside his mother that was near her face, closest to her. Felix stood beside Marinette as Nathalie stood on the other side of Emelie away from Marinette, Adrien and Felix.

Adrien slid his hand along the bed that she lay on. He looked up at her blonde hair and soft fair skin, it was the same as the day she disappeared. She looked so peaceful laying there. Adrien took his mother's hand and sat down, not saying a word.

Marinette looks over to Felix who still wore the same expression... as if he didn't care. Though she knew that wasn't true. She saw little signs he did. He was gripping his hands together like a businessman would do but... as if he were trying to fight back tears... or hold back his emotions. Did Felix have a deep connection with his Aunt? Felix and Adrien did grow up together. Maybe Felix did love Emelie like his own mother?

Marinette smiled and took hold of Felix's hand and saw his eyes widen with surprise. She mouthed the words "It's alright." to him and saw him smile at her and grip her hand. She knew that this was hard on both of them, even if they didn't exactly like one another, they both loved Emelie.

Nathalie frowned, almost feeling guilty for what she was about to do but she had a mission and a duty to fulfill. She glanced down at her feet and ever so slightly moved her foot to overlap with a cord. She gently tugged at it until it was tight and then yanked it out of the wall until Emelie's vitals went flat.

Adrien's eyes widened and his mind went blank as he turned to Marinette and Felix for answers. He then darted his eyes to his mother, gripping her hand.

"Mother! Mother! Are you alright! What is happening! What happened! Is she alright?!" He screamed, seeing doctors rush inside the room.

The doctors quickly made them leave the room and didn't answer their questions. A nurse rushes by and sees Adrien in tears and leans down.

"Her vitals went flatline. We are doing everything we can to bring your mother back." She said as she quickly went into the room and shut the door behind her.

Those words even though they were to inform him and help him feel a little better... cut him even deeper. How could things be any worse? How could he lose his father and he basically lost his mother in a coma... but he was basically going to lose his mother right in front of his eyes. This wasn't fair. This wasn't fair at all! He did everything he was told! Why was this happening to him!

"Adri-" Marinette started.

Before she could even comfort him, he ran down the hallway away from all of them out of sight. Nathalie frowned and looked at Felix who was frowning, trying his best to stay calm but it was clear that he too was upset.

"I'll... go get him. I'll bring him back. Felix? Text me if there are any updates on Emelie." Marinette said, taking off toward Adrien.

"Alright." He called out as she disappeared, turning his attention to Nathalie, not excited about being alone with her at all.

"Adrien!" She called out.

"Adrien! Where are you?" She called out again, now outside of the hospital, but saw a bright flash of green and saw Chat noir jumping off in the distance.

Marinette found a place to transform and followed him into a nearby alley that didn't have any passersby and found him sitting on the ground alone, his knees to his chest crying. Marinette walked over to him, worried about his well being and his mental health.

"Adr-...Chat noir? Are you ok?" She said, sitting down next to him, wrapping her arm around his back, letting her head lay on his shoulder.

"She's dying, isn't she!" He choked out.

"The doctors are going to try and bring her back, Adrien." Ladybug said, lifting his head in her hands, seeing his tears sliding down his face.

Ladybug frowned and pulled him into an embrace.

"I'm so so sorry, Chat noir. This is so much for one person." She said, holding him tightly, feeling him wrap his arms around her waist as he let his crying deepen.

That's all she could do for him. She couldn't help him. She couldn't help Emelie. She couldn't fix life tragedies. Things like this just... happen... it's life. We have to deal with them and get through them together.

"Nathalie, I don't know what you did but... I can feel a strong negative energy from a young boy who is heartbroken. One that is so negative that it could be the downfall of the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculous that I've been waiting for! Go my little Akuma. Go akumatize this poor boy!" Hawkmoth smiled, releasing his little dark butterfly into the world, from out of his staff.

As Ladybug was trying her best to comfort her partner, she didn't notice the little akuma drawing near.

"I'm sorry LB. Just everything came crashing down. I don't want to say goodbye yet-" He cried.

"It's ok.." She whispered.

Ladybug's eyes widened as a flash of black and purple fluttered by her and descended downward. She didn't want to but she released Chat noir from the hug they were doing and saw the butterfly akumatize Chat noir, but couldn't see where it had gone into. Ladybug saw the purple mask come over Chat noir and she took a quick breath and jumped forward for the ring. She gripped it and slid it off, though he was already being transformed into Chat blanc. Plagg flew out of the ring and landed in her other hand as she looked down at the ring.