When a liar gets you left behind

Chapter Fifty Eight-Rescuing Baby Blues

Ladybug flew through the portal and landed on the top of the Arc de Triomphe. As the portal closed behind her, she looked out at the sprawling city of Paris. The Eiffel Tower was clearly visible in the distance, and a quick scan of the city below revealed no immediate signs of the akumatized villain. But Ladybug knew that her elevated position would be an advantage, giving her a better chance to spot the villain's destructive antics.

Ladybug looked around, her eyes widening at the sight of the pink-hued sky above her. The usually sunny Parisian day had been transformed into an odd, rosy hue. 

She frowned, confused as to what kind of akumatized villain could create such a sight. But as her eyes scanned the usually bustling streets, she realized something more puzzling – nobody was around. No sighting of the villain or her superhero allies, Lady Bee and Cat Noir. Alarm bells started ringing in her head.

With a sense of alarm, Ladybug quickly reached for her yo-yo, sliding it open to call Lady Bee. After a few rings, it went to voicemail. She then called Chat Noir, but the same thing happened.

Ladybug let out a frustrated sigh as she listened to the familiar sound of Cat Noir's voicemail once more. "Damn it, Cat," she muttered to herself, clenching her fists in frustration. She knew something was off, and not being able to reach them was only adding to her anxiety.

With each subsequent call, her heart sank a little more. She couldn't understand why he wasn't answering, and her worry grew with each failed attempt. "Why aren't they picking up?" she thought, her impatience and concern mounting.

Panic coursed through Ladybug's veins as each call went unanswered. 'They would not ignore me unless something was seriously wrong,' she thought, and the implications sent a shiver down her spine. 

'The villain must be more powerful than expected, and they may have already gotten the Miraculous.' A terrifying realization hit her - if Shadow Moth had figured out who they were if he knew the connection between Chloe and Adrien... Could it be possible that he knew Ladybug was actually Marinette Dupain-Cheng?

Panic began to well up inside Ladybug as she began pacing back and forth, her chest feeling tighter with each passing moment. This was the second time she'd been faced with a situation like this, where she had arrived too late to stop something bad from happening. 

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her and spun around, her body tensed in a defensive stance, ready to fight whoever had appeared.

Ladybug turned around to see Cat Noir standing with his hand on his hip, a confident grin on his face. Her eyes widened in relief when she saw him, and her tight shoulders relaxed.

"You seem happy to see me, Milady," he said, his voice dripping with his signature playfulness.

She rolled her eyes at his comment, her annoyance with his habit of using puns clear on her face. "Where were you? And where's Lady Bee? I've been trying to reach you both," she said, concern coloring her tone.

Cat Noir gave Ladybug an arrogant smile, clearly finding himself amusing. "Sorry, I don't always have my phone on me, you know? Wouldn't want our enemies to get our number," he said with a confident chuckle.

Ladybug shot him a stern look, her annoyance growing further. Her fists clenched at her sides as she held back her frustration.

Suddenly, Ladybee landed behind Cat Noir with a harsh thump, her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face. "About time you two got here," she snapped, her tone dripping with annoyance. "I was starting to think I'd be stuck handling this mess all by myself."