Away From Home

[22] The Tower Comes Tumbling Down

i'm your methodical b!#%*
your demon scapegoat

if that's what it takes
for you to sleep at night

evil woman
leah crowe

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As any fight would have it, luck was on Ladybug's side yet again, even if she did end up fighting alone in the end--somewhat. With the help of Chat Noir's kwamii, Ladybug was able to defeat Style Queen and repair any damage done throughout the fight. Almost.

The moment Adrien regained consciousness, he hadn't the time to process what happened after he had stood up to the villain of the day as himself. Even now, he wasn't able to when Chloe was on him the second she saw he was okay, throwing her arms around him and squeezing like there was no tomorrow. "Adrikins!"

Adrien cheeses awkwardly, patting the girl's back for some type of comfort as she cried. "I was so scared!" She wailed, pressing their faces together. "First, your turned into a statue by Mother, then that bug eyed girl shows up out of nowhere! And don't even get me started on—"

His interest was peaked at the odd nickname randomly thrown around. Bug eyed girl, Chloe had said. Adrien only knew of one person who's eyes resembled a bug and that was Spider Woman! Had she risked her complicated situation to help Ladybug in saving him? Was she still here?

The boy had looed around foolishly, hoping to catch at least a glimpse of the girl he had only ever spoken to as Chat Noir (he had always wondered what their conversation would be like as his civilian self), but all he did see was Ladybug. She was knelt in front of something that called for her undivided attention. It looked to be important.

With Chloe no longer glued to his side, Adrien took his chance and approached the spotted hero with her name hanging off his tongue. "Ladybug?"

She hums confusingly, looking over her shoulder at the call of her name. "Oh!" She smiles awkwardly, standing from her kneeling position. "Is everything alright?"

As polite as ever, Adrien replies with a smile, thanking the hero for asking about his well-being. "But, I was going to ask you the same thing." Her brows pinches with guilt as Adrien leans to the side to peek around her. "What are you looking at?"

Ladybug sighs, finding no use in hiding any longer. As she steps aside, Adrien's eyes train on the very thing she was fretting about. "I don't understand. My magic should have repaired it after I dispersed my lucky charm." She says with a frown, looking away with shame as Adrien stares at the gaping hole in the Eiffel Tower's platform.

If Adrien knew anything from being Chat Noir, it's that damage can only be repaired if it were done during the fight. Simply put, this must have been done before the fight if not repaired. An accident, most likely, but what could have done the damage if not magical? The Eiffel Tower was old, yes, but the untimely monument was maintained on a regular basis. Not to mention, it was made out of a strong enough metal.