Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 44: Broken Down

The shock in both Hawk Moth and Dark Void's eyes gave Ladybug the edge she needed. She thought quickly, wrapping her yo-yo around Dark Void's arm and pulled her forward. Then she jumped over her and lunged for Hawk Moth.

He ducked to the side; faster than she'd expected him to be and Dark Void pulled her back. Ladybug fended her off and noticed the locket hanging from her neck. It was the only thing with color on her person. She reached out for it, but Dark Void knocked her back and aimed her palm at her.

She dove to the side as a silent blast bounced off the ground behind her swallowed it into oblivion, leaving behind only a perfectly round crater in the concrete floor. "Chat!" she called, "Chat the akuma's in the pendent."

Ladybug glanced to her right and saw Hawk Moth running towards the door, but she slung her yo-yo out and hooked it around his ankles, tripping him. Dark Void lunged for her again and she jumped up, barely dodging her.

For a frightful second she was afraid for Chat. That he'd reverted back to his civilian self and been exposed, but she couldn't look at him without leaving herself open for Dark Void.

Dark Void raised her hand to Ladybug and she fumbled, unprepared, but Chat's baton swung between them knocking the akuma off balance and his gloved hand effortlessly wrapped around her pendent. He yanked it upward as she fell and the golden chain snapped from her neck.

Chat Noir crushed the pendent in his hands and the akuma slowly squirmed out. Ladybug eyed it cautiously as it fluttered dangerously close to the other akumas and saw Hawk Moth stagger back towards the door. "Chat, Hawk Moth -,"

Chat ran up to him and tackled him to the floor. Grabbing his collar, the superhero raised him off the floor and Ladybug allowed her yo-yo to unravel from his feet. She retrieved it, caught the akuma and in a matter of seconds it was cleansed.

She released it back into the dome, the woman unconscious, and turned to Chat, both bewildered and fearful of the sight in front of her.

Her partner slammed Hawk Moth against the wall, the rough texture scratching at his face and Chat snarled, "How dare you touch her! How dare you harm her!" Her yanked Hawk Moth back and threw him on the floor.

Hawk Moth's head bounced off the ground and Chat was on him before he could catch his breath. He raised him hand in the air, his eyes glowering dangerously, "Cataclysm!"

"Chat! No -," Hawk Moth pulled the sword from his cane and swung it at Chat, forcing him back. He swung again and Chat dived to the side as it cut through his shoulder, leaving a small tear behind. He stumbled backward and Chat's hand fell on the railing behind him, turning it to dust.

Using the end of his cane, Hawk Moth slammed it against Chat's forehead and he fell limply to the floor. "It's just you and me now Ladybug. Come and give it your best shot!" He stood taller with his heel digging into Chat's back and smirked, "I've been waiting for this moment."

She eyed Chat warily, alarmed at the small trail of blood leaking through the cut beside his neck. His body was limp, his face calm and Ladybug felt dread bubble in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't do this alone. Ladybug was never meant to fight alone.

"Lucky Charm!" She threw her yo-yo in the air and a small compact mirror fell from where it'd been. She turned it over in her hand, unsure of what to do with it and Hawk Moth laughed.

"To think that the fate of Paris and your identity would rest on that small trinket." He walked forward and shook his head, "How pathetic. Truly."

The beautiful white akumas in the room suddenly froze in mid-flight, shaking and vibrating with a strange energy. They turned swiftly and swarmed around Hawk Moth, moving faster and sucking everything around him up in an tremendous torrent of wind.