Heartbreak, Hero Style (Complete)

Tears

Chat looked at her imploringly, searching for the answer to his question.

Are you Ladybug?

She hung her head down, a chuckle brewing in her chest. Her shoulders bounced lightly, and Louis watched her in horror and sorrow. Her laughter only grew, tainting the air around them with a cold, distant feel.

She finally took a breath and looked up to him, eyes bright with cruel amusement. "Chaton, you've got something wrong. I was Ladybug. I don't have the earrings anymore, see?" she moved a tuff of hair away from her ear, showing off an empty piercing.

His eyes stung. "Why..? My lady, you love being Ladybug."

"Why? Why?" She growled. "Maybe because I was stupid enough to believe that Adrien might actually like me! That my love could be requitted instead of being this idiotic goose chase for an unatainable wonder boy! Who in the world could be good enough for the amazing Adrien? Do you know?!" Tears fluttered the corners of her eyes, but she wiped them away. "I know that Marinette is great! Even through every nasty comment thrown at me by Chloé, I knew! And of course I know Ladybug is good, but not good enough to be with Adrien of course! What did I ever expect, anyway?! That he would j-just run into my arms like we're in some magical cartoon where dreams come true?" Her fists clenched together tightly, crushing seeds in her palm, as she stared at the ground.

He felt helpless as he watched her tears fall to the roof under their feet. He wanted to reach out to her, but.. She was akumatized. She would push him away, no doubt, or attack him. She hasn't exactly let her guard down. Not in front of the enemy.

"Bugaboo, I-"

"Louis, what shows saddness?" She cut through his thought.

"Ah-... a purple hyacinth represents sorrow.."

"Thank you. I'll need it." She lifted her head, flushed cheeks stained with tears and eyes bleeding regret. She raised her hand, and he turned to run from the now charging thorn bushes.

He ducked into an alley, hiding behind a recycling can, void of any ivy. When the bushes passed over, he sighed and detransformed.

"She was AKUMATIZED?! But she was fine! You were fine! Both of you were fine! Why did this happen?!" Plagg flew back and forth in worry.

"Plagg, did you hear her?! She thought that I liked her! Well, I do, I love her, but I loved Ladybug! I didn't know she was Ladybug!"

"That doesn't matter!" He flew into his face. "You are going to have to fight not only Marinette, but Ladybug, who, need I remind you, has beaten you many times before while you were under the control of multiple different akumas! So, for just a bit, could you please get your mind off your crush and think of a strategy to defeat this incredible threat?!"

He glared at Plagg, but knew he was right. Ladybug was the strategist, and not only that, but when it came to a fight between just them, he would surely lose. Not to mention now she has possible control over every plant in Paris.

Plagg sighed, seeing his distress. "Look kid, try imagining it like this. Ladybug can't show up, and hawkmoth only wants your miraculous because she isn't there. A very strong akuma with power over plant-life and growth is after you, and you need to not only keep your miraculous, but get an item from the boy the akuma is holding captive."

"Louis?"

"He's holding the earrings. He never opened his hands, and any normal person would want to hold onto the sides of a small, moving prison cell."

'So that's why he's with her. Well, she also said she thought he was chat, and he seems to know a lot about flowers, so that helps her powers.. No Agreste! Focus on the task at hand!' he shook his head. "So, I'm going on a rescue mission for him?"