Heartbroken Hero

Chapter 12

The sun was slowly setting beneath the horizon. Daylight was running out fast, as well as Ladybug's grip on the yoyo string that kept her suspended 900 feet above the ground.

Luckily the drizzling rain stopped, which meant some of her luck was working in her favor. But she was still in a lot of trouble.

Never before had she felt so vulnerable and dependent on someone else.

But there she was.

"Hold on!" Alya yelled from the observation deck. "Please hold on."

"I'm trying," Ladybug mumbled back, more to herself than anyone.

She felt her hand weaken on the string and she jerked down a few inches.

The crowd watching gasped simultaneously.

The little girl started to cry. "Please hang on!"

Ladybug couldn't go out like this. She couldn't! Not with so many people looking up to her like that little girl did.

A fire truck had arrived on the ground and parked nearby the Eiffel Tower. They would've brought out a safety sheet to catch Ladybug in if she fell, but even they knew that it wouldn't help considering how far up she was.

Falling at that height, Ladybug would still be a goner.

"Look!" a man from the crowd gasped, pointing at the ground.

She turned her head and looked towards the ground. Chat Noir was raising himself up to Ladybug via his pole. Like Ladybug's yoyo with infinite string, the length of Chat's pole was also infinite, meaning he could easily lift himself up to Ladybug even though she was so far up.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

I knew I could count on you kitty, she thought, this revelation giving her the strength to hang on just a little longer.

Her arm was in so much pain. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

She just wanted to curl up in Chat's arms and sleep.

He was finally eye to eye with her, perched on top of his pole. His legs were cleverly wrapped around the pole so as to not tip it over. This balancing act worked perfect, and once the pole was stable, Chat opened his arms and smiled.

"Time to get outta here," he said, his arms outstretched below her.

Ladybug gathered up the last of her remaining strength to yank her yoyo free from the spire at the top of the Eiffel Tower and then fell into his arms.

The staff wobbled just a bit, but Chat regained control. He began lowering his staff with a click of a button and they quickly descended to the ground.

A chorus of applause erupted in the air.

Cameras flashed, capturing the moment between the two superheroes.

Ladybug was curled up in Chat's arms, her head resting on his chest.

Chat finally reached the ground but was greeted by bustling reporters and camera flashes. He waved away the papparazzi. "Give a girl some privacy, sheesh," Chat said, slightly annoyed.

Nadja Chamack shoved her way through the growing crowd of fans, papparazzi's, and fellow news reporters to ask a question.

"Why was Ladybug alone?" she yelled over the noisy crowd.

A man with a boom mic pushed to the forefront, another question nagging him as well.

"Are you guilty you weren't there for her?"