My Wish

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Alya Cesaire sat up, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes. She placed them back on the bridge of her nose before looking around.

"Nino!" She rushed over to the DJ boy's side, when she saw him lay motionless a few feet away.

He was clutching his stomach and coughing. "Alya," he croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Oh no," Alya covered her mouth. "He hurt you. Didn't he?"

Nino gave her a weak smile. "I just didn't block myself properly, that's all, I'll be fine."

Worry wormed through Alya's stomach. She thought back on the battle. The Commoner. That was what he called himself.

Alya remembered the Commoner switching features all while the battle, and disappearing in puffs of black smoke, only to reappear somewhere else with a different face.

Alya remembered seeing a kind grocer's face, a girl around the age of 5 with orange hair like Sabrina's, and even someone who resembled her mother. That last one had shocked her to her core. Never would she have thought someone would wear her Mother's face as easy as wearing clothes

"Where's Ladybug?" Nino's voice snapped Alya back out of her reverie. She surveyed their surroundings while Nino sat up, arm still wrapped around his stomach.

"I don't know," she murmured. A strange feeling crept up on her. A feeling of unease.

They were on a street, and somehow, it was as quiet as a graveyard. Alya didn't like it, it seemed as if they were the only ones in the big world.

"Hey," Nino said, and Alya turned to look at him. "Isn't that Marinette's street a few lanes down?"

She turned and look at where Nino was pointing. It was! They would have to crash at Marinette's house, and solve their issues. Alya bet she was worried out of her mind.

She tutted. She should stop seeing Marinette as a clumsy, nervous girl. She knew that she had hidden strengths and a courage - she just needed to push herself and be brave.

"Hold on," Alya said before Nino gestured that they should start making their way to Marinette's house. She rummaged through her pockets and found her phone. "I'll just give her a heads up call."

Somehow, as Alya pressed the call button, and headed the ringing, she felt as if... as if something was going to change. And it wasn't for the best.

It was like her sixth sense was telling her, that something was coming her way, and it had an air of uncertainty.

Maybe it was the fact that there was no sound, or the fact that Marinette wasn't picking up, or just the way Nino was holding her hand, as if trying to console her.

Alya didn't know.

But she knew one thing that was for sure.

Whatever was coming for them, they would have to be ready.

Or Paris would be lost.

Forever.

***

Adrien woke to a splitting headache. He sat up, scratching the back of his head, and reached out for a painkiller.

"Adrien."

Gabriel Agreste sat on the side of his son's bed. His smooth hair was slick, and his suit pressed to perfection, not a crease in sight.

He still wore a disapproving demeanour that Adrien was accustomed to see for every of their meetings.

"Father." Adrien looked at him, his thoughts racing to Plagg, but the kwamii didn't show himself. All the better.