Always Find You

Chapter 20 - "Face Me"

"Why would Hawk Moth be after a teenage girl?" The doctor, Wesley, asks.

"I guess he has some kind of crazy notion that she's..." Adrien doesn't even want to make the suggestion that she could be Ladybug, "That she's really important."

Dr. Wesley sighs, "Okay kid, I guess your story checks out: you've got a couple of witnesses that can vouch for you."

"Thanks," The boy rubs his tired eyes, "Is she gonna be okay?"

"She'll probably pull through. But she's going to need a lot of rest."

Adrien nods solemnly, turning in the direction of the hospital's exit.

"Wait," Dr. Wesley calls after him, "You say that it was Hawk Moth who did this, but what kind of man in his right mind would do this to a kid?"

Adrien runs his fingers through his hair, his thoughts running wild, "That's what I intend to find out."

~ ~ ~

  Marinette opens her eyes to find herself back in the dungeon, her hands tied above her head. Wait, no, not tied: a large black snake is constricting her wrists, cutting off her blood flow. She starts to panic and tries to break loose, but the snake wraps tighter and tighter the more she struggles. A yelp escapes her throat when she sees it hiss, baring its venomous fangs at her.

"Get off of me!" Marinette shouts, as if the snake will listen.

It only sticks its forked tongue out in reply and slithers its long body down her left arm. She shivers at the feeling of the cold scales inching toward her shoulder.

The sound of footsteps comes from the stairs behind her back, not in front like she remembers.

"Ladybug," Marinette recognizes Chat Noir's voice, "Are you okay?"

"Chat, please get me out of here!"  She tries to turn around to see him, but the snake wraps around to the back of her neck.

"Give me one second, I need to..." His voice is drowned out by the loud hissing next to her ear.

"Wait, wait! I don't have much time, you need to get me out now!"

The snake - with its tail still keeping her hands firmly in place - wraps its body completely around her neck.

"Chat, hurry!" Marinette calls. The scaly serpent starts to tighten around her airway, cutting off her next sentence, and choking the breath out of her.

"Got it!" Chat Noir's voice calls from behind her. The footsteps come around to face her.

"Gabriel Agreste!" Marinette wants to yell, but the snake is crushing her vocal chords. Standing there is Adrien's father, in the flesh.

Speaking with Chat Noir's voice and doing the same movements, he shouts, "Cataclysm!" Making the dark magic appear in his hand.
He inches toward her, palm outstretched, until the black sphere makes contact with her chest, sending a painful shock through her body. She wants to scream, she wants to punch him, but she can't move and she can't breathe.

Her vision starts getting blurry as pain overwhelms her body. Everything around her disintegrates, leaving her floating in a sea of clouds. An incredibly bright light appears, and she starts swimming towards it. Marinette almost makes it to the source of the light, but the same black snake appears in front of her, striking right above her left breast, sinking its teeth in.

A shock goes through her body once again, before everything goes black.

~ ~ ~

Adrien transforms into Chat Noir, picking up his pace to make it back to the place he once called 'home.' He jumps the front gate and bursts through the heavy wooden doors, not bothering to close them behind him as he usually would. There's still a smeared trail of blood from where he'd carried Marinette out of the house.

"Hawk Moth!" He screams at the top of his lungs; his voice cracking, making him sound like a young boy again.

No sound except for the echo of his shout.

He tries again, "Gabriel Agreste! I know you're in here!"

After a second time with no reply, Adrien slams open the door to the atelier. Anger begins bubbling up inside him as he remembers the sound of Marinette choking by the hand of his father.

"You almost killed her! Come out, you coward and face me!"

"Almost?" A low voice comes from the corner of the room. The figure sitting in the shadows stands up and brushes off his white suit. Little stains of blood are sprinkled on his shoulders, "A shame I didn't put that insect out of its misery."

Chat's rage bubbles over and he charges his father with every intention to kill him.

~ ~ ~

Author's note:
Umm so, I really like writing dreams because I think they give you a good look into what characters are thinking and feeling.
If you guys comment with any questions you have, I'll definitely answer, or do a Q&A if I get enough.

Love y'all! Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow.