The Lone Vixen - EDITING

Chapter Thirty: Gasps in an Abandoned Corridor

Adrien was confused. All of his anger diminished as he saw the girl he loved in pain. What had happened? His throbbing hand was still in the air, his cataclysm still contained in his gloved palm. "M-Mari?" he whispered. She was whimpering as she slid down the wall. "Mare." Adrien was pushed back by Alya and Chloe rushing forward. They fussed over her and checked everything on her front side before she could even say anything.

"Mari, what's wrong?" Marinette winced and tried to sit up.

"M-my back." She tried reaching for it, but they pulled her arm away. Alya quietly shh'd her as they turned her over. She almost cried as she bit her lip to shield her from the pain. She didn't want Adrien to see her like this. No matter how angry she had been at Adrien a moment prior, all she wanted now was his warm embrace. It had been so long since she had felt someone else's warmth. Alya and Chloe gasped as they looked at her exposed back. The acid from her lucky charm was on the wall she had leaned against. Her back had been eaten away at. Her costume had dissolved when it came into contact with the wall, and there was some blood slowly trickling down her maimed back-side. "Gah."

"Come on girl." Alya helped Marinette into a more comfortable sitting position. Chloe looked at the spray bottle that had been abandoned on the ground. It shimmered as if it were made of pixie dust. Without even thinking, she picked it up and threw it into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug." It wasn't too loud, but it was enough to activate the magic. Adrien watched in awe as Chloe played the role of Ladybug, fixing everything with a single sentence. Ladybug's flew about the room and settled on Marinette's back. They nibbled her wounds, and disappeared, leaving her back completely normal. The group looked around at each other in awe at what had just happened. It didn't last long, as an authoritative voice echoed throughout the cavernous catacombs.

"Is there anyone down there?" The group stopped and stared at each other in fear. "It is illegal to trespass. No one but registered officials are permitted within the cathedral's walls after hours." No one dared move. "I can hear you breathing. Either you come here, or I come and get you. There's no escape." Marinette's miraculous beeped. "If that is any sort of weapon, and you attempt to disarm me with said weapon, I will see to it that you end up in prison for a long time." Adrien looked each of his friends in the eyes as more voices were heard. They weren't authoritative voices though. They were broken and weak. The other victims of the kidnappings. Adrien signaled towards where the voices were coming from and began to walk in the direction.

"Hey tom cat!" Alya whisperer-yelled. She took careful movements towards him, leaving Marinette with Chloe. "I'm coming with you."

"No. All of us are going. No one left behind." He looked at everyone and gave them a reassuring smile. Marinette's eyes widened and she looked away as they made eye contact. Adrien sighed and started down the corridor. "Come on." He said not so quietly.

"That's it. I'm coming down!" the officer said from the top of the winding staircase. Footsteps echoed as the group ran. Adrien on instinct ran his hand on the low ceiling as they ran. The ceiling crumbled from his cataclysm and chunks fell, hitting the ground with loud crashes.

"Great going Adrien! How are we supposed to get out of here now? There's no other exit!" Chloe said, staring at the way they had come. The rubble from Adrien's cataclysm created a whole wall, going from the floor to where the ceiling had been less than a minute prior.

"I refuse to believe that." The distressed voices came again, this time to their left. Rena Rouge's ears perked up and moved around at the same time as Chat's. They moved once, twice, four times until picking up a certain frequency. They caught each other's eyes and exclaimed together, "Nino!" They ran wherever their ears took them, with Queen Bee and Ladybug trailing behind only a little bit slower.