Mind Power Marinette

Chapter 8: Excruciation

A/N: I added the same song above, please continue it here xo

 _-()()()()-_

Marinette lost track of how long she'd been down in the cesspit they called a dungeon. Hawkmoth allowed her to be untied only to do her business in a bucket in the corner. She was given the gang's leftovers to eat, and a damaged pipe from the ceiling to drink.

Marinette had lost nearly all hope. Her shouts went unheard by anyone who could have possibly saved her. All she earned were beatings and a sore throat if she tried. She learned to keep quiet when the gang members were around.

They came and beat her when they felt particularly vicious. Kicks, punches, they even stabbed her if they had sharp objects lying around. They enjoyed hearing Marinette scream, so she didn't give them the satisfaction. Only crying at night when they weren't around.

She had to remain strong. For herself, for her family, for her friends.

The fog still surrounded Marinette. She felt empty without her powers. In its place, she hid away her soul, deep inside. Her humanity. She wouldn't let this horrible place take it away from her. Marinette simply allowed them to beat her, ate when she was given food, opened her mouth to let water drip in.

Hawkmoth had interpreted her lack of resistance as submission. He trusted Marinette a bit more. Which is how she got untied every now and again. She never said a word.

She would never tell them anything.

Marinette simply waited. Waited for freedom. Waited for justice.

Waited for revenge.

 _-()()()()-_

It had been almost a month since Marinette went missing. Her parents were frantic. The bakery was shut down.

School was grim and miserable. Alya wouldn't stop crying. Nino stayed with her to comfort her. Everyone missed Marinette, even Chloe.

It's all my fault. I did this. I scared Marinette off, so she ran away and got lost, or kidnapped, or worse. Every night Chat jumped across the roofs of Paris, calling out her name. Some people have even lost faith in me as a hero. After all, what kind of hero can't save a missing girl?

It kept Chat up at night, wondering what happened to Marinette. Is she safe? Is she hurt? Is she even alive?

Tonight was the same as any other. As soon as Mr Agreste sent Adrien to bed, he transformed and checked the next section of Paris he had methodically marked out on a piece of paper. Chat was searching Paris block by block. No stone would be left unturned. Today, a maze of alleyways. Since they were so narrow and the walls were so tall, he searched on the ground. He quickly took a photo from above with his baton to use as a map of sorts. He swung down from a tree and landed at the start of the maze. Using the photograph he took, Chat began searching the alleyways. After a few hours, he found something. Blood. On the cobblestone floor of the alleyway.

And a red hair tie. Chat instantly knew to whom that hair-tie belonged to. Marinette. If the hair tie is hers, the blood must be too. His heart sank at the thought. With the horror came a flicker of grim hope.

I finally have a lead. I just need to follow the trail. 

Save Marinette.

_-()()()()-_

Another day of torture. She could only tell time was passing because of her routine meals. Today, cold leftover eggs with bacon. She ate slowly, trying to make the food last as long as she could. The guard who watched her dungeon came in to untie her hands and allowed Marinette to do her business for the day. He didn't even have the decency to look away. After, she reluctantly walked back to the guard and allowed him to bind her hands again, back to the chair.