My Wish

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The black box was most possibly the most eye catching thing that Parisians have seen so far. Akumatised villains were almost a ritual by now, even if Ladybug and Chat Noir still have not been seen since the last battle.

The huge object was attached to a helicopter, with its draped dark material feathered by the wind.

Since the TVs station's own helicopter had flown over the heads of the civilians, they did not think of this as important, and dismissed it as a passing thought. Literally.

If they did, they would have seen it arrive at the Eiffel Tower, lowering the box to one of the balconies.

Marinette heard the plates of the helicopter whirl to a stop, and felt solid ground under the cage. They had arrived, and the sound of a muted city reached Marinette's ears.

They lay very still, Adrien and her. Listening. Waiting. Just like they discussed.

Click. Clack. Heels. A lady.

Marinette's mind puzzled. A woman?

A halt. And suddenly the fabric became loose. The edges of the material billowed. And the fabric flew away.

A whoosh and a gust of wind hit Marinette's face. She shut her eyes, retaining her position. The light from outside glanced against her eyelids.

A minute or maybe two passed, and nothing. It felt like an eternity as if waiting for the executioner's axe to fall.

Then: a Whisper. And Marinette risked a peek.

"Good evening. "

She shut her eyes again.

"Ms Dupain-Cheng, please, we know you are alive. There's no use pretending that you are dead. "

Marinette slowly opened her eyes. It hurt to look at the light. She slowly sat up, her arm muscles stiff.

Adrien lay next to her, his body slumped in a position that looked as if he had no life. The basket was overturned as their jackets were piled into mounds, obscuring his face.

She glanced around. The Eiffel tower. What was it with villains and the Eiffel tower?

"Ms Dupain-Cheng, I'm sure you know who I am, so, we need no further introduction," the voice captured Marinette's attention from familiarising with her surroundings.

That voice.... it sounded familiar, not when she was conversing with Hawkmoth during battles, but outside her alter ego - as Marinette.

"Of course, that young man there must be Chat Noir," Hawkmoth said. Marinette swallowed. This choice determines the rest of the plan.

The figure which stood against the sun, was casted in a shadow. Tall, striking, but again, rather familiar.

"If you wish to have the upper hand, I can let you have it. But it would be foolish - you are only a civilian, and he is a de-transformed superhero. You can't defeat me," the smugness was audible in his voice.

"W-what?" Marinette's voice cracked. Relief crashed through her. He won't look at Adrien.

The figure stilled. The woman tilted her face to him. Glasses. The almost invisible shadow of her glasses caught Marinette's eye.

It could be a weakness. The key to the next step. The entire plan was built on their opponents weaknesses and carelessness, one of the misty riskiest plans Marinette has ever engaged in.

Hawkmoth and the woman seem to be considering something, almost as if an unspoken understanding passed through them.

Marinette waited, until, "Ms Dupain-Cheng, what would happen if Ladybug didn't show up?"