Akuma - A Dark Miraculous Ladybug AU

Chapter 10 - "Chase Hunter"

Ladybug jumped through the panel-less window and landed with a thud. She hurriedly got on her feet and observed her surroundings. Smoke clogged the room, thick and dense. The fire still raged on somewhere further into the house, the cackling of flames and following falling of debris shaking the house every now and then. Although she couldn't see the fire, Ladybug could already feel the heat getting to her, making her skin hot and clammy against her clothes. Sweat trailed down her face and her hair started to stick to the perspiration.  However, other than the inferno, the only thing she could hear was harsh panting.

She narrowed her eyes to slits.

Okay, how am I supposed to take down someone like Troublemaker? Last time it was tire out...but I doubt it will work this time...

Her thoughts were interrupted sharply as she felt something jump behind her. Ladybug just managed to slide away before the attacker could grab her earrings.

Ladybug's eyes widened in surprise.

No one could have thought that this person was Troublemaker. The villain's eyes were blacked out unlike her father's, and burns covered her whole body. Tongues of fire disfigured her face, running down the side of her neck and hips, but the worst were her hands -- they were blackened at the tips and the palms were a red mess of blood and oozing boils. Yet she seemed to be completely devoid of pain or suffering.

"Woah...you're...you look..." Ladybug grasped at a sentence as she backed away slowly.

"So kitty got his little bug to defend him," Troublemaker snorted. "How pathetic, so like him."

"He isn't pathetic," Ladybug replied icily.

Troublemaker grinned. "No, of course not. His cowardice is nothing compared to you, is it?"

"What?" Ladybug stammered.

At the moment of weakness, Troublemaker immediately grabbed Ladybug's arm and singed it whole. Ladybug gasps sharply in pain, kicking the akuma in the gut and making her stumble backwards. The pain registered then, and she screamed sharply, but then clamped right down on her tongue. She groaned and clenched her arm in agony, gritting her teeth so tightly she was sure they'd crack under the pressure. Ladybug looked down at her large burn. It had burned her hoodie badly, almost reaching her suit.

"Guess that dumb hoodie of yours actually helped you for once," Troublemaker choked, gaining her balance. "Too bad it won't help you now."

Ladybug frowned nervously.

This isn't good.

Ladybug held her arm, and narrowly dodged her flaming hands. She grabbed a ledge on the ceiling and kicked Troublemaker's face with her knee, managing to knock the akuma backward.

Her eyes darted, she scanned all over the enemy to check for any signs of possession or an akuma of any kind.

Troublemaker regained her composure and created more flames around Ladybug as she had done with Chat Noir. Ladybug narrowly escaped the circle.

Ladybug slid between Troublemaker's legs and twisted her yoyo around her neck. Not tight enough to block her airway but tight enough for it to hurt.

"Penny, this is stupid, what the hell happened? Who died?" Ladybug asked as the akuma tried to untangle the yoyo from around her neck.

"I'm....not...going to be...defeated," Troublemaker kicked Ladybug in the shin and burned off the yoyo string until it was a thin black line. "By some...dumb toy!"

She threw the yoyo to the side, as Ladybug was trembling on her knees. Troublemaker knelt down to grab her earrings.

"You're wide open," Ladybug whispered, grabbing her hands and kicking Troublemaker to the ground.