Not You: A Miraculous Ladybug Tale

Your hand. The one I wasn't holding

Ladybug rushed towards the Eiffel Tower on her yo-yo, a sense of urgency coursing through her veins. When she first became Ladybug, she was nervous about fighting villains. Now she felt an excitement... or perhaps an addiction to the satisfaction she felt in saving the day...in being Ladybug.

Unlike most akumatizations, this time the city was empty. The buildings looked normal with no sign of destruction. No one running for their lives or turning into something weird after being struck by the power of the villain. Everything looked abandoned. Either that or everyone was hiding.

What happened? Was she too late? Had the villain made everyone disappear? Her stomach turned at the thought of losing.

She spotted a flash of black in her peripheral vision. Thank God, it was Cat Noir catapulting his way through the air. He was gritting his teeth and also shared the same worried expression.

"Cat! Over here!" She waved her arms. 

Cat Noir's face released its tension at the sight of her. He flung himself over to her.

"M'lady, I'm so glad to see you. Everyone's gone and I was worried they had you too," he said placing his hand on her shoulder.

She turned her head trying to hide her reddening cheeks, "Do you know what happened?"

"No. I don't. The akumatized person should be here according to the sighting. But I see nothing."

"We should be careful. Maybe their spying on us," Ladybug eyes her surroundings, feeling a chill down her spine at the thought. 

"We could separate to find the akuma faster," he suggested, tilting his head.

"No," She grasped his arm, surprised by her involuntary response. He looked at her with curious eyes and a subtle grin.

"Your attachment to me has grown stronger, I see."

"No! That's not it. I think we're weaker apart. That's all. If we come across the akuma together we'll have a higher chance of capturing it."

He was smiling.

"What!" She felt paranoid, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth. Maybe you're not as proud as I thought."

"Watch it, Kitty."

Just then, Cat Noir threw himself onto Ladybug, his arms wrapping around her back pulling her to his chest. She felt panic rushing through her body. The momentum of the action thrust her onto the ground, causing them to roll over each other. She landed with him looming over her, his hands resting near her shoulders.

Her breath was heavy and she could feel herself trembling from being caught off guard. She glared at him, but his eyes were focused on something in the distance.

"What was that?" she asked.

"It almost hit you," his breath was heavy as well.

"What do you mean?"

When his eyes met hers, she realized how awkward she felt...him only inches above her face. Was he going to kiss her? No! Of course not! That would be inappropriate at this time. Why would she think or want that right now?

He stood to his feet and offered her his hand.

"We have to go now! Before we get struck!

Just then, a string of colored bolts shot towards them. Objects and buildings hit by the bolts were unaffected. Ladybug felt dazed and slightly dizzy from sitting up too quickly.

Cat Noir grabbed her by the arm and guided her to the edge of the rooftop before pulling her close and leaping on his pole. She held on tight and tried to find the source of the bolts. They seemed to come from nowhere were approaching quickly. It was only a matter of time before...well, she wasn't sure.

"Hurry, Cat! It's getting closer!" She dug her fingers into his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll get us to safety!"

He landed in an alleyway and leaned against a wall. She still held onto him as if her hand was sowed to him.

Quiet. Too quiet. Was this too good to be true? It was.

The bolts shot down the alley, striking pots, pans, and windows. Cat Noir took off racing, his hand guiding hers. After twist and turns down different roads, the bolts continued to follow close behind.

In the distance she spotted what appeared to be a closed phone booth. It was covered in police tape with dirt-stained windows. He raced towards the booth and before she knew it, they were huddled on the floor of the phone booth, facing each other.

On the inside, the dirt tainted any light that entered. It also smelled strange. One thing was for sure, it was too small. There wasn't much room to move around. She turned towards him, realizing the small space between them.

"I don't understand who is shooting these bolts," Ladybug whispered.

"We shouldn't go out there until we know what they are and how they affect someone who is struck."

"Maybe they make you disappear."

"No. That can't be it," Cat Noir said in between breaths.

Ladybug cupped her eyes against the filthy glass and attempted to see through. Nothing. Too much plastered dirt.

"It's no use," she said, turning to him. His face startled her.

He looked as if someone was about to die, with a deep grimace.

"What? What's wrong? You're scaring me."

"Did you get struck?" He asked, his tone revealing concern.

"I don't know," she panicked. "Why?"

"Your hand. The one I wasn't holding."

His eyes narrowed. 

She held up her hand to find her bare skin. Why wasn't her suit covering it? She stared at her arm, noticing her suit was slowly de-transforming. At this rate, she would become Marinette in a few minutes...