Continuing Tales

Wingless

A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Story
by spectaclesandbooks

Part 22 of 38

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The teens were thrown backwards from the force of the explosion, flying onto the ground as brick and shattered glass rained down. Screams rent the air, but a high-pitched whine was dizzyingly loud in Adrien's ears. His vision was blurry, everything seemed to be wobbling and moving oddly slowly. He realised he was lying down, but couldn't seem to make himself move. Something jagged was digging into his back, but the discomfort was negligible amongst his fear and confusion.

Suddenly, there were hands on him, and he was dragged over to meet panicked blue eyes. Some of the smoke in his brain and in front of his eyes began to clear. The roaring in his ears died down enough to make the screamed words audible.

"Adrien. Adrien! Say something, come on. Talk to me!" Marinette cried, dust and smoke smudging her face as she shook him. "Adrien, please!" The world began to move a little less sluggishly as he rushed to assure her he was alright.

"M- Mari, I'm okay." Adrien slurred slightly, waving his hands. He looked around as his brain finally started working properly. Alya and Nino were beginning to sit up woozily a couple of feet away from him. Nino looked winded from the fall, but other than shock, they seemed to be alright. Adrien dragged his gaze forwards, past where Marinette was crouching protectively in front of him with her hands on his shoulders, to where smoke was billowing out from a hole in the buildings that hadn't been there before. Cars had been blown backwards, and flames were starting to snake their way outwards from the point of the explosion. People were screaming and running away, or trying to rouse unconscious companions. He couldn't yet tell which shop it had been that had exploded, but smoke was curling its way towards them and he didn't want to be here when the heat hit.

The world seemed to be juddering, but then he realised Mari was shaking him again, scared by his unresponsiveness.

"Adrien? Adrien, can you hear me?" She cupped his face with her hand, and before he could stop himself, he covered her hand with his own. He heard her brief intake of breath at the contact, but neither pulled away. He gazed up into her eyes, and she stared back.

"Adrien, come on- we need to get you out of here." Marinette blinked after a moment, drawing away. The world seemed to darken around them, the smoke growing into a huge cloud. Adrien heard the crackling of fire, and knew she was right. Marinette put her hands under his arms to help him up, and he saw Nino doing the same for Alya in the corner of his eye. He moved to push his feet under him, but his legs shook. Marinette caught him when he stumbled, looking worried.

"I'm fine." Adrien assured her, leaning a hand on the side of the pizzeria for support. Mari didn't look convinced, but she turned to where the others were leaning on each other, looking terrified.

"We need to get out of here." She ordered, squinting through the smoke and still-falling debris for an exit path. "Come on." She took Adrien's arm and looped it over her shoulder. His legs still not supporting him properly, he let her prop him up as they began to stagger away from the point of the explosion. The growing flames sent licks of heat up his back, and Adrien willed himself to move faster. The sound of sirens began to wail in the distance as they rounded a corner, coughing the smoke out of their lungs.

"Come on- just a bit further," Marinette panted as she half-carried him away. Adrien looked at her as they staggered together, marvelling at how calm she was. Then she pointed ahead of them, to a break in the wall they were following. "Go in there."

She dragged him in first, then Mari propped Adrien against a wall, and turned to help Nino and Alya into the little alleyway in which they'd found brief sanctuary.

"You guys okay?" She asked, her voice strained and raspy, as she looked Nino over carefully at his wince. Adrien could hear screams and yells from the site of the explosion and felt fear judder in his gut. He leaned back against the wall behind him, trying to cough up the taste of smoke.

"Fine." Choked Alya, sliding down the wall to seat herself on the grimy ground. "What the hell was that, though?"

"I dunno," wheezed Adrien, the back of his throat burning from the acidity and heat of the smoke he'd inhaled. "But I don't think I want to find out."

Marinette was staring back the way they came.

"The fire's growing." She murmured hoarsely, and Adrien's heart leapt in fear, knowing what would come next.

"So?" Asked Nino, bending over as he spat the taste of smoke out of his mouth. Marinette's hair was full of ash as she turned to look at him. "The fire engines are on the way.

"There are still people back there." Her eyes were far away, her face set.

Adrien lurched forwards to grab her hand as she began to move.

"Let the police and ambulances deal with it." He begged, knowing full well she wouldn't heed his words. But he had to try.

"They'll get here too late." Marinette tried to tug her arm out of his grip, confused at his intensity but resolute.

"Marinette?" Alya began to stand up warily.

"Someone has to help!"

"Yes, but not you! You'll get yourself killed." Cried the redhead, staggering forwards to take the bluenette's other hand as Adrien clung desperately to her.

"Mari, listen." Adrien's voice was pleading, intense. "The fire department will be here soon. They'll help. We need to wait and find out whether it was an akuma or not, then Chat Noir and Ladybug will come to help, okay? There's nothing we can do now."

Marinette stared at him, her eyes full of tears. The sound of the screams and the roar of the fire dimmed as they gazed at each other.

"I can't just wait here, knowing I could help. People are hurt, people could die. I have to help."

With that, she wrenched her arms free, and sprinted back towards the fire, where staggering shapes and crumpled figures could be seen amongst the smoke and debris.

"Marinette! Come back!" Screamed Alya, staggering after her best friend. Adrien rushed to restrain her, his heart pounding in his ears.

"Nino! Hold her back! And make sure you both stay safe." He yelled, pushing Alya towards the other boy. Terrified, Nino wrapped his arms around his sobbing girlfriend as she struggled.

"What are you going to do?" Nino cried, eyes full of fear.

"I have to help Marinette." Leaving the screams and yells of his friends behind, Adrien ran back out of the alleyway. He saw Marinette running ahead of him and shouted her name. She didn't appear to hear him, as she continued without hesitation, and sprinted until the darkness of the smoke covered her and Adrien could see her no more.

Bellowing in frustration and fear, he ripped open his jacket to see his kwami looking at him with fear and smoke-filled eyes.

"Plagg, claws out!" Adrien roared. The glow of the transformation surrounded him as he ran towards the fire, and strength pumped into his veins. As he ran closer to the growing inferno, he was more grateful than ever before for his suit- the material shielded him somewhat from the intensity of the fire's heat and the film of his mask prevented the smoke from getting into his eyes.

And then the cloud of smoke engulfed him, and he was tossed into a world of heat, screams and darkness.

"Marinette!" Chat screamed, looking around wildly. Everything was grew, save for the one direction illuminated by an orangey glow. Around him, he could see the foggy shapes of people staggering around blindly in the confusion of smoke and terror. "Go that way, that way!" He yelled, running close enough to them for them to see where he was pointing. They seemed to understand, a couple beginning to make their way away from the fire, but he didn't stay long. He had to find Marinette.

Chat ran towards the source of the smoke, the air darkening and thickening around him. He felt the heat intensify and began yelling her name again, his voice cracking in fear and desperation. Where was she?

"Help! Please, help me!" A scream cut through the air, and Chat started. It was a female voice, definitely. But was it Marinette's? "Someone, please!"

Abruptly, a figure erupted out of the smoke next to him. They ran towards the source of the voice, but were close enough for Chat to recognise the now-tattered pink jeans and grey t-shirt. Marinette didn't notice him as she hurtled towards the scream, her hair dishevelled and her face dirtied but determined.

"Marinette!" Yelped Chat, latching onto her arm as she passed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Chat!" She looked relieved but confused. "Listen- a building exploded, people are hurt. Someone's screaming over there, I have to hel-"

Chat gripped her arm tighter as she started trying to tug herself away again.

"You're not transformed!" He yelled furiously. Marinette frowned at him, her eyes red and blurry from the smoke.

"I didn't have time, I had to get my friends out of here, then there were people, and I-"

Chat took her other shoulder in his black paw, his terror and anger nearly overwhelming him.

"Listen to me," he ordered, his voice harsh.

"No- Chat- there's no time!" She cried, desperate to help whoever was screaming. "The civilians, they need me to help, I-"

"I don't give a damn about the civilians right now!" Chat bellowed, shaking her roughly in his panic. "You're putting yourself in danger, and I can't have that. You need to start worrying about yourself instead of everyone else. So either you transform right now, or you get the hell out of here and let me deal with it." His heart was beating frantically, his eyes boring into her in his burning need to convey to her his emotions.

"Chat… I…" Mari whispered, taken aback by his intensity. He didn't let go of her shoulders, and the world seemed to quieten around them as he stared desperately at her. She was barely close enough to him to be visible through the smoke, but he saw her swallow after a moment, nodding her head. "Okay, I- I'll transform."

"Good." Chat nodded, then pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. She squeaked, but he didn't let go. Don't you ever scare me like that again. He told her silently, his relief at finding her almost making the horror of the situation disappear. Holding her felt like an oasis of calm in the horror of the fire, the screams, roaring sounds and heat dimming as he told himself she was safe.

"Tikki, spots on." He heard her whisper over the roar of the fire, and he felt her body change under his hands. The pink glow dissipated, and he pulled back to see her masked face peering up at him through the smoke. "Satisfied, kitty?" Ladybug murmured, cupping his cheek with her hand.

Chat held onto her for one moment more, then relinquished her.

"Yes, m'Lady. Let's go save some civilians."

And they ran off into the fire, hand in hand.

Wingless

A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Story
by spectaclesandbooks

Part 22 of 38

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