12. Mother's Touch(1)

"...tachycardia… extreme dehydration... infection..."

Adrien's mind stirred, voices filtering softly into his subconscious. He felt the rapid beating of his heart in his ears but little else. He was floating, his body numb, immobile. He tried to focus on the voices around him, trying to make them out …

"How long has this been going on for?"

"I dunno. I-I started noticing like one or two weeks back b-but he didn't look so bad. He said he was having trouble sleeping. I just thought that he was tired..."

Was that Nino? It sounded like him. He sounded shaken, nervous. The other voice sounded like Mr. Damocles. Why was the Principal there?

"He's extremely thin. Has he been eating?" A voice he didn't recognize asked. It came from somewhere above him.

"Not sure. He's been skipping some lunch breaks. And...I did see him throw up a few times..."

"Eating disorders?"

"I-I don't think so, I just think he legit can't keep it down… he mentioned having a bug and his defenses being low so I thought he had eaten something off..."

"Had he coughed up blood before today?"

"It's the first time I've seen him do that..."

"What about the burns?"

"I...I don't know. Alya?"

"...No clue…"

"Hm…"

Feeling started returning to him little by little. Waves of hot and cold rippled through his body alternatively. His skin was burning but his forehead felt cool, like there was something wet draped over it. He felt the tingling throb of the burn on his back and a stir in his stomach. He tried opening his eyes. It took great effort, but he managed to open them a crack. His eyelids were swollen and his vision was hazy, but he was eventually able to discern his surroundings.

He was in the chemistry lab. He was lying on the floor on something soft; someone dressed in white was hovering over him. Further back, closer to the door, Adrien could make out blotches of color that he presumed were Nino, Alya, and Mr. Damocles. The rest of the room was empty.

Wait… why was he on the floor?

What happened?

Awareness was beginning to trickle back into his mind, feeling returning steadily inch by inch.

He realized that his hoodie and scarf had been removed; the feeling of cool air against his arms and neck gave it away. A wave of anxiety crashed through him, unease rolling in the pit of his stomach. All of his wounds were visible. His scar, his burns, his bruises… They'd seen it all. His friends and the teachers had seen it all! Adrien inhaled sharply through his nose, fingers twitching into motion.

"Look, he's awake!" Nino said, noting Adrien's now fully open eyes.

"Adrien?" the man standing over him spoke. Adrien blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his vision. He flicked his eyes to look at the man, his head too heavy to move. He didn't recognize him. He was a brown-haired man dressed in white, his hands covered in blue plastic gloves. "Adrien, can you hear me?"

"Nn…" Adrien couldn't speak. His mouth was unresponsive, breathing was difficult.

"It's okay. Move your fingers if you understand."

Adrien did, though they felt numb and slow to respond.

"Good. I'm Dr. Barnes. I'm a medic, and I'm here to help you," the man said. Adrien could hear the concerned professionalism in his voice; somehow, he found it soothing.

"I need you to blink twice if you can hear and understand me." Adrien slowly blinked twice, maintaining eye contact with Dr. Barnes. "Good." Adrien felt him lift his right arm, turn it over and hold a syringe to his forearm, "I'm going to give you a shot. Your heart is going a bit crazy in there, so we are going to slow it down, okay?"

Adrien tried to nod but failed. He elected to blink twice in understanding. The medic nodded, getting the message, and Adrien winced as he felt the pinch, followed by the cold feeling of the contents being pumped into his veins.

The medic bandaged up his arm, speaking as he did so. "Now, I need you to answer a few questions for me. Just simple 'yes' and 'no' questions. Blink once for yes, and blink twice for no. Do you understand?"

Adrien blinked once, though he could feel sensation returning to parts of his face.

"Do you know where you are?"

Adrien blinked once, swallowing painfully before attempting to speak.

"...Sch...ool.."

"Do you know what happened to you?"

Adrien drew a blank. He remembered being in class, and then he was walking to the chemistry lab, but everything after that was a blur. It seemed his confused face showed because the medic continued speaking.

"You fainted in class. Do you remember that?"

He fainted? Was his body in that bad of a shape?

He blinked twice, obvious concern in his expression.

"Alright. There's an ambulance waiting outside. We're just going to do a quick check-up at the hospital to make sure everything's okay. We couldn't locate your father, but his assistant is on her way. "

Adrien closed his eyes, grimacing. He was screwed. He was so, so screwed. Nathalie was on her way, and his father would surely find out shortly after if he didn't know already. He wasn't ready to face the pressure and the barrage of questions. He wasn't ready to lie his way out of it. He didn't know what he was going to do. He was at the mercy of his body's unresponsiveness, his mind flitting with all the horrible scenarios that could come from this.

He had messed up. He should've skipped school. He shouldn't have pushed himself this far. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for any of this!

Adrien's breath quickened, pulse throbbing in his veins. He could feel his heart's rhythm fluctuate, as if his own heart was fighting the medication. He still couldn't move, his limbs as heavy as lead. He was getting frustrated, panic rising in his chest.

"Adrien, please calm down, breathe…"

He tried to will his limbs to move, to twitch, anything. He felt claustrophobic in his own body, cursing it for shutting down on him. His body was quickly burning up, and he felt the beads of sweat forming at his brow…

"Adrien-"

Adrien suddenly felt a hand on his cheek and his frightened eyes opened and darted to the owner to his left. He met hazel eyes framed by black glasses.

"Hey, relax..." Alya whispered, crouched at his side, "It's gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay."

There was something oddly calming about the her voice and the feel of her hand against his cheek and his body seemed to relax in response, though it was only slightly. Alya however seemed satisfied with his response and smiled slightly, removing her hand. There was something peculiar in her eyes, like curiosity mingled with understanding. It was like she was silently asking a question that she expected Adrien to answer, but he had no idea what her question was. For a moment, he saw a flash of regret in her eyes, but it was fleeting and gone in the blink of an eye.

"You'd have to be nuts to come to school with a 37 and a half degree temperature." she said with a half smile.

She was trying to be comforting but he didn't feel any better. It just reaffirmed how much his body was rebelling against him. How badly it was finally shutting down on him from days of abuse and illness. However, he made an attempt to calm down, focusing on his heartbeat and trying to regulate it. His body seemed to relax a little bit more, though he was beginning to feel woozy, the room coming in and out of focus.

"You may feel a little bit dizzy," the Dr. Barnes said as he took the pressure in Adrien's right arm, noticing Adrien's wavering gaze. "So try not to move too much. They'll be bringing up the gurney soon." He put a comforting hand on Adrien's arm as he slipped the pressure cuff off. "You're going to be alright."

Adrien breathed deeply. The medic jotted something down on his clipboard while Alya hovered over him as a calming presence. However, her eyes were not on him. They were on his right arm. Her face was contorted in a frown, her eyebrows twitching as she thought. Adrien couldn't tell if she was looking at his scar, or at his ring…

Both worried him.

"Man, you are one crazy dude," Nino commented as he was allowed to settle beside Alya. He looked as shaken as he sounded, and there seemed to be a quiver in his smile. "You didn't actually get this checked, did you?"

Adrien found he had no strength to lie. "N-no…"

Nino sighed deeply, shaking his head. Adrien figured that he was probably disappointed that he had lied to him, but when Nino looked at him again, he saw nothing but concern in his eyes. As his soft, brown eyes bore into his, something in Adrien told him that Nino understood perfectly well why he had to lie. He knew better than anyone else how Adrien felt about this restrictive father, so he deduced Nino had come to the right conclusion on his own.

Adrien had hid the gravity of his condition, not because he didn't trust Nino, but because Adrien was trying to downplay everything to keep his father off his back.

Which unfortunately, would not be possible anymore. His ruse was up, Nathalie was on her way, and Adrien could already feel himself kissing his freedom goodbye.

He exhaled in defeat. Although he was scared, he slowly resigned himself to the inevitable.

Well, I kept my word, Plagg, Adrien thought ruefully as the medic finished taking his temperature again.

"Your fever is rising," the medic commented as he looked at the thermometer, his brow furrowed, "Your burn is infected… It's unlike any kind of burn I've seen before, and son, I've been a medic for a long time. How did you get it?"

Adrien didn't immediately respond. Alya was looking at him expectantly. He swallowed nervously.

"Um..."

BOOM!

Adrien froze.

"Woah, I think we're gonna get a downpour today…" Nino commented, looking out the window with an impressed whistle.

Adrien's heartbeat quickened. Eyes blew wide in terror.

"N-no…no…" he muttered.

"What?" Alya asked him, with a quirked eyebrow. "Hey, wait!"

Adrien's sudden fear had kickstarted his nerves, shocking his limbs into motion as he shakily tried to raise his head, a wet cloth slipping off his forehead.

"Be still, you aren't supposed to move-" Dr. Barnes said, pushing gently on Adrien's shoulder to get him to lay back down.

"No! No...th-er!" Adrien mumbled more urgently, weakly fighting off both the medic's and Nino's grasp as they tried to get him to lie down again.

"You're not making any sense dude! Chill!" Nino said.

"NO THUNDER!" Adrien yelled with a force he didn't know he had, startling everyone off him. He was manic by this point, limbs flailing and kicking everyone away. "Not thunder! Not thunder!"

His body felt like a dead weight, the world around him spinning from the medication, but adrenaline kicked in and Adrien managed to get on all fours and stumble to his feet, nearly falling again as he grabbed on a table for support. His legs trembled with the effort to hold him up, and he shook his head in an attempt to get the room to stop moving.

"Mr. Agreste, calm yourself!" Mr. Damocles pleaded, "Ms. Nathalie is on her way, please go lie down again!"

"Not s-safe!" Adrien wheezed as he moved to grab his bag off the ground with a trembling hand, arm shooting up to keep the medic off him, "Get out!"

"Adrien, you are scaring us, what is it?" Alya asked him, keeping her distance from the panicking Adrien.

"Evacuate!" Adrien yelled at them, his pale face drenched in sweat as he slung his bag over his shoulder and backed away from them with staggering step. "Y-you're a-all in danger!"

"What? Why?" Nino asked, eyebrow raised.

A terrible roar suddenly broke through the air and Adrien's eyes shot to the ceiling as the light fixtures clattered, "No...no..."

Everyone looked at him quizzically… Except for Alya. Her eyes widened as she seemed to realize something, a soft gasp ghosting past her lips.

Another rumble filled the air and the ground shook violently. Everyone gasped in surprise and grabbed on to the tables to hold steady and Adrien took advantage of their momentary distraction to slip out of the classroom before he could be stopped. He stumbled down the hallway, mind reeling.

"Hey, kid, are you okay?" Plagg whispered urgently, poking his head from underneath the lapel of Adrien's bag, "You passed out! Where are you going? You were getting help!"

"I… have… to ...warn … everyone!" Adrien said between gasps, desperately fighting his body's exhaustion as he ran while holding the railing for support. "He's back!"

"Who's back―" Plagg's voice cut off abruptly and his tiny green eyes widened, "No... Adrien, no!"

But Adrien ignored him, limping past classrooms as students poked their heads out at the commotion, asking what was going on.

"Adrien, stop, please!" Plagg pleaded.

Adrien stayed silent, staggering down the steps to the first floor as quickly as his beat-up body could take him. There was no way he could warn the whole school in time. He'd have to take drastic measures.

"Where's the fire alarm?" Adrien asked, more to himself that to anyone. "The fire alarm… I need the fire alarm!"

"Adrien, there's no way you are winning this! Back down!"

BOOM!

Adrien was blown off his feet as an explosion went off in the middle of the courtyard, and he rolled across the ground with a pained moan. Screams filled the air; when Adrien opened his eyes again he saw a large smoking crater a few feet from where he had been standing, debris and pieces of concrete scattered all around it.

An strident laugh filled the air and Adrien's heart leapt to his throat.

"Take cover!" Plagg hissed as Adrien struggled to his feet. Students had come out of their classrooms, gasping and chattering in fear. They were confused, pointing at the crater in the first floor in panic. Adrien looked around him, trying to find the fire alarm. He located it a few feet away, a bright red box perched on the wall. He stumbled to it and grabbed onto the white lever. It was tough, even more so with his unsteady grasp, but he managed to pull it down and the howl of the alarm soon filled the entirety of the school.

As bells and honks went off and students and teachers started filing out of the rooms in a frenzy, Adrien dragged himself to the boy's bathroom and locked himself in a stall.

"Don't dare transform!" Plagg told him immediately after Adrien sat on the toilet and opened the lapel of his bag, "That was a warning shot! He is trying to flush you out!"

"How did he know I was here, though?" Adrien asked him, his pulse quickening in his veins.

"It was the last place he saw you, so he probably figured you were still around! Do not confirm it!"

"What if he hurts someone?" Adrien countered.

"He hasn't purposefully hurt someone before, he just wants to wreak havoc to get you to come out!"

"He nearly killed Marinette's mother yesterday!"

"Because you showed emotion!" Plagg screeched, "You showed that you cared! She was just in front of him!" Plagg rubbed his eyes, exasperation turning into desperation before Adrien's eyes. "He could've gotten her if he wanted to, but he didn't, did he? He scorched the air in front of her to see your reaction, and you confirmed his suspicions! He took advantage of it and used her as leverage!" His green eyes drilled into Adrien's. "This is why no one is supposed to know who you are! It puts the people that you care about in danger if word gets out!"

Adrien sighed despondently, eyes closing in contemplation. There was truth in Plagg's words, but at the same time, his gut told him he had to move and do his job. Dragonfire may not have been purposefully trying to hurt anyone, but the wreckage he was leaving behind could very well do just that. Adrien felt torn between his two choices. To intervene, or not to? Would his absence make matters better or worse? Would he leave if Adrien stayed where he was?

"You are not fit to fight, Adrien," Plagg interrupted his thoughts, his voice a bit lower, more pleading. "Look at you. You can barely stand up straight, you're warmer than molten Camembert, and your eyes keep skewing. Even if you transform, you don't stand a chance!"

Adrien hunched on the toilet, his drive waning. Plagg was right, once again. He felt like a wreck. His joints ached, his whole body felt like fragile glass, his skin burned terribly, and the heart medication kept screwing with his heart rate, making him dizzy. What chance did he stand?

"Please, Adrien..." Plagg whispered, laying a paw on Adrien's hand, "Evacuate the school like a normal student, get help, and then you can come back."

"Plagg…"

BOOM!

The ground shook again and Adrien nearly toppled off the toilet seat.

"He's still at it!"

"He's trying to scare you to bring you out! Don't give in to his taunting!"

"What's that?" He could hear commotion outside, crying and screaming and thumping. He stood from the seat and walked out of the stall to the door, poking his head out.

He was met with mayhem. The courtyard was full of students huddled together, cowering and crying with their teachers or friends. Some of them had begun to cough, their faces marred with dirt.

"We're trapped!"

"Someone help us!"

"There's no other exit!"

"Help!"

Trapped?

Adrien realized with growing horror that the courtyard was quickly filling with smoke. Classrooms on the second floor were burning up, flames licking the railings through broken windows, and as Adrien's eyes scanned the damage frantically, he realized why no one was moving.

The exit had caved in. Dragonfire had sealed them off.

They were all going to die.

Damn it!

"Plagg!"

"Adrien, no! There has to be another way!"

"TRANSFORM ME!"

Green flashed in the room, and he felt his suit materialize around him. He still felt sicker than a dog, his mask hot against his face, but at least his muscles felt strong enough to help people out of there, even if he wasn't fit to fight a full grown dragon. He'd handle that later.

Taking a deep calming breath to assuage his nerves, he left the bathroom and people gasped upon seeing him, clamoring for him.

"What happened?" Chat Noir asked Ms. Bustier, who was close to him comforting one of her younger students.

"We were moving in lines to leave the building and then something exploded in the roof and the entrance collapsed!" she explained, her face white and hair disheveled. "There were also bursts of fire in the classrooms. Everyone had already left, thank goodness, but now we can't go up! The second floor is up in flames!"

Son of a…

He had blocked the entrance off and made sure they couldn't escape through the roof, either. There was no way firefighters would get to them in time.

He really hated this Akuma.

"Thank you. Stay calm, Miss, I'll take it from here. Make everyone lay down on the floor and cover their mouths!"

"Yes, Chat Noir. Thank you!"

He sprinted toward the entrance as quick as his limbs could take him, jumping over blocks of cement and running around scared, coughing students with an arm against his face. He had to get them out quick before they all passed out from asphyxiation. His heart worried for Nino and Alya, but he had no time to seek them out. It was a race against the clock.

He reached the exit, finding Mr. Damocles and some of the other teachers trying to unblock the wreckage, with little success. Chat Noir assessed the situation. He considered using Cataclysm but that could just make more masonry fall on them, not to mention he didn't know if he could save them all before his timer ran out and he transformed back. If Ladybug was here, it'd be possible… but he was on his own. He had to think fast.

"Mr. Damocles, please stand aside!" Chat Noir told him. The portly principal looked at him, eyes wide in surprise, but he nodded silently and stepped aside, as did all the teachers.

"What are you going to do?" The principal asked him.

"Just stand back!" Chat said. After giving the blockage one last look, he thought he saw an opportunity for escape. A small sliver of light filtered through the cracks. He knelt and sunk his hands deep into the rock. Taking one deep breath, Chat pulled back with all his might, his strength enhanced by Plagg's power. His body protested at the effort, but Chat kept pulling, groaning through his teeth.

Rocks shifted around him, stones pitter pattering on his head as larger blocks fell to the floor from the heap. Chat kept tugging and with a resounding yell, he managed to pull out one of the larger rocks from the bottom off the heap, prompting smaller ones to clatter to the floor and widen the hole he had made. Light from outside filtered through the hole, which was big enough to let people out if they bowed their heads. People behind him cheered, but Chat did not join in.

The remaining rocks groaned ominously, dust raining from the rest of the blockage. Realizing what was about to happen, Chat ran forward and put his arms up just as a stone beam gave out, stopping it before it collapsed and blocked them all in again. He screamed in pain as the whole weight of the blockage fell on him, his arms bending until the rock pressed hard on his back, body tensing as the weight fell on his knees. His nerves and muscles screamed in agony, his legs trembling terribly, but he held his ground, keeping the window of escape open, breathing heavily through his nose.

Firefighters were outside already, along with ambulances and concerned family members trying to get to their children. They had begun to fire jet streams of water at the windows of the second floor in an attempt to tame the flames.

"Get… out!" Chat grunted, his eyes squeezed shut at the effort, teeth gritting. "Out!"

He heard people begin to move behind him, instructed by their teachers, and out came kid after kid, crouching low under Chat's arms and running to their families at the foot of the stairs. Firefighters reached Chat and helped the victims out, taking them to safety if they were too dizzy or scared to do it themselves.

Chat held the rocks up with every ounce of strength he had but it was quickly waning, his arms going numb. He tried to tap into the latent source of energy at the back of his head, itching for a burst in power, but he couldn't focus. He had begun to breath in the stream of smoke filtering from the hole and he choked. His whole body was burning, his lungs on fire as he struggled to breathe. A horrible spark of pain shot from his stomach and he could feel the familiar watery sensation in his throat…

Not now, please, not now…

But he could not stop it. He heaved, and liquid rose from his throat in a burst of copper flavor, seeping through his lips and dripping to the floor in splashes of red. His eyes watered, his muscles screaming for release as he choked on his own blood.

"Come on Ms. Cesáire, you are next!"

Chat cracked his eyes open at the familiar name and glanced to the side. Alya was crouched under his arm, staring at him in horror, her face full of soot and dirt. He could see the deep worry in her eyes, like she wanted to reach out, but he could hear Nino urging her on from behind.

She moved, and out came Nino, looking in as bad shape as Alya did. He looked at Chat, his eyes widened, frightened.

"Our friend Adrien," he said hastily, pleading, "We can't find him! He's really sick, I-I can't leave him behind!"

Shit.

Chat hesitated. He racked his brain for an excuse.

"He...made it out… I saw him," Chat grunted, "Run away from the school… b-before ...I-I came in…"

"Really?" Alya asked him, she looked relieved, but there was a curious quirk to her brow.

Like she did not believe him.

"Alya, you heard him!" Nino said, "Let's get out of here! Adrien must be waiting out back! Let's go find him! Thank you, Chat Noir!"

"Go…" Chat whispered to her, blood dripping from his mouth.

Alya moved hesitantly, looking over her shoulder at him as she and Nino were dragged away by a firefighter. He saw the rest of his class steadily trickle through the hole and to the safety of the streets in between coughs and cries. Chat's knees began to buckle, his strength leaking away with every drop of blood that hit the floor and every cough that racked his body. He was sweating, his costume and hair sticking uncomfortably against his skin from the heat coming from behind him. His back was alight with pain, as if his burns were new. His vision had begun to darken and he had to shake his head to keep himself conscious.

After a few agonizing minutes and countless victims later, Mr. Damocles slithered out of the hole in a crouch, coughing.

"That's the last one Chat Noir!" he told him between coughs. Chat nodded in understanding and waited for the older man to finish moving to safety with the firefighter before doing anything. He was nearly out, just a little bit more…

And then, a dark, resounding chuckle filled the air.

If Chat had had fur, he was pretty sure it would've stood on end.

He heard the terrible flap of large wings above him and then a resounding crash coming from the roof. The stone around him groaned and he realized with no little amount of dread that it was too late for him.

His body slammed hard against the ground as the whole façade collapsed around him with a strident crash. He cried out in agony as a rock fell heavy and hard on his left shoulder, causing it to crack sickeningly and pinning his arm in an unnatural angle. Tears of immense pain sprung from his eyes, blood coming in spurts from his mouth and nose as his chest and legs were crushed under the full weight of the wreckage.

His free arm shot out in despair, clawing at the ground in front of him as he struggled to bring air into his lungs, his mouth opening and closing uselessly. Smoke bellowed all around him, making him choke, and he felt the heat of the fire through the rocks and against his skin.

"POOR, POOR KITTY," a dark voice whispered somewhere above him, "SO NAIVE. SO PREDICTABLE! I COULD FREE YOU, IF YOU WOULD ONLY MAKE THE TRADE…"

Chat's eyes flitted desperately around him. People had backed away as they saw the building collapse, watching in terror as their last hero was trapped under the crackling inferno of flames and rock. He could see the firefighters desperately trying to assuage the flames with their hoses but they seemed too afraid to get closer to help Chat out. Could they hear the Akuma as well?

"ONE WORD, CHAT NOIR, AND YOU WILL BE FREE," Dragonfire sneered. Chat glanced above him. He saw a pair of large fuchsia eyes glaring at him, floating in the air. Dragonfire was most likely hanging on to the side of the building, his face dangerously close to Chat, breathing hot and heavy against his cheek.

He had no voice to speak with, lost to the smoke and flames, but Chat mouthed a clear "No."

Dragonfire growled, "THEN YOU SHALL MEET THE SAME FATE LADYBUG DID! OH HOW SHE MUST HAVE SUFFERED WHEN YOU LEFT HER TO DIE IN THAT WRECKAGE!"

Something inside Chat broke and he sobbed, his right arm slowly ceasing its flailing. His vision was darkening around the corners, the world around him swimming as his oxygen started to deplete. He was suffocating. He could no longer think. Dragonfire's terrible words were all that enveloped his mind.

"NOW YOU WILL FEEL HER PAIN. AND LIKE HER, THERE WILL BE NO ONE TO SAVE YOU!" Dragonfire snarled, "I WILL TAKE YOUR MIRACULOUS FROM YOUR SCORCHED, DEAD HANDS!"

Chat felt Dragonfire open his jaws, felt the familiar sensation of stifling heat building around him. He could even hear the toxic gases come together to form the deadly flame in the back of the Akuma's throat…

Chat Noir sucked in a breath, laid down his head, and closed his eyes.

I'm sorry, Plagg… Marinette…

He ceased moving and braced.

But the terrible stream of fire he expected never came.

Instead, he felt water splash on his face and soon after, heard Dragonfire's screech of pain. Chat opened his eyes a crack, but his vision was blurry, turning dark by the second. He saw a flash of magenta hurtling to the sky, screeching in anger. It flew away from Chat with a displeased roar, and disappeared into the clouds.

What was...that?

But he had no chance to ponder it. He got lightheaded and his vision tunneled. The smoke completely surrounded him, and he coughed pathetically against the floor, blood dripping down his lips. He couldn't breathe anymore, every pant, every wheeze, pointless. The world around him swam, turning darker and darker…

Is this how it felt for you, Marinette? The thought came unbidden to his head. Is this what you had to go through because I wasn't there for you?

Tears slipped from his eyes, but they evaporated before hitting the ground. The fire was encompassing him, stifling him.

I'm so sorry…

I'm so sorry you had to suffer...

Forgive me…

Please...

He could hear yelling and someone calling his name, but his consciousness slipped away. He had ceased to breathe.

The pain suddenly lessened, his eyes fluttering closed.

And amidst the sound of his name being called, someone yelling at someone else to stop, and the crackling of flames, he was lost to the world.

He was laying on something soft. It was plump and comfortable. His eyes were closed, and he could feel slender fingers raking through his hair. He purred against the sensation and a beautiful laugh reached his ears.

Chat opened his eyes, green meeting gorgeous bluebell.

"Hello, Adrien," she said with a kind smile.

"Ladybug…" Chat replied with a lazy smile. She had his head laying on her folded legs, her gloved hand gently stroking his hair. He reached up with an arm, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. Her loose hair fell around his hand in soft waves, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, kitty," she smiled. Although her body radiated no heat, he felt warm. She was a beacon of light, glowing ethereally above him, her eyes gentle, her smile sweet.

"Ladybug?"

"Yes?"

"You are so beautiful."

She chuckled, "So you've told me. Am I, really?"

Chat righted himself, only half registering they were on a flowery hill overlooking the city of Paris.

"Breathtakingly so," Chat murmured with a grin, getting his face so close to hers that their noses touched, his fingers dancing gently on the skin of her cheek. "Without a shadow of a doubt…"

"Well, that's very kind of you to say," she giggled, allowing his hand to slowly lower to caress her neck, and then her chin, fingers curling to grab it gently.

"My Lady?"

"Yes?"

"May I kiss you?"

She gave a sigh, and he was surprised to see her lids fall to half mast, "I thought you'd never ask."

Their lips met, soft and gentle, her pink lips moving on his confidently as her hands traveled up his chest to surround his neck with her arms. His hands moved to caress her upper back, pressing her closer to him.

"Adrien," she sighed against his mouth before retaking his lips again, suddenly moving on him with an eager desperation.

Her hands returned to his chest and he felt her push on him until he lay on his back, placing her legs on either side of him, straddling him. He was startled by her brazen approach, but he was immediately distracted by her lips returning to move on his eagerly, her hair tickling his cheeks.

He hummed at her excitement, parting his lips at her insistent plea for entrance. He felt warmth travel through him as she pressed her body to his, her tongue exploring the recesses of his mouth without hesitation. Chat angled his head, responding to her zeal with just as much yearning, deepening the kiss and exploring her back. His hands roved over her body, gently sliding up her sides and down her spine.

Heavens above, she was a goddess. He couldn't believe what was happening. His Lady, pressed against him, ravaging his mouth as if she owned him. She had utmost control over him and he was completely content. He would be hers until he ceased to draw breath.

In the haze of pleasant feelings consuming him, he idly felt one of her hands leave his chest to touch his forehead.

Heat exploded in his head upon contact, and his thoughts scrambled, images flitting through his head in rapid succession. He felt an insistent pressure, messing up his mind.

He groaned against her in protest, grimacing at the odd sensation.

"Shhh," she soothed against his mouth, her hand boring against his forehead, pressing his head against the grass. Her mouth slid down to his jawline, peppering it with kisses before they moved further down and reached his neck, warm lips surrounding the sensitive skin around his Adam's apple. He gasped at the sensation, forgetting for a moment about the pressure in his head. His body tingled with the most pleasant feeling he'd ever felt, skin alight with fluttering and goosebumps.

This was so unlike her. He never would've thought Ladybug could be this forward but his mind was so disconnected, his head too full of sensation, to question what was going on or fight it. His mind misted over. He couldn't stop. His restraint melted away. He let go of every inhibition and it felt great. He felt loved and wanted and oh he ached for so much more…

He grabbed her waist and he surprised both of them by pushing on her and rolling over until he lay on top of her. Her eyes were wide in surprise, but it didn't last long. Her lids lowered again, the corner of her lips raising seductively. One of her hands reached up to curl her fingers around the back of his neck and she pulled him down.

Their lips met again, but now he sought her hungrily, lips moving passionately against hers, a deep purr rumbling in his chest. She hummed in delight, angling her head to give him better access, her hands travelling up to caress the back of his head. He felt hot pressure again, and his mind exploded in white flashes, causing him to gasp against her lips, but she pulled him down again, forcing him against her.

"Shhh," she soothed again. Chat's mind went blank and he let go. His mouth left her lips to return her previous favor, kissing against her jawline and trailing down to her neck the same way she had done. He purred against her skin, loving the way it tingled under his lips. She sighed at his attentions, her lips stretching into a contented smile.

He was getting so into it, consumed by her scent and the feel of her body against his, until he felt something odd in his throat. He coughed against her skin, and he pulled back, choking.

"Adrien?" she asked. "What is it?"

Chat didn't respond, he was coughing insistently, face pulled tight in a grimace. He could distinguish the taste of coal and copper against his tongue and a sharp pain shot up from his chest. Her face contorted in worry and she straightened, cupping his face.

"Adrien, what's wrong?"

He moaned in response and he shrunk into himself. She frowned and brushed a thumb against his lips. She slowly withdrew her hand, finding her fingers stained red in his blood. She inhaled sharply.

"You need to wake up!" she said urgently, "Now!"

"I don't want to wake up..." he choked. "I don't want to go back!"

"You have to face the Akuma!" she insisted.

"I can't!" he cried, "I can't! I'm too weak, I can't beat him!"

"Paris needs you, Adrien!"

"I can't-"

"It's fine, you can do this," she said encouragingly, cupping his cheeks gently and smiling, "I believe in you!"

Adrien gave a deep sigh, his cat ears drooping. "...Will I see you again?"

"Of course. I will be right here," she said, laying her forehead against his. His vision began to go black, as if his eyes were closing. He felt an invisible pull on his body, his skin alight with a tingling sensation. He could see a light glow brightly behind Ladybug.

"Adrien?"

"Yes, My Lady?"

"I love you…"

His world went dark.

"He's breathing again!"

"Oh, thank goodness…"

Chat's cat ears twitched. He could hear chatter farway, as if he was underwater, but mostly, he could hear his own labored breathing loud and clear in his head. He breathed erratically, and he felt a stifling sensation, as if there was something on his face. He frowned. Where was he?

"He's coming to..."

"Chat Noir?"

Chat wanted to nod but he couldn't move his body. When he tried, his breathing faltered. He focused on his breathing instead, trying to steady it. But no matter how much or how fast he breathed, it seemed like only a smidgen of it was getting to his lungs. He was suffocating. He could feel himself fading again...

"Breathe deeply, son."

The voice was familiar. He couldn't place it but he didn't hesitate to obey it. He breathed in long and deep, concentrating on getting air into his body. Over and over, he breathed in steadily, and little by little, he could feel oxygen flowing through his body again. His mind began to clear.

"That's it, good job..."

Chat's eyes opened slowly. The world in front of him was blurry. The sky had darkened with the incoming rain, thunder rolling across the sky. He could see the red and yellow lights of sirens around him, splashes of dark colors meeting his gaze. There were people above him but he couldn't make them out. His body still felt dormant, lying prone on a soft surface. He was being held, his upper body and head being supported with what felt like an arm. There was something thick and transparent like a mask on his face, covering his nose and mouth.

"Chat Noir, can you hear us?" the familiar voice said again. It was a man on his left, big and burly. He could make out a bright blue shirt and brown hair. At the lack of a reply, the man leaned in closer, and Chat blinked slowly to focus on him.

Tom Dupain's face materialized in front of him. His hair and mustache were dirtied and disheveled, his face and shirt stained dark with soot, sweat, and grime.

"You okay, son?"

Chat tried to speak but only a squeak came out. His throat was sore, his mouth dry. He trembled slightly as feeling started returning to him.

"He'll be alright," the firefighter holding Chat said as he continued to hold the oxygen mask to Chat's face. He then nodded at someone beyond Chat's field of vision. "He's awake, bring the stretcher."

Stretcher?

No…

No no no!

Panic rose in Chat's chest like a firework. He couldn't be taken to the hospital. If he was taken like this, his identity would surely be discovered! He squirmed, limbs flailing weakly, hissing loudly as pain shot up from his left arm. He couldn't move it, and it lay useless at his side.

"Woah, calm down, Chat Noir!"

But Chat didn't stop, using his right arm to push against the mask on his face, legs kicking to get as far away a possible as he could from them. The firefighter held on to him, but his grasp slipped and Chat crawled away, wheezing as the oxygen mask was pulled from him. His back connected with a hard surface and he flinched, shrinking into himself like a frightened cat.

"Take it easy, we are just trying to help you!" the firefighter said, raising his hands as a peace offering.

Chat panted heavily, eyes flitting from place to place frantically. He coughed as he struggled to find his feet, gagging at the taste of ash and blood in his mouth. He rose shakily, his right hand finding support on the ambulance behind him as his left hung limp at his side. His head was swimming, and through the haze he saw people around him, paramedics, firefighters, policemen, all looking at him, some trying to reach him…

He had to disappear.

Holding his left arm to his side with his right, he broke into a run, ignoring his body's protests. He heard them call his name, begging him to stop, but Chat didn't slow down until he had managed to leap down the stairwell to the Seine and disappeared under the bridge.

He waited, pressed against the wall, but after a few moments he realized he hadn't been followed and he relaxed. He let out a breath and slumped to the floor, eyes sliding shut. It was still hard to breathe, but he was no longer suffocating. However, feeling was returning, and with it, all the pain from his wounds and illness. His left arm stung terribly, and it lay motionless on his lap.

It was probably broken.

He heaved a combination of a hiss and a sob, tears welling up at the edge of his eyes as he tried to ride out the pain. He couldn't detransform and get help. He knew losing Plagg's protection would only make it worse and he was not ready for that. He was also not ready to face his father and Nathalie as Adrien.

His body however, was heating up again, his fever probably worsening from inhaling so much smoke, and he began to sweat. Everything hurt. Everything stung. Everything ached, and at one point it became so unbearable he blacked out against the wall, his body sliding sideways on the brick till he lay on his side, curled into a fetal position.

By the time he regained consciousness again he didn't know how much time had passed. All he knew was that it was dark, it was raining, and he felt very very sick.

He needed help. Badly.

He regretted letting so much time pass. He should've listened to Plagg and Nino and everyone else. He had been so stupid. He could barely move, and if he transformed now it would be even worse. What could he do?

And it was then that a desperate thought slipped into his head.

Please know that you are always welcome at our home. Whatever you may need, we will provide.

The Dupain-Chengs.

They were close by, too. If he could only get a bit patched up...

But would he truly be welcome, especially after putting Madame Cheng at so much risk? He recalled Tom had been there when he was revived, looking as if he had been in the fire. Why was he there? He was asking if he was okay. Surely, he didn't hold hard feelings for him?

At any rate, it was his only option. It was worth a shot.

He pulled himself up with his one functional arm, shaking terribly with effort. It took him a full five minutes to stand, and by the time he managed it, he was panting. He found himself leaning on the wall for support, fighting back the nausea building in his throat. Trying to ignore the creaking of his joints, he walked forward with faltering steps. He gritted his teeth as every move sent sparks of pain up his body. He followed the wall with his hand, his vision going out of focus as he moved.

Rain poured on him like a torrent as he left the cover of the bridge and slowly dragged himself up the stairs. Each step easily took an entire minute to climb, and he was left exhausted, fighting to regain his breath. By the time he reached the top of the stairs, he was chilled to the bone and breathing with great difficulty. His eyes threatened to close and his body was nearing the point of collapse, but he trudged on.

Soon his eyes ceased working properly. His vision had completely blurred, and he followed the general direction of the Bakery, pinpointed by the glow of the store. His knees gave out midway and he fell with a splash and a grunt, but he continued following the light, dragging himself to the Dupain-Cheng's doorstep. He could only pray that they'd be willing to help him...

He could see the dark door leading to the foyer, just a few feet away.

He was so close. So, so close…

THUMP!

Sabine jumped in her skin behind the register, her frightened eyes looking at the door behind her.

"Tom," she started.

"Stay here," Tom said, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder and grabbing a large roller from the table at the backend of the bakery. Tom walked to the foyer silently, holding his roller at the ready.

"Who's there?" he called.

No response.

"I'm warning you, I'm armed!"

Still no answer.

Tom arched an eyebrow then reached forward slowly with a hand, fingers curling around the knob. Taking a deep breath, he yanked back the door and raised his roller, but hesitated when he met empty air.

"Huh?"

"Who is it, Tom?"

Tom scratched his head, "No one, I think someone was―"

He stopped when he heard soft coughing from below. When he looked down, he instantly jumped back in surprise.

"Sabine!"

Sabine came running at the call, stopping in her tracks with a gasp when she saw Chat Noir collapsed on the doorstep in a puddle of rain, soaked to the skin, his face white and grimacing in pain.

"Oh my goodness, is he...?" she asked, quivering fingers over her mouth.

"No, he's still breathing," Tom said as he crouched on the ground, hand floating in front of Chat's face. "But I think he's unconscious."

"Should we call an ambulance?" she asked.

"He didn't seem too keen on that earlier. We should probably ask him first," Tom said.

"But... we can't just wait and leave him there," she whispered, her eyes pleading.

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded, "We won't. Could you get the living room set up?"

Sabine nodded and went upstairs.

Tom moved cautiously, looking down both ends of the street to make sure there was no sign of the Akuma before he reached out with his arms and delicately turned Chat Noir on his back. He slipped both hands under his back and knees and hauled him up with ease. His body hung limp in Tom's strong arms and Chat Noir gave a small whimper of pain.

"Shh, I got you," Tom soothed, closing the door with his foot and ignoring the spreading cold on his chest. Chat Noir was drenched, his hair plastered to his face and droplets sliding down his leather suit and dripping to the floor. Although his eyes remained closed - leading Tom to believe he was unconscious- Chat Noir grunted softly with every step Tom took. He tried to climb slowly up the stairs, intent on causing Chat the least amount of pain possible, but it was clear to Tom that Chat Noir was in too bad of a shape to really make any difference.

He reached the living room, finding Sabine had already draped several blankets and towels across the couch in the middle of the room and subdued the lights. Tom moved towards the couch and gently lay down Chat Noir while Sabine helped ease his head on a pillow.

Chat's body settled into the soft surface, and he let out a shaky breath. He looked so pale and sick, a unhealthy flush peeking from underneath his mask and fading into the reddened skin of his burnt jaw.

"Mm...A...rm…" Chat slurred suddenly and Tom and Sabine jumped at the hoarseness of his voice.

"Chat Noir?" Tom asked.

"My… arm…" he repeated his eyes opening slightly as he tried to turn on his side, "Please..."

"Your arm?" Sabine asked. "Does your arm hurt?

Chat Noir groaned in pain as he tried to sit up with little success.

"Here, let me help you," Tom offered, grabbing him from the side and helping him right himself on the couch. Chat Noir swayed, but Tom held him steady.

"I… think it's... b-broken," Chat moaned, holding onto Tom with his right arm as he fought the dizziness, his left dangling at his side.

"Let me see," Tom said. He grabbed Chat's left arm - Chat had to stifle a hiss - and softly began kneading it with his fingers. The more he traveled up his arm, the more pained Chat's noises were.

"I feel something in your shoulder but I'd need to see it..." Tom scratched his head, taking a look at all of Chat's getup, "But I understand if you do not want to take off your suit…Uh, identity and all?"

"I-I can… a little," Chat rasped. He reached up with his right hand and grabbed his bell. With a few pulls he managed to lower it, opening the suit across his chest. He pulled on the bell until he reached his navel, where the zipper ended. "That's.. as far as i-it goes…"

"That works fine," Tom moved forward again, carefully grabbing the neck of his suit and gently pulling the fabric back and down his left arm. Chat gasped loudly as the fabric caused his arm to move.

"Oh dear," Sabine commented as Chat's shoulder came into view, and Tom hummed under his breath.

"That doesn't look good," he said.

Chat's shoulder was completely bruised, marred with splotches of purple and red. It was heavily swollen and it had a strange bump on its front, right beside Chat's collarbone. Tom gently pressed a finger to the bump and Chat cried loudly in pain. Tom then hummed in thought, removing his finger.

"Your arm isn't broken, but your shoulder is dislocated," Tom said finally. "That bump is the bone jutting out of the joint."

"C-Can y-you fix i-it?" Chat asked, his voice hitching.

"I could try. But technically only a doctor should do this," Tom began, "We could get you help―"

"N-no, p-please," Chat begged, his eyes glistening, "Try…"

Tom tried to refuse him, but in the end, seeing Chat in so much pain and begging so hard softened his heart. He sighed in defeat, looking hesitantly at Sabine before repositioning himself, "Alright, if that's what you want, but it will be unpleasant."

"D-Do what you m-must."

Tom nodded before taking a clean hand towel from the pile Sabine had brought and offering it to Chat. "Take this. Put it in your mouth."

"W-What for?" Chat asked, grabbing the towel with his right hand.

"This might hurt," Tom said, looking at him meaningfully.

Chat gulped but nodded quietly. He opened his mouth, settled the towel there, and bit down.

Tom nodded, "Sabine, please hold him. I need you to pull from the other side."

Sabine moved to surround Chat around his torso with her arms, one of them going under his left armpit to leave his arm free. Chat swallowed nervously and closed his eyes, the fingers on his right hand curling on the edge of the couch to avoid hurting Sabine in the process.

"Are you ready?" Tom asked.

Chat nodded.

"All right, here goes."

Tom grabbed his arm and pulled on it, but he could've popped it right off and it probably would've hurt less. Pain like a electric current shot from Chat's shoulder and his back arched, a terrible scream ripping from his throat and muffled by the towel in his mouth.

"It's going to be ok, hang in there, Chat!" Tom encouraged. He pulled a bit harder on his arm, twisting and tugging to get the shoulder dislodged from its current position. Sabine held on to Chat's torso, pulling in the opposite direction as steady as she could while Chat wriggled under her grasp. Managing to dislodge it, Tom grunted as he now tried to get the joint back into its place, but Chat was thrashing too much. For him, it burnt like a searing sun, sending jolts of painful electricity up and down his muscles, to the point he just wanted to rip it off and be done with it. They could hear him sobbing behind his gag.

"It's already halfway in, please hold on a little bit longer!" Tom begged, pressing him down against the couch with one hand as the other tried to force the shoulder joint back in. Chat yowled terribly, claws sinking into the soft fabric of the couch, tears streaming from his eyes. Then, a soft clack sounded from his arm and Chat quieted abruptly. His body shivered briefly and he collapsed against Sabine, his head hanging over her shoulder, and his whole body going slack.

"Oh god, I think I killed him…" Tom said, his face contorted in worry.

"No, he just passed out," Sabine told him with a reassuring smile as she stroked Chat's head gently and laid him back down on the couch, removing the towel from his mouth and wiping his tear streaked face. "We should put that in a sling before he wakes up again."

"Yes, good plan." Tom said nervously, "I'll go get the kit."

"That should do it," Tom said with a satisfied nod.

Chat's arm had been set and bandaged around his torso to prevent it from moving and Sabine had placed an ice pack wrapped in a towel on his shoulder to lower the swelling. They both sat back down on the remaining couch and lay in silence for a few moments, simply regarding the unconscious hero contemplatively.

There was something rather unnerving about having one of Paris' superheroes lying broken in your living room at almost 8 o'clock in the night. Previously the paragons of justice, both Ladybug and Chat Noir had seemed unstoppable, a beacon of strength and resilience. They needed no one's help but their own. They always came out of tough situations unscathed, radiant, and with big smiles on their faces. They conquered battle after battle with barely a tired breath…

But now, a villain had finally managed to vanquish one of their beloved heroes - Ladybug, the Light of Paris - and it seemed like their last remaining hope was fast approaching her side, barely able to keep up without his invaluable companion…

It was clear to them now, that they were a balance. One could not survive without the other for long, and that fact was becoming clearer and more preoccupying as the days went by. They knew Chat Noir was trying his hardest to make up for it, but something in their hearts told them that it would not be enough. Chat Noir was wasting away right in front of them. With every appearance, he looked worse and worse for the wear, his back hunched a little bit more with every battle, his eyes more vacant after every struggle, and his smile long absent from his face.

They feared for him.

"Can you imagine what it must be like?" Sabine asked Tom suddenly.

"What, dear?"

"Going through this?" Sabine said, her eyes sad as she leaned on him, "He is just a child, Tom. He mustn't be any older than Marinette, and yet… He's doing things not even adults should be doing, or going through. Things he shouldn't have any responsibility for. "

"I guess it's part of the whole hero package," Tom said, surrounding Sabine with an arm as they cuddled together, "Being young. Doing risky, dangerous things to protect the city..."

"His family must be so worried for him," Sabine said.

"Or perhaps... he doesn't have one," Tom suggested softly, "Maybe that's why we didn't hear anything from Ladybug's family, either. It could be a hero requirement, to have no ties..."

"I guess it makes sense but… That would be terrible," Sabine said, rubbing her arms, "Do you really think he is all by himself? In this state?"

"I don't know. Ladybug and Chat Noir probably looked after each other all the time, but with her gone...It makes me think he came to us for a reason," Tom scratched his head, "He trusts us. Otherwise going to family would've been my first course of action if I had been hurt."

"That's true," Sabine sighed, "It just pains me to think he has nothing to return to. No one should have to go through this alone.…"

"Which is why we are going to help him. He will pull through," Tom said reassuringly, holding Sabine to him, "He's a strong guy."

Sabine nodded, and looked silently at the suffering boy in front them, breathing heavy in his troubled sleep, and wishing there was more she could do for him.

Sabine wasn't sure at what point she and Tom drifted off, but by the time she woke again, it was nearly 11 pm, according to the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. She raised her head from Tom's chest, blinking blearily and noticing he was still fast asleep and snoring through his mustache. Smiling, she was about to lay down again when she heard soft sobbing, followed by unintelligible mumbling.

Chat was stirring on the couch, limbs rustling the covers as he moved with some kind of subdued desperation, head turning back and forth against the pillow. He was sobbing inconsolably, words softly slurring past his lips.

Concerned, Sabine quietly stood up to kneel at Chat's side. He seemed to still be asleep, but he was sweating something fierce, cheeks glistening with tears, and eyes squeezed shut against some unknown terror behind his lids. His lips parted, panting or otherwise gasping out words Sabine could not make out. At some points though, she thought she could hear the name Ladybug falling from his lips over and over, and her heart ached for him.

"Shhh, it's alright," she whispered soothingly, delicately smoothing his tussled hair away from his face. Chat seemed to slow down in his movements, head turning unconsciously towards Sabine. He continued to cry for Ladybug, and Sabine continued shushing him, whispering soft, comforting words close to his ear while gently stroking his head until he seemed to calm down. He started to ease up, arm and legs relaxing against the couch, fingers uncurling from the blanket underneath him.

"You're safe, you're okay," Sabine continued to whisper until Chat's sobbing had faded into quiet sniffling, though not once did he wake.

She reached for a hand towel from the pile on the coffee table and gently dabbed at his face, cleaning off all the grime and sweat on his skin. He grimaced in his sleep when she rubbed over the sore, burnt parts, but didn't move otherwise. After several minutes, she was done cleaning his face and drying his hair, and she laid down the towel, hand moving up to gently stroke his head. Her fingers threaded softly through his golden hair, caressing both his leather ears and real ones in a relaxing fashion.

Chat Noir shifted moments later, his chest rising and falling with his slow, heavy breathing and his eyes lazily opened to half mast, looking at the room and Sabine vacantly. He didn't seem to be quite there however, looking at her as if he was in a daze, his eyes unfocused, his gaze disoriented. She noticed that his usually slitted pupils were blown wide, dilated a far as they could go, nearly making his green eyes appear black. She wasn't an expert on animal biology, but she did know that when a cat's eyes were completely dilated, it could only mean one of two things: excitement, or pain.

She was more than inclined to believe the latter, and her heart broke in two for him. He was surely hurting, but he was too exhausted to show it anymore.

Her fingers gently caressed his cheek, reaching up to brush the hair out of his eyes. He watched her silently for a long while, his lethargic eyes following her like a lost child, his mind seemingly absent. Moisture suddenly gathered at the corners of his eyes and he mouthed something, but no sound came out from his lips. Perplexed, Sabine leaned forward, trying to make it out…

"M-maman…"

Sabine's eyes widened and she pulled back.

"Maman…" Chat breathed again, clearly delirious, a quivering smile forming on his lips, his hand weakly reaching out for her. "Maman…"

"I'm not…" Sabine started but she hesitated as his glassy, dazed eyes looked at her adoringly like a small child. He looked so happy, calling for her with such yearning. Something in her chest stirred. A mix of tenderness and terrible sadness.

Sucking in a shuddering breath, Sabine smiled at him, "Yes, I'm here. I'm right here."

Chat smiled in contentment and leaned his face into her tender touch, closing his eyes again and letting out a soft sigh. Shortly after, Sabine heard a soft rumbling sound, and felt a tingling sensation against the palm of her hand.

She blinked several times.

Was he…?

"He can purr?"

Sabine jumped a bit, startled to find Tom had apparently woken up at some point. His sleepy eyes were wide, staring at Chat's prone form purring to his heart's content as he nuzzled Sabine's hand.

"Apparently so," Sabine chuckled and continued to tenderly caress Chat's face as she would her own child, smiling at his relaxed expression and pleased purring as it mingled with the soft patter of the rain against the windowpanes. The sight of his sickish but content visage made her heart melt. It sparked every motherly instinct in her body and all of a sudden she wanted nothing but to protect him and free him from all his pain, hold him to her and tell him everything would be alright. He had been through so much suffering and loneliness...

Eyes glistening, Sabine leaned forward to press a kiss against his forehead, but she frowned suddenly and pulled back instantly, her hand flying to Chat's forehead.

"What is it?" Tom asked at her strange expression.

"He's burning up," she said, reaching forward with another hand to touch his neck but the more she touched him the more worried she became. His breathing was searing hot and heavy, and he wouldn't stop sweating. He wasn't just burning up.

He was boiling.

"No wonder he's delirious, he's really sick," Sabine said, concerned, "Come. Feel him."

Tom's brows furrowed, and he leaned over placing one of his large hands on Chat Noir's temple. He withdrew his hand with a hum.

"That's one heck of a fever," Tom said, "I don't think just medicine will be enough."

"What can we do?" Sabine asked, "We can't just drop him in a bath all dressed like this, can we?"

"Hang on, I have an idea," Tom said as he stood up, walking to the kitchen. A few moments later he came back with some small plastic bags filled to the brim with ice cubes. He placed them down carefully between Chat's arms and at either side of his neck. Chat frowned in his sleep, his purring slowing to a stop.

"That should help a bit," Tom said. "I will go out and see if I can get some medicine. Can you handle it on your own?"

"I'll be fine. I'll cook some dinner in the meantime," Sabine said, "Be careful out there."

"Of course, dear. I won't be long."

The next time Chat Noir's consciousness stirred was an hour later and he woke to the sound of television static and garbled voices. His body felt strange, heavy, alternating waves of hot and cold rippling through him. He felt a cool and humid sensation on his head and naked chest, as well as on his neck and arms, but the rest of him felt terribly warm and he shifted in discomfort.

He paused, however, when his nose was tickled by the sudden delicious smell of broth and chicken. His stomach grumbled noisily in response and he grimaced as the sensation made his stomach and its surrounding muscles ache unpleasantly.

"Someone sounds hungry."

Chat opened his eyes slowly, finding Madame Cheng kneeling in front of him, framed by the bluish-white glow of the television behind her. The room was nearly plunged in darkness, a single fixture on the entrance of the room being the only source of light and the only thing allowing him to see the woman in front of him, gently stroking the feverish skin on his face and chest with a wet cloth. Wait… where was he, again?

Oh right, he was at the Dupain-Chengs. Had he passed out? He had trouble recalling details prior to waking up, so he groggily did a personal assessment. He could not move his left arm, he realized. It seemed to be bandaged up against his body, set in a sling. There was a dull pain in his shoulder but it hurt way less now than how it did earlier. He still felt debilitated and disoriented, his body not quite catching up with his mind waking up. Wherever he was laying on though, it was soft and comfortable, soothing on his aching wounds, and it took everything out of him not to drift to sleep again. He tried to speak but a yawn came out instead.

Sabine smiled, reaching out with a hand and dragging the wet cloth across his forehead.

"How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

Chat swallowed, coaxing his stiff jaw to move and his vocal cords to function again.

"A bit… warm but… better," Chat breathed slowly, his eyelids heavy as he blinked slowly.

"You have a fever," Sabine said, then reached behind her to get a steaming bowl from the coffee table, "It's come down a bit, but I made some soup for you to help. Would you like to try it? Are you hungry?"

"Famished," Chat confessed, voice hoarse with dehydration, flashing her a small, grateful smile. He tried to sit up with a grunt, but his good arm trembled underneath him and he fell back into the pillow with a frustrated sigh. He still felt so weak and frail. He tried once more, and Tom appeared from the kitchen to help him straighten up on the couch, removing the bags of ice and wet cloths from around him. Chat forced back a groan as his left shoulder shifted and sighed when he finally managed to sit up straight, resting his good arm on his knee and hunching over. "Thank you."

"Well, you are looking a right sight better already," Tom said encouragingly as he took everything back to the kitchen. Chat smiled amicably but he knew he looked like a human disaster. Although less swollen, the bruise on his shoulder still looked terrible, pretty much a mishmash of every hue of purple and red in existence. His body felt like a truck towing a horse cart had run him over repeatedly He couldn't even get his cat ears to straighten; they were left lying listlessly against his head. He was pretty sure that if he hadn't been wearing a mask, he'd have dark circles around his eyes and they'd be red instead of green from exhaustion.

Sabine sat down beside Chat on the couch, blew on a spoonful of soup, and offered it to him. He felt himself blush at the prospect of having to be spoon-fed but it couldn't be helped. His left arm was useless and his right still felt impossibly heavy. He meekly leaned forward and took the spoon into his mouth, immediately unable to conceal the moan of delight at the explosion of flavor on his tongue. He swallowed the savory broth with a hum and his stomach immediately growled for more.

"This is so good," Chat sighed, taking a second spoonful as eagerly as a starved stray. Whatever embarrassment he might have felt for being fed this way melted away in his desperation to quell his painful hunger. He realized with concern that he hadn't eaten well in days; this felt like a godsend to his Cataclysm-scorched stomach. For once, he didn't feel like throwing up.

God, this family was unbelievably amazing with food. He might have the best chef in Paris as his personal cook back at home, but nothing could beat the warm, homey meals the Dupain-Chengs offered him. He was pretty sure that quiche had become his favorite dish thanks to Tom's delectable pies, not to mention their macarons and croissants. Simply to die for.

His stomach groaned once more at the memories.

"I'm so glad you like it," Sabine said, smiling as Chat ate heartily, relieved to see him perking up. "We got you some medicine too, but you need to eat first."

Chat swallowed the soup and went quiet, his eyes looking at the floor.

Had they really gone out of their way to shelter him and look after him to make sure he felt better? They had absolutely no obligation, and yet still went the extra mile for him. Why had he been so afraid? If there had ever been a spark of uncertainty about how they felt about him, it completely snuffed out with this.

"Are you alright?" Sabine asked at his sudden silence.

Chat looked at her warmly, and bowed his head.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me." His voice was soft, almost reverential, seeping gratitude and appreciation. "I'm in your debt."

"You don't owe us anything," Sabine said gently, cupping Chat's face to make him look back at her, "If anything, we owe you. You've done so much for us. You've protected our daughter, you've protected us, you've protected this city with every ounce of your strength… We all owe you our lives."

She put the bowl aside and pulled him into a warm embrace, mindful of his injured arm. Chat melted into her arms instantly, surrounding her with his right arm and nuzzling up to the side of her face.

"I mean it, Chat Noir," Sabine said gently, "You will always be welcome at our home."

"Thank you, Madame," he said in a whisper.

Sabine pulled back and looked earnestly at him, one of her hands cupping his cheek. She bit her lower lip, hesitating.

"Madame?" Chat asked.

"I meant to ask you something, Chat."

"Yes?"

"Do you have any family?"

Chat's blinked and he stuttered, pulling back from Sabine. "F-family…?"

"I mean, is there someone waiting for you back at home?" Sabine continued, "Someone that looks after you?"

"Uh…" he avoided her gaze and swallowed awkwardly. How could he explain that what little family he had didn't really act like one? And that the only thing waiting for him back at home was a big, empty room with nothing but his shadow to keep him company?

Chat suddenly jumped as a ringing sound like a phone went off somewhere, breaking the uncomfortable silence between him and Sabine with its intermittent ringing.

"Oh, excuse me. I'll get it," she said as she stood up. She reached for the phone on the kitchen counter and clicked the call button. As she busied herself, Tom came forward with a glass of water and a pill on his hand and sat down beside Chat.

"Here, drink this. It's Ibuprofen, so it should help with the fever," Tom told him, handing him the pill, which Chat took gingerly in one hand. "How are you doing?" he asked, setting the glass down within arms reach.

"I've been better," Chat confessed with a meek smile, shrugging his good shoulder.

"Yeah I'd imagine," Tom said sadly, "I had never seen you guys get this hurt before."

Chat's ears drooped.

"That was because of Ladybug," he explained, his voice low as his eyes fell to the floor. "She had this ability that fixed everything at the end of every battle. It could heal us as well. So with her gone…." Chat trailed off.

"Oh, I see," Tom said. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, I'll manage," Chat said as he popped the pill in his mouth and took a long swig of water to swallow it. He sighed as the water cooled his parched throat. "Thank you for this, really."

"It's our pleasure to help. You just let us know if you need anything else, okay?" Tom said, giving him a soft pat on the back, although Chat still had to conceal the hiss of pain that came with the contact of the leather on his burnt back.

"I will," Chat promised, putting the glass down and retrieving the bowl to finish his meal. Even though his hand was far from steady, he still managed to lap up soup with the spoon to continue eating, savoring every bit of chicken and vegetable in the broth as if he had never eaten such delectable things before, "Mmm. This is delicious."

"Nothing like Sabine's cooking to deal with a bad bug," Tom said with a hearty chuckle.

"Yeah, I'd never want to miss out on her fantastic cooking," Chat agreed, downing another spoonful eagerly and completely missing the way Tom's eyebrow quirked curiously. It wasn't until he was met with ongoing silence that Chat turned to Tom. He was squinting at him, like he was trying to figure something out in his head.

Chat gulped uncomfortably.

"Mr. Dupain?" Chat asked.

"So, you've tried our food, huh?" Tom asked nonchalantly, resting his head on his hand with his elbow on the headrest.

"Ah, yes, I have." Chat said, and then added hurriedly, "Your bread is known as the best in Paris, a-after all."

Tom's eyebrows raised. "Ah, good. Which pastry is your favorite, if you don't mind me asking?"

A cold feeling ran down Chat's spine and he was suddenly not sure he wanted to answer that question. Something about the way Tom was looking at him with such familiarity was throwing him off. Had he said something wrong?

"Uh, um, the croissants are really good," Chat said quickly, saying the first thing that came to his mind, "And t-the èclairs… The f-filling is really great."

Tom hummed under his breath, then nodded, "Well, I'm glad you enjoy them. I can't believe the great Chat Noir has eaten from our Bakery! What an honor!" Tom laughed heartily.

Chat chuckled awkwardly with him, blowing at a soup-laden spoon, "Y-yeah, it's really fantas―"

"Adrien?"

Chat choked on his broth and his heart jumped to his throat, his blood instantly going cold. He snapped his head around to look at Sabine behind him, eyes wide, but she wasn't looking at him. She was still on the phone, her brows furrowed in worry.

"What do you mean he's missing?" Sabine asked the person on the line. There was some rushed talking on the other side of the phone, and Sabine nodded, "Yes, Ms. Sancoeur, I understand. We will let you know if we see him. I hope you find him soon."

Chat felt the cold sweat forming on the back of his neck. They were looking for him? Dammit! He had been gone for far too long. Not only were Gorilla and Nathalie likely facing his father's wrath right this moment, but if he found out where Adrien had been... There was no way Nathalie or Gorilla would ever let him out of their sight again.

He was in so much trouble.

She hung up and turned to Tom, her face furrowed in concern.

"What happened to Adrien?" Tom asked Sabine.

"They can't find him. He disappeared right before the Akuma attacked the school and hasn't been seen since then. They thought he might have gone to a friend's house but Nino and Alya haven't seen him either. They've been looking for him all over the place."

Dammit, dammit, dammit… Something told him his cellphone would be teeming with messages when he transformed back. This was so messed up!

"Oh, that's terrible. Have they gotten the police on the case?"

"They are about to if he doesn't show up in the next couple of hours, but they were hoping he had taken shelter somewhere nearby."

"You don't think he was caught up in the fire do you?" Tom asked.

"No, the firefighters didn't find anything. Everyone made it out, thank heavens." Sabine said with a sigh, "But I worry for him. Did he look a tad under the weather to you yesterday?"

"Yeah, he didn't look too good."

Chat didn't miss the swift glance Tom gave him before turning to his wife again.

"His father must be worried sick. I hope he turns up soon," Sabine said with a sigh, seating herself between Tom and Chat, "Are you alright, Chat?"

Chat, who had stayed quiet and stone-still during the exchange, looked at her from the corner of his eye, sweat dribbling down the side of his face, "Y-Yeah, I'm okay…"

"Are you sure? You look a bit shaken…"

"I'm fine," he smiled awkwardly, "And about your question, I…," he stuttered, avoiding her gaze, "There isn't anyone. I mean, l-like family..."

He felt terrible lying to Sabine, but he couldn't risk them or himself any more than what he had already done by coming to them. They had already done too much for him to get them involved any further. He had to keep his ties as vague as possible, no matter how much he ached to have the support and understanding.

"Oh, that's unfortunate, I'm really sorry," Sabine said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Then please know that you are welcome to stay for as long as you want."

"Thank you Madame, but you've done enough for me," he said apologetically, "I wouldn't like to burden you any further."

"You can never be a burden, Chat," she smiled, "How is your arm?"

"It still hurts some but it's better. Thank you so much for fixing it for me," Chat said gratefully, stealing a nervous glance at Tom.

"Anytime," Tom said, beaming at him.

They fell into companionable silence while Chat finished eating his food, and Tom and Sabine started some idle chatter as they watched the television. They switched channels until they stopped on a pre-recorded news broadcast that recounted the day's attacks. Chat's spoon paused in front of his mouth as he looked at the scenes being displayed, enraptured.

The marquee "AKUMA REVEALED" scrolled on the bottom of the screen as they played amateur scenes from the fire. It was footage recorded with several cellphones, taken by people who had been recording from behind the cordon set around the perimeter.

He could see himself, trapped underneath the wreckage of the school engulfed in flames, struggling to get out. He could see the moment he turned his head to look at Dragonfire, who was invisible to the eyes of the witnesses recording except for his giant, glowing eyes. He saw the moment an orb of fire began to form above his trapped form, which signaled Dragonfire preparing to roast him, and the firefighters shooting jets of water at the flames leaking through the windows.

"Aim up!" a voice screamed suddenly in one of the recordings. A voice he soon recognized as Alya's. "Aim further up!"

Why had she wanted the firefighters to do that?

His past self had already laid his head on the floor and closed his eyes in defeat. Alya continued screaming at the firefighters to aim their hoses up, but only one actually did.

It did the trick.

Chat's eyes widened at what happened next, his spoon clattering against the bowl and splashing soup around him.

The jet of water from the hose hit the mark and the moment the liquid made contact with the Akuma, a deafening screech of pain flooded the area. The video shifted and trembled as the recorder tried to take cover, but Chat could still see it clearly...

It looked like a wave was coursing through the Akuma. Invisible flakes rippled to reveal bright magenta scales and orange stripes on a long, muscular reptilian body. An enormous wyvern, easily as large as a double-decker bus, materialized out of thin air as his camouflage fell away with the water.

He screeched as he hung from the side of the building like a lizard, teal claws like gemstones scratching at the walls in his desperation, spiked tail swishing in anger. He beat its wings in rage, shaking off the water and roaring at the onlookers as smoke trailed from his scaly skin, as if burnt. He landed on the ground with a big tremor, building a ball of fire in his throat and turning on the firefighters, but it sizzled and sparked in its jaws and nothing came out. He tried again, but the same thing happened and Dragonfire's snout smoked with his failed attempts.

With a frustrated roar, he flapped his big, velvety wings and took to the skies, shooting up to hide among the dark clouds with an echoing screech. As the footage was repeated in slow motion for the benefit of the audience watching the broadcast, Chat finally saw it as the Akuma flew off. The akumatized object. A golden chain tied around Dragonfire's ankle! His Akuma was in the anklet!

"He's… weak to water," Chat whispered in wonder, more to himself than to the other two occupants of the room.

His mind reeled with the revelation. That's why he had fled on the battle at the park. It had begun to rain and Dragonfire was weak to water! He couldn't breathe fire when his skin got wet and it caused him pain! That was it! That's how he could beat him! Alya must have lost sleep trying to figure out what had happened during the battle at the park and gosh, he could kiss her right now!

Bless that infuriating journalist nosiness of her! How else would she know to look into Dragonfire's weak point? Who else but her would be observant enough to figure out how Ladybug and he operated and how the Akumas worked?

Chat's attention got brought back to the television as a lot of yelling broke out on the scene.

"Get him out!" a lot of people yelled, "Save him!"

Save who?

"He's suffocating!"

"Chat Noir, fight!"

Chat's heart clenched as he heard people trying to get the fire brigade to save him, going so far as to try to jump over the cordon to personally rush to his aid. Policemen and firefighters staved off the civilians as they tried to get to his prone body, passed out from asphyxiation.

And then, a flash of blue caught his eye. It took him a bit to recognize him, but he distinctly made out Tom Dupain rushing from the bakery and barreling through the firefighters trying to hold him off. He made it to Chat Noir's side amongst screams of protest from the officers present, deaf to their yelling.

Tom immediately moved to grab the block of cement crushing Chat, trying to pull it off him. Seeing as they could not stop him, some firefighters chose to rush to Tom's side to assist him. After several grueling seconds they managed to lift the rock high enough to free Chat's legs, and Tom immediately moved to take Chat in his arms and pull him to safety, both of them covered in soot and dirt, and him lying motionless in Tom's arms.

The footage cut off and Nadja Chamack reappeared on the screen to summarize the events. But Chat was too distracted to listen to whatever she had to say. His heart was thumping fast in his chest, nearly ready to burst, and he looked at Tom, who was not looking at him but watching the tv impassively.

"You… you saved my life," Chat croaked. "You could've gotten hurt but...you…"

"You saved my daughter and my wife," Tom said, finally looking at Chat as he held Sabine to him to emphasize his point, a placid smile on his face "I had to return the favor somehow, don't you think?"

Chat could've cried right there. He could feel his eyes stinging, tears gathering at his eyes and a lump forming in his throat but he held himself back, choosing instead to flash Tom a quivering, grateful smile, "Thank you so much. Really, thank you..."

He decided right there and then that he would forever fight to protect this family.

"There is nothing to thank," Tom said, smiling widely at him.

"I can stop him now," Chat whispered with a grin.

"Beg your pardon?" Tom asked.

"Dragonfire. I know how to stop him now," Chat said, his face lighting up. He slowly pulled himself to his feet with a grunt, his body shaking with the effort of keeping him standing as he stumbled away from the couch, teeth gritted against his pain.

He felt like he could break at any moment, breath coming short in his throat, but he'd be damned if he'd waste this opportunity.

"Chat Noir, wait!" Sabine said, reaching for him."What are you doing? You can't go out like this!"

"I may not get another chance!" Chat panted, inching towards the window in faltering, weak steps, "He...he… is vulnerable right now, ah…"

The room spun and Chat stumbled sideways, crashing noisily against the kitchen table.

"Chat Noir!" Sabine rushed to his side.