All The Way

A Revelation and An Ending

Mister Chat narrowed his eyes at Asterid. "Get out of my way Nathalie," he growled.

She shook her head. "Oh Gabriel, what happened to you?" she asked sadly.

"Get out of my way," he repeated. "I'm not going to let you stop me this time. If you hadn't interfered at the fashion show, this would already be over. Emilie would be awake and I wouldn't have to do this. I'm going to wake her up if it's the last thing I ever do..."

While they were caught up in their conversation, Adrien crawled back over to Ladybug's side on the floor. "Are you okay Princess?" he asked, desperately checking her.

"I'm fine. Are you hurt?"

"Just a bump on the head from Lila. Come on, we have to get out of here," he said, guiding her up to her feet.

"No," she replied. "We can't leave."

"We can't let him get your earrings..." Adrien trailed off, suddenly shocked into silence at hearing the words his father spoke.

"Let's see if you really can stop things from being destroyed," Mister Chat taunted. "Cataclysm."

Black dots of destructive energy surrounded his hand as he approached Asterid.

Ladybug felt her heart stop. Adrien tried to hold her back but she rushed forward, jumping in front of Asterid and taking the hit for her.

The scream that left her lips as the cataclysm touched her abdomen was the loudest noise that any of them had ever heard before. They watched in horror as her suit peeled away in that spot like it was burning. She doubled over, falling to the floor in agony.

Adrien ran up and kneeled down to her, tears welling up in his eyes. "Princess," he choked out. Then he glared angrily over at Mister Chat as he and Asterid both kneeled down next to them.

"It was an accident," Mister Chat explained, looking genuinely remorseful. "I didn't mean to touch her."

Ladybug gasped for breath as they all examined her abdomen, not daring to touch the wound. Her skin was blistering and bubbling in an area about twelve centimeters around, the frayed edges of her suit charred. As they watched, the wound worsened. She writhed in pain as the skin burned away completely, revealing a layer of subcutaneous tissue that started burning away to the muscle layer beneath it.

Adrien leaned over Ladybug, not trying to stop the tears from falling. Even though he was close to her, he could barely hear what she whispered.

"Em..." she struggled to get out.

Adrien leaned in closer. "Marinette? What are you saying?" he asked desperately.

"Em," she uttered, slightly louder.

"Em?" he repeated, confused. "I... I don't understand."

She gasped for air as her injury continued to get worse. "Lee."

"Lee?" Adrien asked, shaking his head. "Em Lee?"

"Emilie," Mister Chat said quietly, figuring out what she was trying to say.

"Emilie? My mom?"

Ladybug nodded. "Is... a... way..."

"Away? Emilie is away?" Adrien asked.

She shook her head. Then she whispered one more word. "Awake."

************************************

It took about an hour to make her round trip flight to Portugal. When she landed back in Paris, Cosmo Bug detransformed into the regular Ladybug. She quickly banged on the door to the Agreste mansion.