unexpected feelings | marichat

chapter twenty-two

adrien's pov
   "okay, i trust you and your lucky charms more than anything, but what's a mirror gonna do to help us?" i asked, and ladybug shrugged.
"i'll figure it out. first, we need to find hypnotizer. she's not chasing us anymore, so she must be looking for lila now."
"and where coul-" a blood curdling scream interrupted my question. we exchanged a look.
"i think we found her," ladybug noted, and we followed the noise.
lila stood backed up against a corner, palpable fear on her face. it seemed like hypnotizer wanted to... take a picture of her?
"you think you're so sly, lying to everybody about things to make them fall under your little spell. HA! now you'll see how it feels when others have you under theirs. after i flash you with my camera, you'll believe everything i tell you. therefore, you'll have to bend to MY will. doesn't that sound nice??"
lila gulped. "i'm sorry! i swear i've NEVER lied, it's not my fault people love me a-"
"shut up! my god, you're ridiculous, UTTERLY RIDICULOUS," hypnotizer said, slapping her hand to her forehead. i resisted the urge to laugh and turned to ladybug.
"her phone gives her the power to hypnotize people, so i'm assuming whoever holds it has control over the people who've been shot by it. all i need to do is get the flash to hit chloe so she won't be a threat anymore. THAT'S where my lucky charm comes in handy. i'll just need you to distract her, kitty," she said, flicking my bell lightly.
   "on it," i saluted her playfully and began walking towards the scene.
   "say, what do you plan on doing with whoever you hypnotize? personally, i think i'd make myself a small army of people to fetch food for me, but to each their own, right?"
   "you again? i thought i'd chased you away already. whatever, i can handle it. you, wait here," hypnotizer looked menacingly at lila, and lila just nodded. she seemed to be slightly in shock from everything. good for her! hypnotizer began walking towards me, holding the phone in front of her.
   ladybug snuck behind her and took lila, who immediately opened her mouth to say something. ladybug slapped her hand to lila's mouth, though, and it shut her up right away. i smirked. that's my girl. wait, no, not my girl. shoot.
   that thought alone was proof enough that it was much harder to get over someone than i thought. there wasn't much time to ponder over it, though, given that i was about to be shot with a hypnotic flash. i skirted to the side just as the light was about to hit me.
   "missed me! my feline instincts make me too fast to catch."
   she groaned and clicked, over and over, each hit becoming more and more dangerously close to me. okay, m'lady, if you're gonna use your lucky charm, i could REALLY use the help! 
   the second i thought that, she appeared, holding the mirror in front of us as a shield. the flash bounced off of it, reflecting right back onto hypnotizer. she stumbled as it hit her, her face taking on a dazed quality.
   "perfect timing, m'lady. i guess now there's two people under your hypnotic spell, huh," i smirked, and she scoffed.
   "what can i say? i'm irresistible," she said, almost mockingly as she grabbed the akumatized necklace and crushed it.
   "oh? finally developing a sense of humor? i'm so proud of you," i wiped a fake tear out of my eye and she laughed, deevilizing the butterfly.
   "pound it!"
chloe sat on the ground before us, seeming sort of confused as to what was happening. i began to approach her, but ladybug gently placed her hand on my arm.
"i'll take her. you're about to transform back," she said, smiling softly. there was something else, something in her eyes i hadn't quite seen before.
my ring beeped before i could digress. "til' next time!"
i took a last look at her before heading off. something was... different. could it be that she- no. i was just being silly. my mind was just making things up for no reason. it was my fault for still keeping some hope after all this time. shaking my head, i headed off. of course she couldn't be in love with me.