Prison Yard

Chapter seven - Hiding

As Ladybug crawled through the vent she felt a twinge of guilt surpass her, leaving Lila was her only choice. She couldn't let a guilty convict out. As much as she appreciated Lila for helping her escape she could not bring her along. Marinette was innocent, but the amount of evidence against her made it impossible to plead not guilty. Lila on the other hand was a criminal.

Lila had been kicked out by her parents home as soon as she turned 18. She was staying at a trap house with some other misfit kids. All those kids supported themselves by winning cars by drag racing and selling them. She joined their little drag racing circle and entered in some races. She lost some cars, won others, crashed a few, but after a couple of months she ended up in a head on collision.

She was racing down an empty street on the outskirts of town. She was neck and neck with her opponent. She couldn't lose this race, it would be a major loss for her and her 'friends'. She saw an ally and decided to take a short cut, that was technical cheating but there are no rules in drag racing. She took a hard turn and shot down the alleyway. She took another hard right and her car ended up drifting into another lane and smashed a van as it was passing by.

She ended up in a crash that killed the three passengers. Two were parents and one was an infant child. By killing the parents she orphaned their other two children. Lila was given 28 years in prison for manslaughter and drag racing.

You see Marinette wouldn't let her go free. As much as she wanted to see the best in people Lila might just be past the point of redemption. She feared that Lila would go back to her old ways as soon as she escaped. She couldn't let her walk free without paying for all the damage she had caused.

Ladybug pushed the thoughts of guilt out of her mind and focused on the task at hand. She had reached a dead end and had to turn back. Lila had been her guide as they passed through the narrow tunnel. She inched her way through the small shaft on her elbows. She ended up lost and had no idea which was north. The thin metal kept sinking under her weight as she moved which only added to her worry.

Eventually she found what she was looking for. The boiler room. She jumped down from the vent and used the makeshift drill to unscrew the bolts on the sewer grate which laid on the floor. It took some time but the bolts came loose and she was able to pry the metal circle from its home in the floor. Ladybug sat at the edge of the large hole in the floor, her legs dangling over the dark abyss underneath her. She took a deep breath before she pushed off into the blackness. She fell about 15 feet or so, her knees ached as they met solid pavement.

Marinette took out her yoyo and used it as a flashlight. The light from it illuminated the large cylinder tunnel she was in. She walked through 2 feet of water and placed her hand on the side of the tunnel. She ran her hand over the brick of the shaft as she walked, using it as a balance point. She walked through the tunnel for what felt like an eternity as she tried to ignore the rancid smell.

Her yo-yo provided the only means of light throughout the large pipe. Eventually he was another sewer grate on the ceiling of the tunnel. She jumped up and used the makeshift drill to open the great. After another moment she had made it and the metal slab fell to the floor of water. The light of the day nearly blinded her as she crawled out of the sewer.

She squinted, trying to adjust to the brightness. The prison and its tall chain link fences stood 2 or so miles away in the distance. Ladybug didn't have much time. She was 18 now and could last longer without detransforming but it only lasted an hour or so. She had to use the little time she had left to her advantage and make it as far as she could in that time. She sprinted away and swung throughout the trees until she finally made it to the city. She ran over buildings and jumped fences but eventually she was out of time and she transformed back in an alleyway.

Marinette was in a bad position, the entire city knew her from her crimes and it wouldn't be long before the news was reporting on her escape, and it certainly didn't help that she was in a prison uniform. She sat down against the ally wall and caught her breath. She looked out into the street and saw a sign that read 'street name'. She knew this street, she had a friend here. To her right laid a fire escape leading to the roof. Marinette climbed up the metal stairs until she got the right floor level. She prayed that she had the right apartment. She slowly lifted the window, a wave of relief seeped over her as it was unlocked. She pushed the thin curtain out of the way and climbed through the open window.

The place looked the same as it did the last time she was here, the kitchen, living room, dining room all laid the same. She moved slowly through the apartment, trying not to make a sound. As Marinette was making her way through the living room she heard footsteps approaching. She froze, her instinct told her to run but her limbs stood firm. "Marinette?!" A familiar voice called out. 

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Word count: 983 (not counting this)