The Algorithm

Chapter ten - Thunder in the Desert

The chain detached from the contraption mounted to the ceiling, collapsing to the distant ground. Marinette fell with the slack of the metal coil, plummeting to the floor. The sensation of descending through thin air sent a wave of terror over her. Her first instinct was to use her abilities but she could feel an emptiness inside of her when the attempt was made. Her powers don't work outside of the refuge but she didn't remember it in time.

Suddenly, when she was a mere second away from hitting the concrete floor, something caught her. With fear still fogging her mind, she searched frantically for breath realizing she had held it for the duration of the fall. She glanced over to see Adrien had been the one who stopped her from plummeting to the ground. He was pinned to the floor under Marinette's weight as he cushioned her fall, the realization hit that she had knocked him to the ground when he caught her. She scrambled to her feet. "I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, frantically apologizing. "Did I land on you? Are you alright?" Adrien waved away her questions with his hand and took Marinette's outstretched hand. She pulled him upright, he groaned with the effort and as she looked him up and down for injury.

"Relax," He said. "I'm fine, are you alright?" Marinette nodded several times, still not entirely convinced he was unharmed.

"Did I hurt you at all?" Adrien smiled at her politely.

"No, the concrete did hurt a little but I'll survive." Guilt flooded Marinette.

"I'm sorry, I hit a breaker by accident and it detached the chain." She stated, pointing to where the now bundled up metal rope laid in a messy pile like a coiled snake.

"It's alright." He reassured her. "Now what? Do we have anything that can get us out?"

Marinette examined the pile of bits and pieces they had scavenged from the machine hanging above their heads. Marinette shook her head disappointedly at the scrap metal. "No, maybe if we had a battery but I didn't see any, all of these gears and wires won't do us any good on their own." She said bitterly. She had known the chances of finding something useful up there were slim but they didn't have many other options, luckily Marinette did have another idea forming. "There were a few breakers in that machine thing, maybe one of them can cut the power to the door." She stated while grabbing at the chain that had held Adrien.

"Wait!" Adrien protested, gripping her shoulder, stopping her from climbing. "You said you hit a breaker and it dropped the chain, we can't risk you getting hurt." Marinette let out a sigh and gave him a weak, half hearted smile.

"It's a risk worth taking, besides you'll catch me again, right blondie?"

"But what if I don't catch you? Or what if-" Marinette put up a hand to stop him.

"I trust you." She said, giving him a real genuine smile and she began climbing up the metal coil before he was able to protest further.

She pulled herself up the long chain and pried off the cover to the machine with which the links of silver were attached too. She threw the metal plated cover to Adrien and he caught it before it crashed against the concrete floor. The inside of the machine was identical to the first. Wires, gears, and the breakers resting to the right. The only problem with Marinette's plan was that there were three breakers and she had no idea which one would drop her. "There are three breakers. Which should I turn off first?" She questioned.

"Whichever one doesn't release the chain." Adrien retorted. Marinette rolled her eyes

"I'm not sure which one that is." She knew her statement would lead to a protest from Adrien, but she had to take the risk, she also knew he would do his best to catch her in the event of her falling.