Le Chat et Le Serpent

Chapter 56: I Tried to Scream, but my Head Was Under Water

I had a dream

I got everything I wanted
Not what you'd think
And if I'm being honest
It might've been a nightmare
To anyone who might care

Everything I Wanted by Billie Eilish

Hopelessly, Chloe looked back up at the building, as if maybe she could suddenly understand. Clutching her broken phone, her tears of hurt and confusion ran freely. With her emotionally blurred vision, she barely noticed as a purple butterfly landed on her phone.

"Jesus, Chat! Are you drunk or something?" Ladybug screamed as he stumbled on the roof.

He let out his baton to balance himself against the tilt of the roof. "No, sorry M'Lady, just a little sick."

Carapace put his arm around Chat, keeping him steady. "Dude, you can probably sit this one out."

Together, they looked at Chloe's Akumatized state. Lila's failures were all but clear as Chloe sat, a merely larger version of herself, in the Seine. She was sobbing, but her tears weren't a threat. They didn't thud with force, nor did they threaten the water levels of the river. The only thing dangerous about the situation was Chloe's own self-despair.

"No! This might be a trick! Chat, distract the Villain!" Ladybug ordered towards the buckling hero.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Chat tried to deny Ladybug. "M'Lady, don't you think it would be better if Rena sent a Mirage of me?"

Ladybug burned red, how dare he? "No! Chat! Get over there and distract her!"

The disagreements brewing to be voiced among the holders were muted by Chat leaping forward to Chloe. He rubbed the trickle of blood coming from his nose. Was Plagg right? That all it was, was an additional stress response? Did he have some uncontrollable urge to follow anyone's commands?

It felt strange, standing on top of the 'abandonment bridge', as he liked to call it, to look at Chloe heartbroken from his own heartbreak.

"Chloe?" Chat supported his weight on the railing of the bridge.

"What?" She grumbled before wiping her nose.

"Don't let Lila take your power away. Don't let her take your control." Each word was weak and raspy.

Chloe tilted up her chin to see the dishevelled hero. Blood still stained the underside of his nose.

"I'm... I'm so sorry." Chloe trembled as she passed Chat her phone.

Lila was screaming in Chloe's face, but she was not phased. She'd lived her entire life with her mother's shrill voice spitting at her.

Seeing the Akumatized object land in Chat's hand, Ladybug zipped beside him. He continued to hold the phone as he spoke to Chloe.

"Thank you, Chloe. You've done really well today. I'm proud of you." Chat nodded his head to her, not thinking of the consequences of Ladybug taking the object from his hands.

"Good job, Chat." Ladybug praised him before she crushed the phone.

"NO!" Chat screamed, dropping his baton into the water.

The purple ink was blotting off Chloe as she fell into the heavy current.

Chat had no idea if she was ignorant or malicious as he saw magical ladybugs dropping from his peripherals. Chloe's head had already fallen below the surface as he struggled through the icy water. Even with super powers, it doesn't help if you don't know where the person is.

The tower. She was crying while staring at Adrien's apartment. Why was everything so dark?

Her skin felt heavy as she tried to force her eyes open. She couldn't tell what direction was which, all she knew was that her body was moving. Spinning like laundry in a washing machine.