Thorns of Roses

Chapter 64 - Crimson Menace

She didn't know what took him so long, she didn't know when he arrived nor how could he find her dagger lying somewhere on the ground. 

But she didn't care. All Ladybug knew that she had never been as grateful for him as in that crucial moment.

At least, that was what she believed for a fleeting moment. A second later, their previous encounter, like lightning in a silent, peaceful night, flashed back in her mind.

She immediately shook off that momentary shock his arrival caused. Noticing the villain being taken aback by his failed shot and the black cat's abrupt appearance, Ladybug took advantage of the sudden turn of events. She leaned down for her dagger - placing it back into her scabbard -, and with a well-aimed kick, she shoved his compass as well as his crossbow out of his hand far away - making him stagger backward.

However, just when she reached for her yo-yo and was about to throw it toward the assassin, all of a sudden she found herself in Chat Noir's arms who instantly extended themselves with his baton and jumped into a nearby alley - away from the villain's sight.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" She quickly escaped from his embrace and pushed him away a bit.

"What?!" Chat Noir frowned, - clearly anticipating a different kind of welcome from her -, and stated with feigned indignation, "This is a clawful way to express your gratitude toward your savior, Little Spot!"

"I would be nicer, if you came sooner, alley-cat!" she retorted grouchily.

"Hey, easy there!" Chat lifted his hands - gesturing for her to calm down. "You should have known by now that we, cats, are free spirits! We like to show up whenever we're feline to do that!" he winked - evidently waiting for the impact his puns always had on her to lighten the mood.

Which didn't happen this time.

Instead, Ladybug favored him with a scolding look. 

"Just cut it, Chat Noir! I'm not in the mood to endure you tonight!" she snapped - disregarding his fallen countenance upon calling him by his full name.

"What do you mean by .."enduring" me?" he asked, bewildered by her behavior. "Spot, did I ...did I do something? I thought everything got cleared between us the last time, yet you seem...you seem to be mad at me."

"Chat just...just concentrate on defeating this guy!" Ladybug clenched her teeth - astonishing even herself by how harsh she was with him tonight. "Look, I don't know how many times we have left before the villain finds us here so would you let me just..."

"No!!...Not until you tell me what's wrong!"

"There's nothi.....!" Ladybug wanted to yell at him but trailed off and took a deep breath instead. "It doesn't matter now. A new kind of enemy is currently threatening the Parisians! Their safety should be our priority right now! This villain....He's stronger than I first anticipated, for if we want to defeat him, we ought to strive to focus on nothing but him, Chat Noir!"

She called him Chat Noir for the second time on that night. She never did before, not even when she was angry with him. Ladybug knew she was hurting him by calling him this way, yet, she didn't care about it at that moment. 

She already had gone through so many things on that night, that she wasn't capable of dealing with his or even with her feelings to begin with. She just wanted to hear his confirmation by saying he was ready to face this assassin.

Letting out a groan - visibly expressing that he was indeed hurt by her words just as the heroine foreboded -, he gave in, "Okay, fine, ..if you say so. "pointing with his head toward the main street, he asked, "So, what do we know about this archer guy?"