Whenever Monarch was defeated, we thought that everything would go back to how it was before. We thought we could express ourselves freely. We could feel what we wanted to feel. And we were able to. Just not for long. Lila Rossi as we know her, but...
Something wasn't right. I could feel it with the bond between the miraculous and I. It was bitter and hallow. Normally it was sweet and full of emotions. But now I couldn't feel anything from Marinette. I haven't been able to for more than a month.
I wanted to go see her, to check on her, but Sass says I shouldn't. He tells me leaving would compromise our location. He was right, and Marinette wouldn't want that. She wanted us to be safe, which is why she allowed me to leave. But even with that logic, I couldn't help it. I had to get to her.
Guilt pegged at me; it was something I haven't felt in a long while. I never told anyone where Marinette was, it wasn't because I didn't want to, it was because I couldn't. Something was blocking me from saying it. I don't know what, but every time I mentioned it to anyone, the words wouldn't leave my mouth.
I couldn't write it down, couldn't draw it, anything I did to try and tell someone, anyone, where Marinette was, even fly in that direction for her, something wouldn't allow me to. And I can't help but allow that pain to eat at me every day while I have been safe in the Guardian Temple. Marinette was somewhere out there, struggling, maybe gone forever and I was living my best life. The fact I have yet to feel anything from her side of the miraculous is troubling at best.
She was worrying me, I needed to see if she was alive, if maybe the reason why the bond was so bitter and lifeless was because she was gone. I had to know. So, I left the Guardian Temple yesterday. I left and went back to find Marinette.
Now I was in the abandoned warehouse where I had last seen Marinette. For the first time since I had escaped, I was allowed back. This time I wasn't alone. That ugly clown, Joker, was here. So was Marinette.
They were talking, laughing, having an amazing time with each other. The same guy that tortured her, and malnourished her, dehydrated her, was now laughing with her? None of this made sense, what was going on?
"Batsy is planning on ambushing your next load for Paris. Said something about sneaking in by one of the cargos. He's going in at 11:00 pm on the dot." Marinette said, but it wasn't her. She sounded detached and emotionless. As if she felt nothing. This wasn't right at all.
What did he do to her?
"Then we'll have to beat them there, huh? What do you say my dear Shadow? Care to take down some birdies with me?" Joker smiled, showing off his yellow teeth. Shadow? Is that what she went by now?
"While that sounds fun and all, I don't have a suit. The old Marinette thought it would be funny to take away her magical goddess that turned her into Ladybug." Shadow crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.
"Can't you just say something and make it come back?"
"Ugh, let me try. Spots on."
No, no, no, no! This was a mistake! Sass was right I should have never come! I try to fly away, only to be pulled back and sucked into the earrings.
Shadow's emptions settle around me as her suit forms. Numb. She feels nothing at all. She suppressed all her emotions. All of them are gone.
Except...
There!
Her heart. It's practically glowing, its radiating love. It's trying to shove out of the confined space that Shadow locked it in.
I reach my hand out, setting it on the glowing heart.
Images flash through my mind, every single image is a memory. Marinettes memories. The memories of everyone she loves.
Her parents, Alya, Adrian, Nino, me, her classmates, Luka, Kagami, Jason, Dick, Tim, Steph, Cass, Babs, Selina, Duke, Alfred and even Bruce.
The most frequent images and most powerful ones are the ones with Damian.
Damian can fix this, can fix her. I need to get to Damian.
Guys just FYI this will also be mentioned in the next chapter, but all the Kwamis are now in their human form! They took the elixir while in the Guardian Temple!
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