Venom: A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Adrien-Chapter 12

He could hear the roar from a mile away—literally. It ripped across his eardrums and gave him a splitting headache, making him feel dizzy as black dots danced at the corner of his eyes. An akuma.

Immediately, Adrien jumped up from where he sat in the café pouring over his project from work, threw his unfinished coffee away in the trash, and zipped out of the establishment as fast as his feet could carry him. But then he stopped on the sidewalk and looked every which way for any sign of the akuma but saw nothing. At least until he heard the earsplitting roar once more. It came from the mall!

"Plagg, claws out!"

Surprisingly, Plagg didn't moan and gripe about it this time and within seconds, he was Chat Noir bursting through the doors to the mall. Already, he found Ladybug in combat with the beast—if that's what he could call it. The man had three arms on each side, his skin stained a shade of sick green, and his head looked like it had been replaced by a shark. Fortunately, he had nothing on him except his pants and a necklace with a shark tooth dangling around his neck, making it obvious where the akuma hid. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be easy to get near enough to him.

The akumatized man who called himself Dorsal Fin lifted his head to the ceiling and let out another earth shattering roar, and Adrien had to cover his ears to block out the sound.

"Chat! Thank goodness!"

Ladybug landed right next to him, already in a fighting stance as she swung her yo-yo fast in a circle. She looked as if just fighting the beast for as long as she had completely wiped out her energy.

"I can't get close enough to him without him attacking me first," she panted, her expression serious and calculating.

Chat grinned from ear to ear. "I'm paw-sitive you need some help. He can't be too hard. Just look at his hiss-terical face."

She swatted her arm. "Are you going to sit there making puns all day or are you going to help me?!" When she leaped forward again, he gave her a salute and followed suit. Together, they attacked Dorsal Fin, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get close enough. They needed a distraction.

"Ladybug! Attack on my signal," Adrien called out to her and she gave him a brief nod. He had to jump over Dorsal Fin's tail when he swung it his way, just barely managing to dodge the attack. It was time to pull out the old tricks...

Using one of his razor sharp claws, Adrien sliced the skin along his own arm so it drew blood.

"Chat, what are you doing?!" Ladybug cried as she dodged another attack from the monster.

"This," he replied calmly as he waved his arm in the air. That was enough to get Dorsal Fin to stop in his tracks and lift his nose up to the air, sniffing out the source of the blood. At last, the shark's gaze met his and he charged forward, completely ravenous for blood. Wait for it... Wait for it...

At the last second, Chat used the smooth glass of his watch to catch the sunlight and reflect the light in Dorsal Fin's eyes until he couldn't see, it blinded him. "Now, Ladybug!"

She attacked at that moment while Dorsal Fin was incapacitated and knocked the monster right to his knees, but not before slipping the necklace off his neck. When the necklace came free, Dorsal Fin changed back into a regular human but the akuma stayed inside the necklace. Again and again, Ladybug stomped on the tooth, but no matter how hard she tried, it didn't break. The akuma stayed put.

"Chat! I need you to use cataclysm."

Hurriedly, he shook his head. In order to break the necklace, he knew he needed to use that power, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. What if it went out of control? What if it hurt someone just like it had hurt his father? He'd never be able to forgive himself if he ever had a repeat of what happened that night three years ago.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he scooped up the akumatized shark tooth and stashed it in his pocket. Somehow, these akumas were getting stronger, this one was even stronger than the last. If he broke the tooth, the akuma would be released, but he thought it might be better if the akuma stayed locked inside for a little while—at least until he and Ladybug could figure out what was happening.

"You're going to keep it?" Ladybug asked with a worried expression. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"Neither is destroying it. We both know something big is happening and I think it all links back to whatever was taken from that mummy's tomb. Don't worry, Sweetheart. I'll call you before I decide to break it open."

Ladybug reluctantly nodded and started to turn away, but Adrien's grin only widened as he cleared his throat, making her turn her head to look at him.

He bowed to her with a flourish and from behind his back, he produced a beautiful, single long-stemmed red rose and held it out to her. "For you, m'lady."

To his surprise, followed by a bit of hurt, Ladybug pushed the rose away from her with the back of her hand.

"What are you doing, Chat?" she frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest followed by a look of annoyance. "First the kiss and now this? Is this some kind of publicity stunt?"

Adrien didn't know that it was possible, but the black ears on the top of his head flattened against his hair as the hurt overcame him. Sure, he was used to being rejected by her time and time again, but somehow, this felt different. It felt...final.

"That's not it at all, m'lady," he defended, and only then did he notice that there were others watching them. They weren't alone. "It's not a stunt. I'm serious."

Ladybug shook her head and continued to scowl. "Well, I don't want it. It belongs in the trash, stupid cat."

Now his ears were completely flat against his head and his whole body felt as if it drooped with heartache. Had he gone too far? He thought it was an innocent gesture to show her his feelings.

Her expression fell as she took him in and she reached out, "Chat, wait. Chat—"

Without another word, Adrien set the rose down on the railing beside them and took out his staff, extending it so it would propel him upward before allowing him to disappear outside, out of sight of Ladybug. They could never be more than just crime-fighting buddies. Her message to him came across loud and clear. Adrien just needed to throw his feelings for her in the trash and leave them there, because that was the only place they belonged.