Gotham's Own Ladybug

Twenty-One

Ladybug threw her yo-yo out, not even bothering to check where it ended up as she leaped off of another rooftop. A crowd of civilians on the ground stared up at her in horror, until she swung up and halted her descent.

Her shoes - that were ruby red at the soles - pounded against wet concrete. Droplets of light rain stuck to her locks, messing up her perfect hairdo and forcing her to readjust her fringe every minute or so.

She sprinted straight forward on the top of a factory, whilst chancing a quick glance down to her weapon. It was split in half to reveal a small screen, that had marked on a map somewhere not that far from her current location.

"Almost there..." the girl mumbled to herself, just as she caught a glimpse of her destination. She launched up and landed with a whisper of noise on a warehouse roof, then broke a loose vent and jumped in.

A sigh escaped her lips. Marinette clipped off the Miracle Box attached to her waist and placed it at a pile of dusty furniture. Clutter and mess lay scattered about the spacious place, along with puddles of water from various stray leaks.

"Tikki, spots off."

Pink washed over her form, revealing a teenager adorning a Gotham Academy uniform. She grabbed her spotted backpack and began to stuff the box in, but not before allowing most of the kwami to float around freely.

"Marinette, why did you not just use Kaalki to teleport here?" Tikki quizzed, her squeaky voice being one of the only noises around.

"I can't let Gotham or any news see that other miraculous exist, let alone that I can transport myself anywhere in the world," she explained. "It's best to stay here and wait for any confirmation of Chat Noir. Then we can go confront him."

"'We'? But, Guardian, it is dangerous to use more than one miraculous at once!"

"I know, Mullo," the designer started. "But I have to save Plagg and Xuppu. It- it's my fault that they're stuck with him in the first place." Her tone became strained at the last words.

She zipped up her backpack, and placed it to the side. In her grasp were several miraculous - the ones of the Snake, Butterfly, Fox, Bee and Dragon.

"I knew I should have taken the Rabbit miraculous from Alix," she muttered, as she placed on each respective piece of jewellery. However, when coming to the purple brooch she hesitated for a few moments.

A violet kwami whizzed up to her shoulder. "I understand, Guardian. You don't have to wear the Butterfly if you don't want to since I...I can understand why."

Marinette quirked her lips. She reached out to hold the god in her palms as she spoke softly, "Nooroo, I don't blame you. No one does. What Hawk Moth did is not your fault."

"Yes, but..." he admonished, with his wings drooping down in a sad manner. She simply decided to nuzzle him close, and instead pocket the brooch in her blazer.

Trixx suddenly flew in front of the two, a phone held in her paws. "Looks like you're popular, Kit."

The female's eyes widened. "Oh merde, I forgot to ring them! I should probably do that so they know that I'm okay!" she realised, grabbing the device whilst sitting up into a less-slouched posture.

There was a clink at her shoulder.

"What...?" Marinette breathed, glancing to where the noise had come from. "Guys, is there something on my back?"

Several kwami scanned over her blazer, including Pollen, who gasped. "My Monarch, it appears that there is a gadget attached to you."

She must have gained a questioning look on her face, since Sass elaborated, "It appearsss that you have been tracked."