Ladybug versus Chat Noir

Ladybug watched the city-scape for she didn't know how long. An hour? Two hours? Three? It didn't really matter one way or the other. Her thoughts had her totally occupied, about Chat. About the Miraculouses. About Spite. About... Everything.

She knew it was all true. She knew it. Chat Noir had never lied to her before, and he wouldn't make up something so convoluted just to trick her. She knew him far better than that, and she knew for a fact, he was an amazingly honest person.

But when she had tried to tell him that... She wasn't herself. It was like she wasn't Marinette anymore. Like seeing him was... Like flipping a switch that made her a different parson altogether. Someone filled with hatred... Filled with contempt for Chat Noir... For Adrien.

Yes, she knew who Chat Noir was behind that mask... Whatever she become whenever she saw him. She couldn't even begin to explain it, but she had never felt more alone in her entire life. It was like... Like someone else was driving a car, and she was the passenger, she thought was the best way to describe it. She could scream, she could protest, she could try to wrestle control back... But she never could. Not even Tikki was able to figure out that she was like a prisoner inside her own body, even when merged.

She missed Chat... She missed Adrien... Those horrible things she had said to him... They hadn't even been words she had wanted to say... Words she never would have dreamed of saying. Not to Adrien. Not to him. Not after everything they had gone through to get to where they were... She would have cried were her body really hers to command. Stood here like this, she thought about all those horrible things she had said... And how much she desperately wanted to take them back.

"Marinette."

Hearing that voice, that familiar voice... Her body turned, though not really part of her own will, but she would have turned anyway. When she saw Chat Noir, that feeling in her heart, that aching and love for him was right there, and were she able to, she would have run up to him, hugged him as tightly as she could have done, and repeated she is so, so, so freaking sorry for everything she had said, even though it wasn't her fault.

"I thought I told you to stay away from me."

'...' She internally cried at the words that weren't her own. That was the last thing she wanted...

"If that's what you really want, I'll stay away from you, but only when you're actually you, Marinette."

For the first time in the last few days... Marinette felt a real sense of hope. Had Chat figured out what was happening to her? That he knew?

"Is that your ego talking? The pretty girl doesn't like the alley cat, so you got the idea in your head that it's because she's cursed, because god forbid, someone doesn't like the alley cat."

"That's not... I'm trying to help you, Marinette. I don't want a fight."

"What if I do?"

"What if I've been wanting to fight you for years now?"

She'd never wanted to fight Chat... Even before she knew he was Adrien, he had been her friend. Never - Never - Had she wanted to ever fight Chat Noir.

"You haven't."

"Well, I do now!" Her body moved on its own, moving the strike the cat-themed Hero, with serious deadly intent.

'!'

Backflipping off the roof, across the street, and onto another roof, Chat Noir managed to dodge the swing of Ladybug's yo-yo, aimed for his jugular vein. He didn't want to think about what would happen to him should that manage to catch him. He could only imagine it would be less than fun.

He knew that she really was trying to kill him now. He'd had the tiniest bit of hope, but no, she was coming at him with murderous intent. He didn't have a choice left. He had to fight her like he meant it.

Skidding backwards on the roof of the next building, he reached extended his baton, and firmly gripped hold of it with his right hand. Across the street from him stood his love, spinning her weapon at light-quick speeds. It quickly expanded, and suddenly Chat found himself having to duck, dodge and weave incoming high-speed attacks coming in from both sides. He remembered that she mentioned her yo-yo's string would grow as long as she willed it, meaning it was far, far more effective at medium-to-long ranges. Chat gritted his teeth. He'd jumped back without thinking, leaving himself at the worst possible position and range for Ladybug to attack him. Using his own close-range combat piece of equipment, he defended himself against each attack with speed and impressive reflexes, though his heart wasn't in his movements at all. He lacked the strength, the discipline, the commitment to each of these attacks. He knew he'd have to get in close to actually stand a chance against his better half, but he wanted to avoid hurting her at all costs. But he knew it was impossible... The internal conflict weakened his body, but steeled his resolve to save her.

He took a running jump across the gap between the building, his weapon raised above his head, ready to strike. He swung it down, Ladybug jumping backwards just before it made contact with her, leaving a centimeter for her to work with. She quickly jumped forwards, and threw a roundhouse kick to the head with impressive power behind it despite her having to raise her leg s good half-head above the rest of her body.

Bringing in both his arms to firmly defend his head, Chat was able to block the attack, but the force went through his body when the impact came hit him like a ton of bricks, giving him a headache. He forced himself to shake it off, before yelling through gritted teeth, "Marinette, I know you're in there! I need you to fight whatever this is!"

'You think I haven't been trying, you stupid cat?!' Marinette internally yelled, but she knew he was right. Then again, she couldn't do anything. She just couldn't. She was trying, she was trying as hard as she could, but whatever this was, it had its guard up twenty four hours a day.

"Why don't you just shut up!" Ladybug yelled, slamming a first into the side of Chat's face, the force pushing him backwards.

Regaining his footing, Chat saw something he'd never thought he'd see.

A dark, purple mist around Ladybug's body, enveloping her. Like that of an Akumatized victim. While Chat's heart almost stopped for a brief second, there was something he noticed - This was a light purple, not the normal dark purple that encased any other victims. Not only that, there was little to no sign of that typical butterfly purple outline that seemed to be how Hawkmoth would see who his servants were attacking...

Was this... Some sort of half Akumatization? Had Spite's actions managed to have somehow transferred a part of his infection to Marinette?

Had that been the plan? To corrupt the link, to allow one half of the Parisian duo to become influenced by him, despite doing nothing about it himself? Had he... Planned all this?

"Marinette..." Chat whispered to himself, silently sending a prayer that she was doing okay. He didn't even want to imagine what sort of hell being Akumatized was, never mind what this must be like.

"Stop calling me that!" Ladybug yelled, throwing her yo-yo, this time, targeting the center of his skull. Try as Marinette might, she couldn't stop herself from doing it. It was like going against an elephant in a game of tug of war. She tried the best she could, but there was nothing she could do, not even anything she could say.