Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews, they're much appreciated! :)

Final battle and the final chapter! Enjoy!

In the end, the heroes don't find Wyvern. She finds them.

The Claw strikes Ladybug from behind, clamping around her at the elbows and pinning her arms to her sides as she's knocked forward onto her stomach. Cat Noir whips around, his staff already in hand. Wyvern kicks him as she zips down the line of her grappling hook, landing atop Ladybug. He staggers, wincing.

Hawkmoth doesn't need to remind her. Wyvern is after one thing.

Ladybug struggles under the monstrous grip of The Claw as a hand closes around her left earing. But Cat Noir has recovered and his staff slams into the akuma's side as it extends, throwing her off his partner.

The Claw releases with a mechanical groan and winds back to Wyvern's arm.

"You alright?"

Ladybug nods as he helps her to her feet. "Guess the search is over..."

"Seems that way, yeah."

Ladybug smiles tightly and lowers her voice so the akuma can't hear her. "I'll distract her, you focus on getting in close and getting The Claw away from her."

Cat Noir nods. "If she activates her power, don't let her touch, Ladybug..." He flexes his stiff fingers to make his point and she nods again.

"I won't." Then, Ladybug throws her yoyo and it tangles around a street lamp above The Wyvern's head. She glides in close and kicks the villain's arm off target when she tries to attack with her claw again. Cat Noir vaults over, landing behind the akuma. He steps out of the way of a wild swing and then Ladybug pulls her attention again.

With Wyvern's focus temporarily snagged by Ladybug, Cat Noir grins. "Cataclysm!" He sees the akuma stiffen and his partner hits hard, attempting to keep her attention...but Wyvern ducks out of the way and whirls around, just as Cat Noir closes his hand around The Claw on her wrist...

"NO!" The villain watches furiously as her weapon disintegrates and crumbles into a heap on the ground.

Ladybug almost cheers as the last of the rusty steel crumbles into a pile. But no black butterfly emerges from the ashes...and Wyvern turns on Cat Noir, her fists clenched and trembling in rage.

In a voice low and dangerous, Wyvern growls, "Aftershock." Her hand sparks with blue light and the heroes shiver at the rumbling sound it makes. Like thunder.

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug warns, twirling her yoyo.

"Yeah!" He leaps backwards, out of reach and readies his staff. Can't let her touch him. Wyvern lunges forward. The armored sleeves of her suit clash against Cat Noir's staff, grinding metal on metal as he holds off at a distance and she struggles to get close enough to use her power.

Adrien grimaces at the always-nerve wracking sound of his Miraculous's beeping. Four minutes left. "Ladybug! Perhaps now would be a good time for one of your master plans!"

"I'm working on it!" Ladybug steps back, taking advantage of the temporary stale mate in front of her. With no other option, she nods to herself and shoots her yoyo into the air. "Lucky Charm!"

With a flash of light, the marble falls into the palm of her hand.

A...marble.

Awesome.

Ladybug grips it in her fist as she takes in surroundings. The street light? No. A parked car? No. Ah! Cat Noir's staff blinks red. Ladybug looks down at her hand and the marble flashes, as well as her yoyo. One last look shows the ruby imbedded in Wyvern's forehead blazing crimson.

Ah-ha!

"Cat Noir! I need your help!"

"Argg...on it!" Cat Noir passes his hand over the staff and sighs in relief when it extends, throwing Wyvern off of him. He rotates his shoulder and springs across the street, landing next to partner. "What can I do for you, M'Lady?" He asks with a charming smile.

Ladybug, however, simply grabs his shoulder and nudges him onto his knees with his back to her.

"Uhh...Ladybug...? I love piggy back rides as much as the next guy but-"

"Shh. Separate your staff and hold the piece up vertically. And hurry."

Wyvern staggers to her feet, her hand still glowing an angry blue.

Cat Noir obeys. He extends the two halves of his staff, setting them side by side on the pavement and bracing them as Ladybug winds the string of yoyo around them.

Wyvern growls, studying the obvious trap in front of her. But...what is it?

"Uh, what is this?" Cat Noir whispers, staring at the wire contraption above his head. But Ladybug only smiles and places the marble against the wire, pulling it back.

"The akuma is in the jewel on her forehead. All that's left is to break it..." She aims the makeshift slingshot for another split second...and just as Wyvern seems to realize what's happening, Ladybug releases the marble. It shoots forward in the blink of an eye and strikes dead center.

Shards of red fly into the air and Wyvern falls to her knees, cupping her forehead. But from one of the shattered pieces of ruby, flutters Hawkmoth's butterfly.

"No more evil doing for you, little akuma." It's engulfed in purifying white light and Ladybug runs a finger over the case of yoyo, sliding it open. When the butterfly leaves, it glows a soft, white light. "Buh-bye, little butterfly."

"Ohh, what happened to me?" Ada's skin feels strange. It tingles with residual power from the akuma's possession and her limbs feel weak. She looks up just in time to see...oh.

"Pound it!"

"W-wow! Ladybug and Cat Noir!" she gasps to herself, but regardless, they both seem to hear her. The heroes look down at her and she feels her heart racing in her chest. Ladybug smiles softly and Ada stiffens as she kneels down beside her. "I'm so sorry! I never meant to...do whatever it is I did." She sighs quietly. "I just wanted to help..."

Ladybug's hand is surprisingly gentle on her shoulder. "We know that. And you were very brave for standing up to that akuma for our sakes. Not many people would do that."

Ada smiles half heartedly and stands up, dusting off her pantlegs. "I think next time, I'll just leave it to the professionals..."

Cat Noir leans casually on Ladybug's shoulder as she stands. "When it comes to akuma, that is safest." Then, he grins and nods his head toward the alleyway behind her. "But...if you still wanna help us out, there's something you could handle."

Ada turns and immediately frowns at the fight of TV reporters and paparazzi rushing into the street, already shouting questions at the heroes, whose Miraculouses are beeping loudly. Where did these guys even come from?

With a soft smile, Ada winks at them. "I'll cover you."

They chuckle, turn away, and disappear over the rooftops. The reporters slow to a stop in front of her, looking quizzically at each other.

"Miss? Can you tell us what happened to the akuma Ladybug and Cat Noir were just fighting?" One journalist asks, shoving a microphone into her face. All cameras on her but she simply shrugs. "That was me. Ladybug and Cat Noir had to go but...I'll answer any questions you might have."

The next day goes by in a blur of schoolwork and preparations for their speeches at the end of the week. Literature class ends and, despite Marinette doing her best to focus on the project and not Adrien's beautiful, gorgeous...perfect face...just inches from her...ahem... And they still have no idea what their project topic should be.

The two of them stroll out of school together, and despite Adrien's car parked at the foot of the concrete steps, they pause outside the doors and he turns to her with a sheepish smile.

"I don't think I have any photoshoots tonight," he says. "Or anything else. So..." he motions with one arm at the sleek, silver vehicle. "We could go to your place to work on the project...if you'd like."

Before even thinking, Marinette blurts out, "What about your Chinese lessons?"

"What?"

Oh...oh god...she is not supposed to know he has Chinese lessons tonight.

"I, uh, I mean-I'd love y-I'd love that! I mean, sure! If you want!"

Adrien's confused expression fades then and he smiles at her. Marinette follows him down the steps mechanically, her heart almost stopping when he pops open the door and steps aside, motioning for her to get in.

"Ladies first."

She blushes. "Thank you..." She slides in and fumbles with the seat belt. Adrien sits beside her, closes the door, and the driver pulls out of the parking lot.

The city passes them in a blur of greys and greens and Marinette makes a point of looking straight out the window so as to not end up staring doe-eyed at Adrien...again. The car pulls up to a stop light next to an electronics store...and Marinette raises her eyebrows at the sight of a very familiar face displayed on the screen of a television in the front window.

"Look at that," Adrien remarks, and Marinette jumps when she realizes how close he is to her, peering out her window to see the screen as well. "That's the newest akuma."

"Yeah," she agrees. They can't hear Ada's voice through the shop window but the subtitles below her spell out an air of confidence Marinette had only seen hints of in her short time speaking to the girl. Marinette smiles, happy to know she isn't feeling too down about her experience. "The Wyvern."

As soon as the word leaves her mouth, Marinette whips around to look at Adrien, who is already staring at her with one of those rare, huge smiles on his face.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

She nods excitedly, her stuttering nervousness lost for a short, blissful moment. "Wyverns are a mythical creature!"

"And no one else has picked them yet!" With bright smiles on their faces, Marinette and Adrien bump their fists together. It's such a familiar feeling that neither of them realize until they've lowered their hands.

That's the second time now...

Thanks. See you tonight, partner!

Pound it!

Marinette swallows at the lump that has suddenly risen in her throat. Slowly, she turns her head. Her eyes find the silver ring on his finger that she's never really noticed until now. And when she looks up, Adrien is staring thoughtfully at the earrings he's never paid notice to until today.

For the slightest of the seconds, their eyes meet. Green and blue. And then they both whip their heads around in opposite directions and the rest of the ride passes in complete silence except for the thudding of their hearts in their ears.

No.

There's no way.

They're just being paranoid.

...right?