Chapter 1: Aftermath

The day started off like most days. After a normal morning routine, Adrien was taken to school during which Nathalie briefed him over his itinerary for the day. However, unlike other days, today was the first Friday he'd been looking forward to in a while. His usually busy schedule was opened up during that particular weekend because the new line of product was still going through the final design processes, and as a result, he had less photo shoots occupying his time. He looked forward to the occasional time off, always having a bucket-list of sorts prepared for days such as these. Play video games with his friends, see a movie or two, goof off at the park or the mall, it didn't matter. The world was his oyster, and he was going to do everything he never had the chance to do every other day. Life was good.

The car pulled to a stop near the front entrance of the school to which he took his leave, thanking Gorilla and Nathalie on his way out. It was definitely going to be a good day, and he couldn't help but grin at everyone and everything. Nino jogged from further down the sidewalk, clapping his hand against Adrien's back when he reached him.

"Hey bro, you totally stoked for this weekend?" the dark haired boy asked jovially.

Adrien let out a chuckle. "You bet I am. I've been looking forward to this all week."

They wound their way through the building, climbing stairs all while chatting about the various activities they anticipated as they approached the classroom. When they got to the room, they stepped inside, removing their bags as they slid into their seats. Nino turned around immediately to chat with Alya who was eagerly sharing her newest Ladyblog entry with great excitement and pride. Adrien smiled at her enthusiasm when he noticed Marinette staring holes through him. He waved sheepishly at her to which she blushed profusely before stammering something incoherent, hiding herself behind the pile of notes she was reviewing.

The idle chatter soon dissolved into silence as Ms. Bustier entered the classroom and proceeded to pass out the exam, prompting the students to place their bags and various belongings at their feet. "You will be given one hour to complete the exam," she informed them as Adrien clicked his pen open.

Adrien stared at his paper blankly for a moment as he tried to rid his mind of the distractions of the future, making a concerted effort to recall the information they had studied earlier that week. He scribbled answers down as they came to memory, taking brief moments to pause for each new question when the silence of the room was suddenly broken by an echoing boom emanating from the hallway. An akuma appeared in the doorway of the classroom introducing himself as "The Smoker", bellowing loudly and calling out for Chloe. Adrien rolled his eyes. Of all the days. . . and what a surprise, another victim to the blonde girl's bullying. It was steadily becoming more and more difficult to vindicate the girl whenever anyone in their school was akumatized. Chloe just struggled to be. . . well, nice, or pleasant. To anyone. Except maybe to him. He sighed.

Chloe, and all of the other students were in a panic, running around the room as they dodged smoke bombs the akuma lobbed across the room and at the floor. Adrien turned in alarm as he shouted at Nino, finding Marinette and Alya were already on their way out. A thick, stifling smoke clouded the air and he watched Nino slump before him, his classmates dropping to the floor in a similar fashion one by one. Adrien felt a wave of lightheadedness overtaking him as he clamped his hand over his nose and mouth before dashing toward the door. He managed to get to the hallway right before his vision failed, stumbling out and collapsing against the railing as he inhaled a large gasp of fresh air. Staggering drunkenly to the bathroom, he pulled himself into a stall to catch his breath a second time before Plagg zipped out of his inside pocket. Nodding knowingly, the little black entity readied himself as Adrien gave the command to transform.

A bright green light flashed through the restroom and Chat made his way back into the fray, sidestepping the panicked students and faculty as he ran upstream back to the classroom. A gray haze masked everything and more students were falling left and right. Chat pinched his nose as he approached to find the door to the classroom had been broken from its hinges and the akuma was nowhere to be seen. A yell and a couple of cheers echoed from the main courtyard and Chat wheeled around to find Ladybug in the midst of the fog, whirling and swinging her yo-yo around as she dodged the oncoming onslaught of fog. Chat peered down below as she pursued the akuma, noticing a broach at the high center of The Smoker's shirt collar that glowed dark purple. His eyes drifted back to Ladybug as he felt his heart melt as he watched her move fluidly against the adversary.

The desperate need for air snapped his mind back into the present. Grabbing his baton from behind him, he extended it and launched himself down into the fray, taking a fresh gasp at the apex of his jump. His feet hit the ground silently behind her and he flipped his baton to the side, twirling it like a helicopter blade to clear the smoke from in front of him.

"Well, My Lady, aren't you looking radiant today," he mentioned as he flashed his trademark cat-like smile at her. "I'll be honest, I was looking forward to a stress free day, but seeing you in action makes every akuma attack worth it."

"Clear some space for me, will you?" she asked over her shoulder, ignoring his advances as she threw her yo-yo into the mist with another attempt to hit their foe.

"Sure thing, My Lady," he grinned as he gave her a playful wink accompanied by a bow, before leaping up and into the encompassing spread of smoke. She rolled her eyes at him, letting a small smile spread over her lips as he leapt above her, twirling his baton as he ran.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chat saw the akuma ready another bomb from the edge of the mist. Responding instinctively he flipped himself up and behind The Smoker, driving the end of his baton into the small of his back which caused the akuma to fall forward into a sprawl on the floor. Chat sneered in victory only to find he and Ladybug suddenly overtaken by another wave of smoke. Ladybug seemed to notice first as she wrapped her arm around his waist, throwing her yo-yo upward, rapidly pulling them to the safety of the second floor. The gray fog continued to rise after them, however, and the akuma in its midst cackled loudly before issuing a demand for their Miraculouses.

"The lack of air in here might become quite the cat-astrophe," Chat japed lightly.

"Not now, Chat," Ladybug responded flatly. But Chat grinned anyway, pleased with his own joke and that while Ladybug pretended she didn't love it, she still gave him a reaction. They looked quickly around the scene, spotting potential area the akuma might be hiding. However, the cloud was extremely thick, making it difficult to ascertain his exact location. Decidedly out of options, Ladybug threw her yo-yo in the air and summoned her Lucky Charm, procuring a large red, black spotted fan that dropped loudly to the first-level floor.

"That's non-standard," she commented curiously, staring down at the large piece of metal.

"At least it's an easy solution," Chat remarked, seemingly unaffected by the unnatural size of the charm. "Although, we still need to locate a power source."

"We have five minutes," Ladybug reminded him frankly, holding her hand up and splaying her fingers as added emphasis.

Her eyes darted quickly about as she scanned the recesses of the large hall. Chat vaulted himself to a clearer area at the far end of the room before letting himself down to the ground floor. He dashed into the smoke toward where the giant fan stood, blasting the smoke at his face away with the mad twirl of his baton. The Smoker continued tossing additional smoke bombs in his direction as Chat dashed down the length of the room along the wall, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of an electrical outlet when he spotted one in the distance. "Down here!" he shouted, still striving to keep the smoke at bay when another grenade spewed more gray at his side.

Ladybug appeared suddenly through a parting blanket of fog, grabbing the cord to run past Chat's feet where she connected it to the outlet. The fan started up immediately, sucking the fog around them to blast it at the other side of the room, clearing the air directly around them with a quick efficiency. Chat peered beyond the back of the rotating blades to find the akuma exposed, standing near the center of the courtyard. He sprinted after The Smoker keeping his eyes locked on the amulet adorning his chest. The akuma noticed his rapid approach as he seemed to balk at Chat's increased drive, fumbling madly to retrieve another handful of grenades. Tackling the akuma along the knees, Chat knocked him to the floor just before he released another bomb, resulting in the grenade flipping into a high trajectory before it blasted behind them. Wasting no time, Chat grabbed the broach and crushed it easily in his fist. A black-purple akuma fluttered out as the victim plopped back against the ground with a moan as his costume faded away.

Chat wheeled around when Ladybug hadn't immediately snatched the akuma up, only to find her slender, red form sprawled on the floor within a thin midst. He ran over and picked her up hastily before springing away from the toxic cloud, placing her softly on the ground in recovery position. He frowned as he looked at her, patting her face gently as he called her name in an effort to arouse her. 'The Smoker' groaned at Chat's side, bringing the moment back to his full attention. "The akuma!" he exclaimed, jumping up on his feet as his eyes darted around the room, hoping against the sinking feeling in his gut that the butterfly was still in sight.

He barely saw it before it disappeared out of the large main entrance to the school. The sight of Ladybug laying at his knees caused him to balk with hesitation momentarily. What if her Miraculous timed out and her identity was revealed? These were other people in the room aside from the akuma victim, but they all remained unconscious. He grit his teeth in determination as he quickly displaced the thought, telling himself if he was quick he could come retrieve her before time ran out. Feet and pawed hands traded over each other as he rushed to the doors, bolting out into the sunlit city. Fortunately there weren't many people occupying the plaza except for the few who had managed to escape the school before passing out, allowing him to rediscover the akuma as it fluttered along the sidewalk. It landed on top of the large ad with Adrien's face plastered on it at the street corner before it started flapping its wings madly. Chat's eyes blew wide as he watched it phase in and out as if were about to -his stomach flipped anxiously- multiply. Chat shouted loudly as he launched himself at it, catching it underneath his claws only to feel it begin to divide.

It just sort of happened, a gut reaction since he didn't how else to respond. Without a second thought, despite the voice of warning in his head that sounded much like Plagg, he released it. The dark energy of the cataclysm erupted from his palm, engulfing the butterfly in a shroud of pure black. Chat felt the next few seconds of his life grow into minutes as he watched the black shock dance down his arm along his fingers, evaporating the butterfly into a puff of smoke. The dust of the infected insect dissipated before his eyes as it drifted from the gaps between his fingers, dispersing until it became no longer distinguishable from the air around him. He nearly breathed a sigh of relief but was interrupted, however, by a burst of energy he couldn't have prepared himself for.

The black energy as his hand suddenly bounced from the remains of the akuma, rocketing back up his arm with a blast that threw him into the air as easily as a child tossing a small toy. Everything continued to unfurl in slow motion as he felt himself flip and tumble airborne, only to then jerk backward as his entire body seized uncontrollably. Pain surged through the length of his body as his muscles contracted simultaneously in a frenzy throwing his head backward as his back arched, eliciting a ghastly scream to erupt from his mouth. The concrete sidewalk slammed into him stopping his decent immediately, but his body continued to spasm violently against its surface and Chat couldn't for the life of him find a way to breathe.

He could faintly make out shouting and talking beyond the ringing that muffled his hearing as multiple feet and pairs of legs crowded into his failing vision. Forcing his eyes open as far as they would go did little in the way of letting in more light as his peripherals clouded over with an ever growing amount of dark speckles and blobs. His mouth hung open in silence as if he was waiting to say something, occasionally sounding small, choked noises as his limbs continued to thrash aimlessly. It had been so long since he had last taken a breath he could feel his lungs shriveling for lack of essential fuel, his chest screaming in agony threatening to collapse into itself if he didn't find a solution. Now.

Just before his vision completely blacked out, a huge, stuttering gasp escaped him, stinging his lungs with the fresh, cold sensation of oxygen. Whether his body had relaxed just enough or if he had simply managed to override the visceral response in pure desperation he would never know, but he was finally breathing again and heaving for more of the precious life-giving matter was all Chat cared about. He flopped onto his chest when a small beep sounded from his Miraculous, reminding him he had to leave. Rattling heavily as he exerted all efforts to keep from collapsing back to the ground, he struggled arduously, propping himself up on his forearms as he managed to fold his knees beneath him. His head spun madly and his face poured sweat as he attempted to push himself upright, his arms waving like a flag against the wind when he felt bile rise at the back of his throat. A sudden jolt of pain bit at his abdomen caused him to double over only to retch on the ground between his trembling hands, staining the white surface with spatters of deep crimson.

Muffled cries sounded around him, but fortunately, nobody near him seemed to know quite how to react otherwise and left him alone for the time being. Another beep sounded from his ring, showing only one pad of the paw print remained. Clumsily grabbing his baton from his back, he pulled it out and extended it at the ground to aid him in rising to his feet. He buckled slightly as he repressed the urge to vomit when another wave of pain shot through his core. His body shook from the stress of the injury, pleading to him that he should just stay there, but he didn't have that kind of luxury. "I'm s-sorry, Ladybug," he whispered remorsefully, looking back to the school when he realized her transformation had surely worn off by then. Despite the concern and gentle protests from the onlookers, he launched himself to the rooftops, stumbling into a run as he fled the scene.

His gut screamed at him as he ran, demanding that he stop running so he did just that. It wasn't exactly voluntary, however, as he knees just kind of gave out on him. Sending him into a clumsy roll, he plummeted off a sloped roof, tumbling face first to the ground. Fortunately, he maintained his senses long enough to lengthen his baton, stabbing it into the brick face of the building to slow his fall to a scraping halt. He dropped limply to the ground of the vacant alley when his strength gave out. The immediate risk was now over and just in time too as he felt Plagg's hold on him slacken, the transformation giving out and his leather suit melting away.

He caught Plagg in the palm of his hand when a wave of nausea hit him like a truck. Plagg floated out of his hold when Adrien suddenly started convulsing. The suit's protective powers had worn off and he knew Adrien felt considerably weaker without them. A series of coughs racked the boy's body, stabbing his lungs mercilessly with each bought before they caused him to fold into himself as he crumpled to the ground. The small entity's green eyes looked at him with a dread concern as Adrien squinted up at him and heaved a gasp.

"Didn't I warn you?!" Plagg exclaimed angrily as he fluttered in his face, displaying far more energy than he normally did after de-transforming. Adrien supposed the little cat acted especially dramatic when he wanted to eat, and his surprising amount of energy now only confirmed his suspicions. However, after staring into the small being's eyes for a moment longer, Adrien could see lines of exhaustion striped the cat's lower lids, confirming the cataclysm had taken its toll on not only him but Plagg as well. Despite his charade, the small cat was completely drained of energy.

"It was going t-to multiply," Adrien argued weakly. Sweat rolled down his face along the collar of his shirt and he could feel a shiver rattling up his spine as he pushed himself to lean against the side of a building.

"You should have payed more attention to your surroundings before you freed it," the cat shouted back as he threw his tiny arms in the air. Plagg grimaced when Adrien winced, making an intentional effort to soften his voice when speaking again. "You don't understand how dangerous your situation is," Plagg hissed, dropping tiredly onto Adrien's shoulder when he felt his own strength falter. He looked up at the back side of the boy's head, too tired to bother repositioning himself.

Adrien shuddered as he sucked in another breath in an effort to slow his heart rate. "I. . . didn't know what else to do," he mumbled as thoughts of Stoneheart played across his memory. Plagg continued to stare up at him even though Adrien couldn't see him. The boy's head drooped as his chest rose and fell heavily. "I just- wanted to prevent it. From happening again."

Plagg's sigh filled his ear so Adrien shot a side glace at his shoulder. "It'll be okay," Plagg said simply, waving a paw arbitrarily. Adrien didn't believe it was as simple as the small cat made it sound, and frankly, Plagg didn't believe himself either. However, stressing the boy out further would likely only cause more damage to his already fragile state, or- Plagg shook his head rapidly as he tried to remove the unwanted thoughts from his head. No. Just because it had happened before didn't mean it had to be that way this time. Plagg just needed to recover quickly, then he could purge Adrien of the dark energy before anything unsavory could befall him. "Hey kid," Plagg added. Adrien plucked the cat from his shoulder to hold him gently in front of him. "Let's go home."

Adrien nodded wearily, forcing his unwilling feet beneath him as he pulled himself up along the wall he had been resting against. The street swayed under him and he felt drawn to it like a magnet, his body threatening to fall back to the unbending embrace of the asphalt. He resisted it though, bracing himself against the wall as he allowed his blood flow to return to his legs, taking a deep breath to steel himself for the undoubtedly long road home. Plagg returned to his inner pocket to find a wrapped, small wedge of emergency Camembert which he hastily unwrapped and downed in one bite. Adrien slowly stumbled his way down toward the main road, unaware of the figure watching him from a second story window.

"Chat Noir, I've found you at last."

A/N: That doesn't bode well. . .