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Leaping over rubble and ducking under beams, Marinette ran through the desecrated remains of Paris. Her transformation had worn off hours ago letting the air burn her lungs and the dust from the shattered concrete coat her tongue. Her side ached with each pounding step burning her calves and jarring her knees.
Everyone was gone. Everyone was missing. The glazed look in Adrien’s still eyes, Luka’s cool color palette stained with harsh reds and rusted browns, everyone she loved injured and dead. One was still missing. She felt herself scream his name but time itself seemed in flux the longer she searched. She could only hear the crashing screams of the demon at what used to be the Louvre searching for his loved one. If only she could find hers.
Eventually she saw him. The green barbed glove grasping at ripped grass as the other shoved at a piece of wall. She heard him groaning and the hands slick with blood lost his grip on the wall.
Crying out she jolted forward and caught the metal and glass wool. “Can you move? Are your legs broken?”
“Ma-“ Robin grit his teeth, dragging himself to freedom. “Civilians should be in the shelters! What are you doing out here?”
“They’re all destroyed. They’re dead Damian! Everyone is dead!”
He cringed at the use of his name while still wearing his mask but was quick to wrap his arms around her. “I’m sorry... Labybug can fix it though. She’ll end this and bring them back...”
Marinette snarled dropping the wall. “Ladybug lost! Didn’t you see the attack that leveled the city? She watched everyone die and despite what everyone else thinks she’s just a human with a magic artifact! She’s just wasn’t good enough!”
She didn’t see the horror realized in his eyes as she struggled to pull herself together. She only heard his quiet question. “You are her?”
“Of course I’m her...” A sob ripped through her as tears made her eyes shine. “Who else would she be?”
Shoving down the bubbling resentment, she straightened and pulled the ring from her pocket. “Damian,” she said softly placing the ring in his palm. “Take care of him. When this is all over take my earrings and this ring and keep them safe. With the damage done to the city...”
His mind worked overtime to Decipher what she said. When the piece fell to place in his blood loss addled mind she was gone.
“No. NO!” The scream left him even as he watched Ladybug run through the rubble. “It’s not worth it!”
The price was too steep!
She couldn’t!
He heard her scream, saw her fall.
He couldn’t move! The damn wall broke his damn leg! He had to be with her. He had to go to her!
If his hand would stop shaking! If he could just fucking stand!
There was still enough adrenaline! There had to be!
A gust of wind fixed the city.
On the wings of the beetles he heard her whisper.
“You’ll never be alone.”
He ran to her, dodging pedestrians and traffic. His love, his Marinette, she didn’t pay the price. She couldn’t have!
He dropped to his knees in-front of her.
Soft smile and glazed blue eyes. She was already gone.