Chapter 6: Aspik and Marinette

                                    

                                          
Aspik was confused. He was very confused.
                          
Currently, he was tackling Sculptor all by himself as he waited for Ladybug to go and recharge. He should've rejected the miraculous, he really should've, he knew that he'd be a hundred times more useful as Cat Noir than as Aspik. But he couldn't just say no without a valid reason! Besides, Ladybug was quite convincing...
                          
"WATCH OUT!" He said shoving someone behind a display that came crumbling down due to Sculptor's attacks.
                          
That someone was Marinette. Suddenly, his protective instincts kicked in. She was dazed as he helped her up to her feet and pushed her behind him.
                          
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
                          
"Y-yeah." She said with her cheeks red.
                          
"Where are Ladybug and Cat Noir, you slithering thing? I want their miraculous!" Sculptor roared as he tried to zap them into statues, he quickly dodged the attack pushing Marinette with him as they rolled off to the side toppled above each other again.
                          
"I'm not letting you escape! Maybe Ladybug and Cat Noir will show up once their superhero friend looks good in wax!" Sculptor aimed another shot at them, Adrien quickly sprang to his feet taking Marinette in his hands as he sped away.
                          
"He's quick." She commented. And she was right. He didn't even have time to take Marinette to safety as this villain was on his heels all the time.  He also could've contacted Ladybug if he didn't have him chasing them constantly...and Grevin's didn't have much hiding places.
                          
"I know. I hope Ladybug shows up quick before he turns me into wax!" How long was recharging taking?
                          
"Cat Noir too."
                          
"Yeah. Though, I haven't really seen him around yet." Oh...he so wondered why...
                          
She nodded as she looked over his shoulder at the villain trying to zap them. He was struggling to keep up with this chase...
                          
"You're?"
                          
"Aspik." He said proudly, he didn't know why, "I use the same miraculous as Viperion but I'm not needed that much, it's my first proper fight, I'm kind of like a rejected hero."
                          
"You're not being rejected now." She said smiling to look up at him, he returned it, "If I recall, your miraculous can revisit situations from 5 minutes in the past giving you a 'second chance' to fix whatever happened?" 
                          
"Yes. You got that right." He said leaping to the side to dodge another attack.
                          
"Wouldn't it be handy to tussle and try to capture the akuma somehow, by the time, Ladybug comes to de-evilise it?" Marinette suggested. She had a point but...
                          
"I'm not sure if I can do it..." He may be Cat Noir, but he never had a fight without Ladybug. How was he supposed to do it now, with a miraculous he struggled wielding. 
                          
"You can." She assured him, "I believe you can."
                          
"You don't know me." He stated the untrue words that she once did. He very well understood why she said them.
                          
"But I know that Ladybug must've chose you for a reason. Trust that reason. I may not be a superhero, but I do know that heroes do whatever it takes to do their duties. So, do whatever it takes to prove to yourself that you are a hero." Those wise words were ironic, but they were very true. 
                          
"You're right. I need to do this." He glanced up at the villain and tried to act all Ladybug. The Sculptor was zapping them with odd tools. He doubted that the akuma was in any of those tools. But...the badge he was wearing was rather off-colour from the rest of his suit, it stood out too much. It would make sense if that was where the akuma was.
                          
"His akuma should be in his badge. I just don't know how to reach up to it."
                          
"I agree. I have an idea, you might not like it, but I think you need all the help you can get..."
                          
  
                          
"What do you have in mind?"
                          
  
                          
After a lot of dodging attacks and debating about Marinette's plan, it was risky, and it might not work but he finally agreed to it. Probably the only reason he agreed to it was that he had a miraculous that could reverse an event if anything went wrong, otherwise it wouldn't have been in exception.
                          
It was time he played out Marinette's scheme, he was still worried how it would play out though.
                          
"Second Chance!" He began 5-minute reversal scheme began as he 'accidently' tripped over something and dropped Marinette.
                          
As Marinette had predicted, Sculptor came and grabbed her in instant. Despite that this was part of their plan, Adrien's heart still clenched in fury.
                          
"I will turn her into wax if you don't get me both Ladybug and Cat Noir!" Sculptor cackled pointing one of his tools at Marinette.
                          
"Okay. Okay, I will!" Adrien said raising his arms as he morphed his lyre into a phoning device, he contacted Ladybug and pretended to contact Cat Noir, then he stuck too Marinette's plan...
                          
'Lucky Charm!' The recording played. They had decided to keep voice recordings for all the heroes ever since Silencer. Please, please work.
                          
Sculptor gazed around searching for the source of the voice as Marinette reached up to try and grab his badge.
                          
Unfortunately for them, she was too late, as Sculptor grabbed her hand and threw one of the tools, zapping her into a statue.
                          
  
                          
Adrien would've screamed if it hadn't been for his miraculous...he reset his wristband
                          
  
                          
'Lucky Charm!' The recording played again. 
                          
This time when the recording played, Aspik threw his lyre at Sculptor aiming for the perfect target.
                          
It hit Sculptor's face as Marinette grabbed the badge and stabbed it with one of his tools, the akuma fluttered out and she grabbed it with one of her hands shielding it from going anywhere. Sculptor was de-akumatized into his usual self with that look of confusion on his face they all had.
                          
"Are you alright?" He rushed up to Marinette grabbing her arms.
                          
"Yeah...I'm fine." She placed the akuma in his hands, her warm hand brushed against his gloved one as he held the butterfly.
                          
"I saw you turn into statue the first time. It wasn't pleasant." He shuddered. The Snake was a daunting power, how did Luka do it?
                          
"I'm fine now...you saved me, I told you, you deserve to be a hero." She gave him her soft smile that made his insides tingle.
                          
"T-thank you." He stuttered as he felt the soft shivers of his heart...wait...what? 
                          
"I need to go find my friends now." She pulled away from his grasp, "I'm sure Ladybug will be here soon, hero!" The name made his heart stutter as she winked and scurried away.
                          
Even with a butterfly of horror in his hand, he could do nothing but feel positive...
                          
She was a hero without the suit.