They were falling.

Ladybug was detransforming.

They were terrified.

Not long ago everything went according to usual. As classes ended for the day, a woman in vibrant pinks and greens flew by. The dark tails of her dress trailed flowers in her wake. Marinette heard a shout of "Run!" and used the ensuing panic as her chance to transform. She ducked behind the inner staircase of the courtyard and emerged as Ladybug.

"Keep running everyone! Safely get home!" Satisfied her classmates were out of direct harm, Ladybug swung through Paris on a normal search for a poor transformed citizen.

She let her mind wander as she sped around the buildings of her city. As usual, her mind wandered to Adrien. They had gotten closer thanks to Alya insisting that they need to invite the boys to almost everything the girls did. Marinette rarely stuttered, though the still had a habit of making a fool of herself in other ways. Alya found she had even more in common with Nino than she thought after the Animan incident and Marinette enjoyed having another subject in talks of romance.

"Je suis La Flore and I will avenge my garden!"

Ladybug broke from her thoughts. She changed direction toward the akuma with her yoyo. In a few swings, she landed lightly next to her partner in the park.

Chat Noir gave a sweeping bow, "How sweet of you to drop in my lady. I hope thistle be a quick battle. Then I'll have more time with you and your tulips!" He winked.

Ladybug groaned, "How long have you been saving flower puns?"

"You never know when you'll need one in the fuchsia!" Chat grinned.

"Okay kitty let's get this over with before your puns get even worse." Ladybug turned to face the akuma. "No more trapping innocent citizens Flore! It's time for you to be pruned!"

"Why does she get to make flower jokes…" Chat grumbled.

Ladybug activated her lucky charm. A gardening glove dropped into her hands. "What to I do with this?"

Chat peeked over her shoulder. "Sorry to plow through this moment LB, but someone is blooming mad."

La Flore raised her trowel. Dark, thorny vines lifted from the ground and swirled around her. "You will become my new garden!" The trowel lowered and vines flung themselves at the heroes.

Ladybug saw a flash of black and red on the vines. She had an idea. "Chat distract her!" Ladybug dove into a roll, pulling on the glove. Chat Noir ran on all fours toward Flore, dodging vines as they whipped past. As the vines followed her partner, Ladybug grabbed one and pulled, hand protected. Flore stumbled in the air and spun to the source.

"Ladybugs are supposed to help plants grow you pest!" the vine wrapped itself around Ladybug's hand. Flore's trowel pointed at her, the vines let Chat go in favor of obtaining the Ladybug miraculous.

"Yes!" A pink butterfly appeared in front of Flore's eyes. "Seize her miraculous and you will have your garden!" Le Papillon could see Ladybug's power coming closer to his grasp.

Ladybug's lucky charm was working as normal. As she jerked the vines to throw Flore off balance again, Chat Noir raised himself on his staff to grab the trowel. His hand almost touched the tool when Flore regained her balance and twisted in midair. Her vines released Ladybug and ensnared Chat Noir in a solid sphere of green.

"What are you doing? You almost had Ladybug's miraculous!" Papillon smacked his hands to his head in frustration. "Get them!"

La Flore spun back to Ladybug, raising her and her vines out of the hero's reach. "If you want your alley cat back, you will give up your miraculous. She flew with a trapped Chat to the top of an office building across the street.

Ladybug cursed under her breath. Her time was almost up. There were only two spots left of her earrings and no time for a plan. She threw her yoyo to an antenna on the building and launched herself toward Flore. Ladybug heard a "Cataclysm!" from her right and saw a flash of green light. A small beep rang in her ears. Distracted, a vine slammed into her middle and sent her flying, disoriented, to the ground far below.

"Ladybug!" Black surrounded her and she felt the jerk of Chat's staff against the ground. Another beep sounded as they escaped.

"Chat, I'm-"

"I know." He pulled her closer as they sailed over Paris in search of a place to hide.