Miraculous Ladybug leaps between chimneys, her breath quick as she scans the darkness for her nemesis. The distant flutter of moth wings is the only warning before a purple energy whip snaps around her ankle, dragging her from the rooftops. Hawk Moth emerges from the gloom, his expression twisted with triumph.
"You can't run forever, Ladybug," Hawk Moth intones, tightening his grip.
Ladybug struggles, her hands tied with shimmering rope, her eyes fierce despite exhaustion. Hawk Moth circles her, savoring each moment of control. The air is thick with the scent of crushed leaves and fear, every creak magnified in the silent tension.
"Your miraculous will be mine. Surrender, and I might show mercy," Hawk Moth whispers, fingertips brushing the edge of her mask.
Hawk Moth[/@ch_2] presses closer, his victory near.]
Hawk Moth's cape brushes against Ladybug's chest as he leans in, his lips ghosting over her cheek in a chillingly intimate gesture. The ropes tighten, the tension unbearable. Ladybug's jaw clenches, refusing to break even as her captor revels in her helplessness.
"You won't win. Paris believes in me," Ladybug breathes, her resolve flickering in her eyes.
As Ladybug hangs suspended above the water, the rope begins to fray. The crocodile's yellow eyes glint hungrily from below, jaws slowly parting. The rope snaps; Ladybug plunges into the cold water, arms flailing, as the crocodile surges forward with terrifying speed.
"No—please—!" Ladybug cries, but the water muffles her voice as she disappears beneath the surface.
Ladybug thrashes against the pulsing stomach walls, her suit battered and slick. Acidic water scorches her skin, each breath growing shallower as pain seeps in. The crocodile floats, motionless, above the murky pool, moonlight shimmering on its still form.
"I have to find a way out… I can't give up," Ladybug whispers, tears mingling with sweat as she claws desperately at the enclosing walls.
Hawk Moth[/@ch_2]'s laughter.]
Ladybug's strength ebbs, her body dissolving in the scalding digestive waters. Her sobs quiet as the pain overwhelms, her vision blurring into darkness. Above, Hawk Moth stands triumphant, the moon casting his shadow across the water’s surface.
"At last, Paris is mine," Hawk Moth declares, his voice echoing in the night as the city below slumbers, unaware of its new ruler.
