If Marinette had known that she would spend her afternoon running away from a crazed policeman gone rogue, she wouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning. Unfortunately, she had so now she was stuck running for her life with only a broken yoyo and a confused cat hero at her side. The day hadn't started off this unpleasant, actually it had been a nice summer day promising nothing but warm sunshine and carefree joy. When did such a great day turn out to be not so great so quickly? Well, if Marinette had to guess, she would have to say it was right around the time when the once calm blue sky above the Louvre ripped open and tore apart the fabric of their universe. That or when Andre ran out of vanilla ice cream. Yeah . . . probably wasn't the latter. To get the story right she'd start at the beginning, before any breaking of the time space continuum or crazy cops ruined her day. She'd begin at the bakery.
Summer break in Paris was always the best time of year for the Dupain-Cheng family. For the business, on the other hand . . . well, that was a different story.
"Now, Marinette, I know that we don't have any customers, but please don't lay across the counter like that," Madame Dupain-Cheng chided her young daughter for what felt like the hundredth time. It's not like Marinette explicitly liked to lie limp across the length of the counter of her family's bakery, but in an excruciatingly hot day like this, pressing her forehead against the cold cash register was a relief she wouldn't dare pass up. Anyway, it wasn't like they would be busy today. It was the third day of summer break and barely any Parisians were still around. The Dupain-Chengs were still there because they had been scheduled to keep the bakery open for the first two weeks summer. After that, they would happily pack their bags and hop on the next flight to Italy to Marinette's grandmother, Gina Dupain. So, there really was no point in staying alert for customers. But, regardless of her inner objections, Marinette stood up straight and sheepishly smiled at her mother. "Sorry, Mom."
"Don't worry about it, Marinette," her mother reassured. She looked over at the clock hanging on the wall. "Why don't you go outside and go have fun? It's such a beautiful day, you shouldn't be cooped up in here," she suggested.
"Are you sure? I can stay longer if you need me to," Marinette said.
Madame Dupain-Cheng looked outside the windows at the empty streets. "I think your father and I can handle it. You go out and enjoy the day."
She didn't have to tell Marinette twice. With a quick 'thanks, Mom,' Marinette ran upstairs to grab her purse, being careful not to wake up Tikki, then ran out of the bakey. She took her phone out from her pocket and called Alya, determined to spend the day with her best friend.
"Hey, girl, what's up? I thought you were helping out at the bakery?" Alya asked upon answering the phone.
"I was, but Mom took pity on me and let me go," Marinette replied. "Hey are you busy? I heard that Andre is going to be by the Louvre today, you want to go?"
"God yes, I need a relief from this heat. I think I'm gonna melt if the sun stays out any longer." Marinette couldn't see Alya, but she was pretty sure that her best friend had dramatically placed her hand on her forehead and feigned fainting.
Marinette chuckled and shook her head at her friend's antics. "So I'll meet you in 10?"
"I'm already out the door," was Alya's reply before the line went dead.
Marinette put her phone away and made her way to the Louvre. It wasn't too far from the bakery, so she'd be there before Alya, but Marinette decided to take the scenic route. The streets of Paris were still and calm, the quiet only being broken by the occasional laughing child or the sharp ringing of a phone. The day was truly beautiful. The bright, blue skies were clear and the sun was beating softly on her pale skin. Even the usually busy tourists spots were calm this morning. When Marinette finally reached the Louvre, Alya was already there, face buried in her phone screen with an annoyed scowl twisting her lips downward.
Marinette raised her hand and called out to the dark haired girl. "Alya!"
Alya's head shot up and swiveled around to find the source of the call. When she spotted Marinette, Alya raised her own hand and waved frantically, her excitement barely contained. "Finally, you show up. I was starting to think that you stood me up!" she jokingly accused with a light shove.
Marinette smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, Alya, I took the longer way here."
"Well as an apology, you can treat me to ice cream." Without waiting for Marinette's response, Alya took her hand and led her to Andre's ice cream stand. Rather than get ice cream flavors related to their crushes, they opted for regular old chocolate and strawberry cones. They would have gotten vanilla ice cream to complete the neapolitan-or Napoleon, as they jokingly called it-look, but Andre had run out. A tragedy indeed.
"Guess they have a new exhibit," Alya noted as they walked by a light pole displaying just that. They had gotten a new Ancient Egyptian relic, and apparently it was so important that they had made a whole new exhibit for it.
"The Book of Thoth, huh?" Marinette said around a bite of ice cream. "Wonder why it's so important."
Alya only shrugged and continued eating away at her ice cream cone.
They continued to walk across the empty concrete square surrounding the famous French museum. There were a couple tourists waiting to enter the museum, but nothing as noticeable as the winding lines there would undoubtedly be later in the month. People from all over the world came to see the magnificent pieces in the Louvre, and while Marinette usually loved seeing all the different faces and hearing all the foreign dialects, she was happy for this moment away from the usual bustle. Sometimes, a day or two of peace was exactly what Marinette needed. They were becoming harder and harder to come by since the latest battle with Hawkmoth. The fact that he had another miraculous at his side frightened her. She had asked Master Fu about the limits of the peacock miraculous, but he had been too troubled to give her an answer. Nevertheless, one thing was certain: in the hands of Hawkmoth, the peacock miraculous would cause a lot of trouble for the heroes.
Two people walked out of the Louvre, one an old man in a sharp business and the other a young woman holding up a smaller version of the advertisement page for the new exhibit. "You can't possibly be doing this! The Book of Thoth is a wonderous addition to our museum!" the young woman was protesting.
"I'm sorry, Mademoiselle Yang, but we simply cannot afford to house the book any longer. I understand that this is important, but there was a mistake in the budget and we simply do not have the money for it," the old man said. Rather than sound truly sorry, he merely sounded disinterested.
"Well, can't we make some budget changes? You were willing to do that for the armor we recovered from World War II," Mademoiselle Yang threw one hand in the air in exasperation and the other flew up to pull at something around her neck. The movement drew Marinette's eye to a glinting silver crescent moon pendant she pressed her hand to in an attempt to calm herself down. It was caught obvious even from the distance that it was not working.
"I really don't have time for this," the old man grumbled. "I really must get going. Have a nice day." He hurried to a slick, white car and beckoned his drive to drive away.
The young woman watched him drive off with an expression equal parts disappointment and anger. She huffed angrily and walked back in the Louvre.
"I guess the Book of Thoth won't be making its debut tonight," Alya said after watching the spectacle.
"Guess not. That's too bad, I thought it would be pretty cool to check out," Marinette said.
"Yeah, we could have gone tomorrow. We won't be leaving for vacation till next week, so I'll be free all-" Alya was cut off by shrill shrieks coming from the Louvre. The few people who had been lined up to enter the Louvre turned and ran from the museum. A second later, flashes of harsh yellow light emitted from the glass walls of the Louvre museum. The horrified screaming got louder when the glass ceiling of the museum exploded. Glass shards flew outward and clinked on the concrete floor outside the museum.
The force of the explosion threw everyone back and they fell to the ground like a row of dominoes. As they fell in the air, Marinette quickly twisted her body to land on top of Alya, careful not to fall on her, but also making sure that no stray glass shards could hurt her. She looked down at her friend, worried blue eyes darting across her face looking for any signs of injuries. "Are you okay?"
Alya stared back at Marinette, wide eyed with shock. There was only a second of silence before her squeaky voice cut through the air. "Am I okay? Are you okay? Mari, you're the one who is in more danger of being hurt than I am."
Marinette got up and held out a hand for her friend to take. "I'm fine," she insisted. She turned back to the now roofless Louvre. What the hell was that?
Alya gasped, and instead of taking Marinette's outstretched hand, she turned it over to look at her palm. "Marinette, you're bleeding!"
Marinette only spared her scratched up hand a glance before turning back to the chaos. "We need to get you out of here. Come on, let's find a safe place to hide. Maybe he library nearby won't be too crowded, or the cafe two stores down. Either on will do." She reached again for Alya's hand, but was left batting at air. When Marinette turned to face Alya, she was surprised to see her fishing around in the small purse she had brought with her.
"Alya, what are you-?"
Alya cut her off by waving a small piece of cloth in front of her face. "Here, press this against your hand. It's no bandage but it should at least help a little bit." When Marinette opened her mouth to protest, Alya only waved it insistently in the air. Clearly, there was no room for argument.
Marinette's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. "Thanks," she said softly.
Alya only smiled and nodded to the crowd of frightened people running for the nearest store. "Come on, we should go."
Marinette's eyes flickered down to her purse where Tikki was hidden inside. "Actually, you go ahead. I need to go check on my parents."
It was clear that Alya didn't like that plan, but she nodded. If Marinette had to go find her parents, she wouldn't dare keep her from them.
Once Alya was out of sight, Marinette ran to the nearest alley and let Tikki out of her bag. She stuffed Alya's cloth in there to give it back to her later. "Ready?" she asked her kwami.
Tikki nodded firmly. "Always."
"Tikki, spots on!" With a flash of red light, Marinette Dupain-Cheng transformed into her heroic alter ego: Ladybug.
Ladybug ran towards the chaos while keeping an eye on the sky for a certain cat themed hero. Just as she was looking back in the direction of the Louvre, she spotted a black blur that was bouncing from rooftop to rooftop. Satisfied with having spotted her partner, Ladybug turned her attention back to the shattered museum. It was surprisingly quiet after all the chaos and confusion that had ensued after the explosion. It was empty save for the priceless paintings and statues adorning the walls of the museum. She carefully walked down the halls, staying alert for any danger that might pop out at any minute. But strangely enough, there was none. After the initial explosion there had been no aftershock or other attacks following the first one. In fact, there had been no sign of the akuma-at this point, that was the most probable cause of the attack. There had been no after attacks, no proclamations of power, and no demands for their miraculouses. It's as if the akuma had disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft clinking of metal against the stone floor. "Fancy seeing you here, m'lady."
Ladybug turned at the familiar flirty voice. "Nice to see you too, Chat."
The feline hero smiled at her before nodding his head towards a hallway to their right. "It looked like the explosion came from somewhere down that hall. From above, you can see that the roof is more damaged in that area."
"Then we should go in that direction. Be careful, Chat, we don't know what we're dealing with," with that warning, Ladybug started walking down the corridor, alert for any danger that may come her way. Chat Noir went on ahead to scout the area. His dark suit made it easier for him to stay in in the shadows and kept him from being spotted easily. Ladybug could disappear just as impressive as Chat Noir, but her decision to bring stay back was purely influenced by tactics. If her partner ran into trouble, she swing ahead and help him. If she was met with trouble than she could take them out and capture them.
After walking for a couple minutes, she came to a break in the hallway. According to the signs, the hallway to her left led to the Islamic Art galleries, and the hallway to her right led to the Egyption wing. Under the sign to the Egyptian wing at about eye level, there was a thin white mark that stood out against the stone walls. Ladybug recognized it as a claw mark. She and Chat Noir had come up with a way to communicate by leaving behind little marks. A claw mark here and a painted spot there could go a long way in a mission where they can't verbally reach each other. Now, the mark served as a guide. She continued through hallway to her right. Along the walls, posters and written descriptions about the various artifacts housed in the Egyptian wing. The most recurring poster was the one she had seen outside advertising the debut of the Book of Thoth.
She kept walking until she was under an archway that led to an open space where she assumed the Egyptian artifacts were displayed. A thin 'X' was clawed into the wall, a clear warning sign from Chat Noir to stay alert. Ladybug's eyes scanned the room for any sign of her partner. Her lips dipped down when all she saw was rows upon rows of museum artifacts. She was about to step out in the clearing to widen her search, when a flash of black caught her eye. There, hiding behind a pillar next to a sarcophagus adorned with jewels and intricate hieroglyphs, stood Chat Noir, eyes locked on a door directly across from him. If it hadn't been for his intense stare, she wouldn't have spared it a second glance. It wasn't particularly interesting and didn't seem like it deserved Chat Noir''s rapt attention. She caught Chat's attention and sent him a quizzical look. She hoped her question was clear: what's behind the door? Chat Noir only shook his head and pointed back in the direction of the door, advising her to wait and see. Ladybug was able to turn back to the door in time to see strange blue light shining through the space between the bottom of the door and the floor. The light was soon followed by a soft boom. It didn't sound like another attack or explosion, more like someone was trying to get through a hollowed barrier. Whatever was going on in there, she was certain that the akuma was behind it.
Ladybug waved to get Chat Noir's attention. When he turned to look at her, she held up 3 fingers and mimed opening the door. He nodded, but warned her to go slowly and quietly. One by one, she held a finger up until three digits were raised. Ladybug and Chat Noir simultaneously walked out from behind their hiding places and carefully made their way to the strange door. Midway there, the two heroes silently drew their weapons and stood side by side, each one ready to protect the other if the situation escalated. Once they reached the door, Chat Noir turned to Ladybug with a silent question conveyed by the slight worried dip of his lips. She gave him a curt nod before steeling her nerves for whatever might be behind the door. With a final okay from Ladybug, Chat Noir raised his baton and forced the door open with a hard shove.
She wasn't sure what she had been expecting to see, maybe an akuma who could control light or a glowing monster, but she certainly did not expect to see a bird headed Egyptian god pounding on a barrier of blue light surrounding the Book of Thoth. Ladybug and Chat Noir were stunned for moment, but they quickly snapped back into action and raised their weapons, ready for a fight. But the fight never came. The akuma ignored them and continued to pound on the barrier while chanting in strange language. If they had noticed the heroes come in, they didn't show it.
Chat Noir was the first to speak. "Alright, Birdie, it's let's wrap this up. If you step away from the book, we can do this the easy way."
The akuma didn't reply.
"Come on. We came all this way to stop you and we don't even get an evil monologue?" Chat Noir huffed.
Silence.
Chat Noir lifted his ringed hand waved and wiggled his fingers. "Look, here's my miraculous. Don't you want it?"
At the mention of the miraculous, the akuma stopped and turned to them. Immediately, Ladybug readied her yoyo, preparing herself to counter any attack they would throw at the heroes.
But the akuma only blinked and spoke in a deep, disinterested voice. "You can keep it." They then turned back to the Book of Thoth and continued their chanting. They seemed to realize that there was no use in trying to physically break the barrier.
Chat Noir sent Ladybug a bewildered look and motioned to the akuma. "What is going on?"
"I have no idea," she admitted. "But we have to get them away from the book." With a quick flick of her wrist, Ladybug shot her yoyo out in the akuma's direction. It wrapped around their arm tightly, and she yanked the yoyo to get their attention.
"Hey, Birdie, don't you know that's it's rude to ignore people?" Chat Noir called.
The akuma grunted and pulled their hand back in an attempt to get back to their task. Ladybug pulled back in retaliation. It wasn't enough to deter them, but it caught his attention in time for Chat Noir to knock them away from the book with his baton. The akuma grunted in anger and started walking in their direction, but stopped when the outline of a butterfly appeared in front of their face. They tilted their head like they were listening to some distant voice before nodding curtly. "As you wish," they replied to the unheard voice and turned back to the Book of Thoth. The chanting grew louder than before, and they pounded on the barrier once more. Unlike before, cracks appeared on the barrier. When the akuma hit the barrier a second time, the barrier spiderwebbed with more cracks. If the akuma continued chanting and hitting the barrier, it would break. Ladybug had no idea what would happen next, but she was certain it wouldn't be pleasant.
"Chat, we have to get them away from the book," Ladybug said.
"Already ahead of you, my Lady." Chat Noir raised his baton and ran at the akuma. Once he got close enough, he swung the baton in a wide arc downward, but rather than connect with the akuma's right shoulder, their left hand shot up and latched onto the baton. With an annoyed grunt, the akuma threw the baton-and Chat Noir-across the room then turned back to the cracked barrier. Ladybug frowned and next time Chat Noir tried to land a blow on the akuma, she watched the akuma carefully. Maybe they have some advantage over the heroes. So the next time Chat Noir swung his baton-this time aiming for the left shoulder-she caught the way the akuma's bird head twitched slightly to the left and saw Chat Noir's attack before catching the baton and throwing it aside once again. The akuma's sharp movements caused something at their neck to twinkle in the light. Ladybug's eyes widened as she recognized the silver crescent moon pendant. It was Mademoiselle Yang! Now that she thought about it, it made sense that she was the akuma. She had been so angry and disappointed when she had stormed back into the museum. Hawkmoth must have used her anger to transform her, and now she wanted the book. Ladybug wasn't sure why, but she couldn't let her have it. But if they were going to have a chance at defeating this akuma, they would have to obstruct her vision.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air and prayed for a useful tool. A blindfold or even a handkerchief would be great. She would even be satisfied with a scarf. But she knew that her Lucky Charm was unpredictable and never took suggestions. So instead of getting any of the items she deemed even slightly useful, she would end up with-
Fly tape. A single strand of sticky, red tape meant to trap annoying flying insects. Ladybug looked down at the Lucky Charm with a small frown. It would be nice if she ever got a Lucky Charm that solved her problems quickly rather than make her work for a solution, but then the job would be too easy. And nothing is ever easy for the heroes of Paris. She looked around at the room, looking for anything that might help her defeat the akuma. Her eyes locked on Chat Noir's baton, Mademoiselle Yang'e hand, a decorational curtain behind the Book of Thoth's weakened barrier, and back down at the fly tape. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it would have to do.
"Chat!" she called to her partner. When he turned to look at her, Ladybug held up the Lucky Charm and waved him over. He quickly ran to her side and turned so he could listen to her while still keeping an eye on the akuma.
"What's the plan?" Chat Noir said, getting right to business.
Ladybug quickly explained the plan, making sure to emphasize that the timing had to be perfect for the plan to work.
Chat Noir's eyes darted over to quickly look at her before turning his attention back to the akuma. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "It's kind of risky."
"I know," Ladybug said, "but it's a risk we'll have to take. Just don't let him near the book."
Chat Noir nodded and wrapped the offered fly trap around his baton, careful not to let the sticky tape touch his suit. He ran back to where he had been before and called out to the akuma to catch her attention. "Hey, Birdie, look over here. Take break and fight me. Or what are you too chicken?" he taunted.
While Chat Noir distracted Mademoiselle Yang with absurd chicken noises, Ladybug sneaked around them and stopped between two pillars. She took her yoyo from her belt and wrapped it around both columns and pulled the string tight. An angry grunt caught her attention and when she looked over, she saw the akuma struggling to pry his hand off of Chat Noir's fly tape wrapped baton. She was throwing all her weight back in an attempt to unstick himself from the sticky tape.
"Let go me go!" she exclaimed.
Chat Noir smiled wickedly. "As you wish." He let go of the baton and the akuma fell back. Chat Noir jumped for the barrier and pressed his open palm against the cracked barrier. "Cataclysm!" he exclaimed. His hand glowed black, and the barrier around the Book of Thoth shattered just in time for Mademoiselle Yang to stumble through it. She tripped over the makeshift trip wire and onto the curtain. In her attempt to free herself, the akuma got tangled in the heavy curtain, Ladybug snatched the crescent moon necklace from around Mademoiselle Yang's neck and snapped it in half to set the akuma free. Ladybug caught the akuma butterfly in her yoyo, and with a few quick taps, she set the newly cleansed butterfly go.
"Bye, bye, little butterfly," she said to the white butterfly. She closed her yoyo and threw it in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" Immediately, the room was washed in a soft, red light, and anything that was broken or out of place was fixed. Chat Noir walked over to Ladybug and held up his fist with a victorious smile. She bumped her own fist against his, smile just as big. "Pound it," the heroes said in unison.
There was a pained groan behind them, and they turned to see Mademoiselle Yang burying her head in her hands. "I've got her," Chat Noir assured his partner. He pointed at something behind her. "Maybe you should make sure the book is okay, wouldn't want to find out that there were damages done when we were trying to save the book."
Ladybug turned to see the Book of Thoth lying on the floor next to its pedestal. It must have gotten knocked over in the last struggle with the akuma. She thought that it was weird that it wasn't fixed like everything else, but she shrugged it off and bent down to pick up the book. It was written in hieroglyphs with notes in the margins. The language was foreign to her, but she did see one word that looked familiar: temps. It made sense that the Book of Thoth would mention time if she thought back to one of her discussions with Alya. It had been after an akuma attack when Alix's brother turned into Pharaoh. Alya had told Marinette that she had read that one of Thoth's godly domains was time. Ladybug couldn't read any of the other words, so she simply pushed aside her curiosity and picked up the book. She set it on the pedestal and turned back to say something to Chat Noir. But where Chat Noir once stood was a black mass of nothingness.
"Chat!" Ladybug called. "Chat Noir where are you?" She turned around and around, desperately looking for any familiar sights. "Chat! Please answer me!" Ladybug felt her throat close up and her eyes start to swell with tears. This couldn't be happening. After everything she and Chat Noir had been through, she couldn't lose him like this: not knowing where he was or what happened to him. If she had to bear the darkness and fear alone, she would crack under the crushing weight. "Chat Noir!" she called one more time, voice weak and shaky.
"Ladybug?" a familiar voice answered. "Ladybug, is that you?!"
Ladybug gasped and ran in the direction of the voice. "Yes. Yes, it's me!"
Something moved in the darkness and a body collided into her. Arms wrapped around her to keep her from falling. "Ladybug?" Chat Noir asked.
A relieved sob escaped from her mouth, and she threw her arms around her partner. "Oh, God, Chat, it's you! I looked up and you weren't there, you weren't anywhere. I was-I was so worried and scared and-"
Chat Noir's arms tightened around her and he brought her closer. "I was terrified," he admitted. His own voice sounded scratchy and she could feel his hands shaking ever so slightly. "But it's okay now. We found each other."
Ladybug relaxed and loosened her grip on him. He did the same and opted to take her hand. It was still unnaturally dark, and they couldn't see a thing.
"What happened?" Chat Noir asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing the Book of Thoth had something to do with it," she replied. "This happened right after I touched it." She was about to apologize for causing this strange change of scenery, but Chat Noir interrupted her.
"Don't you dare apologize, my Lady, you didn't do this. Plus," he added as an afterthought, "I was the one who broke the barrier."
Just as she was about to tell him no to blame himself, the darkness around them started to fade. Flashes of light poked through the fading darkness, but not as much as they hoped. It seemed to be night in Paris, so the only light around them was brought on by the moon and various streetlamps.
"I have no idea what is going on, but we should probably be heading back to our homes before we destransform. Good night, ChaAA!" Ladybug pulled her hand out of the boys hand and jumped back in surprise. She had turned, expecting to see the familiar black ears and sharp green eyes of her partner, only to come face to face with equally familiar soft blond hair and warm green eyes. Adrien Agreste starred back at her with a loose jaw, pale face, and wide shocked eyes. It would have been hilarious if she hadn't been freaking out.
"A-Adrien? What are you doing here?!" She swore that Chat Noir had just been next to her. There was no way that he had disappeared and Adrien had appeared to take his place in a matter of seconds.
"I don't-" he faltered for a second. "Marinette, what are you doing here?!"
Ladybug-no, Marinette-swore that she felt her heart stop. Marinette?! She looked down at her hands, and sure enough, her pale skin was staring back at her. There was no red and black costume in sight. "I-I," Marinette was at a fault for words, so she just stared at Adrien with an equally terrified expression. This could not be happening.
The awkward tension between them was cut by the sharp wailing of a sirem. In front of them was a police officer with a police car siren on his head. He reminded Marinette of an old akuma they had fought before.
"Rogercop?" Adrien said, confusion laced in his voice.
Rogercop snapped to attention when he heard his name. "State your name and ID," he said in a monotone robotic voice.
"ID? I don't think I have it on me," Marinette said as she slowly stepped away from him. "But if you just give me a second to go home and get it, I'd be happy to give it to you."
"State your name and ID," Rogercop repeated. His left hand transformed into a scanner, and he raised in threateningly. "State your name and ID, or you will be detained."
"Wow, detained? Don't you think that's a little extreme?" Adrien asked with a nervous chuckle. He reached out for Marinette's hand. She felt herself die a little bit inside, but kept a straight face. "We were just out for a walk, but don't worry we'll get out of your hair."
Rogercop didn't seem to like hs suggestion. With a couple clicks, his right arm transformed into some kind of gun.
Marinette pulled on Adrien's hand. "Run!" The two teenagers ran down the dark streets of Paris. They zigzagged down the streets in a desperate attempt to dodge Rogercop's shots. They were doing fine-Marinette focused on leading them to safety, and Adrien looking back every so often to keep them from getting shot-when they made a sharp turn straight into a blocked of street. Huge forts lined the street going from house to house horizontally so that no one could get on the other side. They were trapped.
"Stop and be detained peacefully," Rogercop said behind them.
"What are we going to do?" Adrien asked.
Marinette looked around desperately for any sign of even a slight chance of escape, but with the shocking reveal and the cop chase, her brain was muddled. They weren't going to escape without some help. She opened her purse, hoping that Tikki would still have enough energy to transform again. "Tikki, spots on!" She closed her eyes and waited for the familiar red flash that cam with her transformation, but none came. Marinette opened her eyes and looked through the bag. "Tikki? Tikki, where are you?!" She was met with silence.
"Plagg? You there?" Adrien called into his jacket. When he found nothing, his own panicked eyes locked with Marinette's. Where were their kwamis?
Rogercop raised his gun hand. "Do not resist or it will only get worse," he said.
Marinette and Adrien picked up some fallen debris, determined to not go out without a fight. The muzzle of Rogercop's gun started glowing with blue energy, and the pair of teenagers tensed, preparing themselves for the upcoming blow.
A piercing pew! cut through the air, but Marinette and Adrien felt no pain. Rogercop, on the other hand, fell on the floor from it.
"You know, you kids shouldn't be out so late. Who knows what's out there," a feminine voice called from behind them. There perched on a ledge on the fort stood a figure holding a smoking gun. Her brown-redish hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and the mischievous glint in her brown eyes was not dampened by the dark glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose. Her lips curled up in a dangerous smile that promised trouble. Her clothes were dark and torn up, the only color coming from a pendant of an orange and white fox tail that hung around her neck. It was her posture-arms crossed, hip cocked, and a nonchalant sag to her shoulders-that sparked a bit of recognition.
"Alya? Is that you?" Marinette asked. Oh, it was definitely Alya. Maybe not her Alya, but some kind of older, deadlier version of her.
Alya ignored her and turned to talk to someone beside her. "Hey, hurry up. I don't want to be stuck with these two by myself. The last ones collapsed and I had to carry them all the way back."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Just picking up the mess you left behind." The second figure was male and a little taller than Alya. His dark hair was cut short and hidden under a cap that he wore. Unlike Alya's, his eyes were less wild but equally as cold. The glasses that he wore flickered with blue images and words she couldn't quite make out. Where Alya was relaxed and nonchalant, he was alert and aware of everything around him. His clothes were more kept than Alya's and looked more like armor than anything else. They were dark and made of some tough leather material. As he passed some of the equipment to Alya, a green turtle shell bracelet peeked out from his sleeve. The headphones around his neck seemed slightly out of place, yet also seem to bring his appearance together nicely. Marinette suspected that even if it didn't look good with his outfit, he would never stop wearing it.
"Nino? What are you doing here?" Adrien asked. He looked stricken and confused. Poor Adrien had had too many shocks for one night. And honestly, so had Marinette.
Nino's frown deepened when Adrien spoke, but didn't answer him. Instead he turned to Alya. "We better get going, we don't want to run into another Rogercop."
"There's more of them?!" Marinette squeaked.
"Wow, this one is a real scaredy cat," Alya said. She nodded towards the fort. "Alright, come on. Let's get moving."
"Where are we going?" Adrian asked.
"To the Big Bosses, the Head Honchos, the Captain and her First Mate," Alya said as she set her gun in a loop on her belt.
"We're going to see the people in charge," Nino explained. "To the two scariest and most ruthless people around here: Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste."