Chapter 02 - The Change
The warehouse was the same as always, everything left just where it had been, even if there were a few extra marks on the walls from Chat testing out his new weapon. Peacock took in a deep breath, inhaling the smell of everything around her, as she slowly walked across the beam from their entry point in the battered old roof. "I've missed this place." She confessed, jumping down to the others, the great fall not bothering her at all. "So, ready to train?"
Chat pulled an unconvinced face as he looked at her. "I don't know Pea. You've been out of the game for a while and we… we've been carrying on. Getting used to our new powers and such. I think we might be… a bit much for you now."
Peacock blinked but then hummed in agreement and shrugged. "Well, I guess you will just have to go easy on me until I catch up." She stepped back and opened up her fan. "Come on, I'm not going to get better with you standing around there."
The black cat rolled a shoulder. "Alright, if you're sure."
"Paw-sative." She said with a wink at Ladybug as Chat drew his sword and took a traditional fencing stance while Peacock prepared herself by taking a stand like a backwards bow, fan spread out and eyes narrowed on Chat Noir.
Ladybug just stayed away from it all for the moment, eager to see how this would play out.
After a few seconds of eyeing each other up, Chat lunged forwards, aiming for her but Peacock span on the spot at the last moment, closing her fan and slamming the wide edge into his chest to unbalance him while her leg swept under his, sending Chat face first to the ground while she knelt behind him, her knee on his spine to pin him down while her fan was pushed over his shoulder and held to his neck.
The cat let out a startled gasp as he froze. "Wa…"
Peacock chuckled, getting off him and watching as he rolled onto his back to look at her. Playfully she fanned herself as he stared at her. "I haven't spent the last six months at a luxury retreat Chat. I've been at the Temple of Miraculous, training with a master." She smiled. "If anything, I should be training you now."
He jumped to his feet and smirked at her. "You could have just said."
"And miss a chance to knock you on your back?" She chuckled. "As if. But come on, we really need to work on your footwork Chat. I'm not Niji but I learnt a lot from him."
"Niji?"
"One of the Masters at the temple." She explained, taking her bowed stand once more. "He taught me how to fight as a way to control Feathers."
"Feathers?" Chat asked, attacking her again. "I thought it was… Hawk Moth… you were… recovering from." He said between attacks which she countered easily.
"I thought so too. But it turned out Hawk Moth's power had done more damage than we thought." She jumped up over him, conversation still easy as they fought. "Turned out he had split my soul in half. And that's what I was fighting. Not Hawk Moth. But… part of myself."
Chat stopped moving for a moment as he looked at her. "He… he split your soul? Birdie I'm…"
He didn't get chance to finish, suddenly knocked flat on his back by his partner, her smile wide as she pinned him again. "Chat, I don't want to hear it. It wasn't your fault. And while it might have scarred me, I'm just glad it was me and not you." She pulled away and held out her hand to help him up. "I'm stronger for it. In my own way."
Ladybug smiled as she looked at the pair. "We all are."
She smirked then turned to her, fan ready for a fight. "Right… come on then Buggy, show me what you got."
As Chat stepped to the side, Ladybug nodded and moved towards her, far more careful than Chat had been now that she knew her opponent's skill level was probably higher than her own. Peacock shifted a little, eyes locked on her sparring partner as she copied her and took a fighting stance, both sizing the other up, getting ready for an attack.
With a sly smirk, Peacock charged forwards, opening her fan as she swung for the teen's head. Ladybug quickly ducked, only missing the blue fan by a hair as she try to knock Peacock's legs out from under her. She caught one leg but the bird just jumped away, rolling on the dirt floor and getting back to her feet. "Not bad." She said with a smile.
"Right back at you, Pea." She smirked back as she readied herself for another attack, swinging her yo-yo at her side to prepare herself.
This time, the bird ran at her but at the last moment changed directions, darting to the side, catching her off guard and getting behind her, landing a firm blow to her back. Ladybug fell forward, landing on her hands and knees before getting up as quick as she could.
Peacock allowed her to stand, watching her movements then went in again. Her attacks were pushed back by the yo-yo and eventually the blue was pushed back as well. "I'm not used to dealing with a shield." She confessed.
The red hero smiled as she lifted up her other arm, activating her second shield, holding it across her chest. "Let's see how you cope with this then." She said before going onto the attack again. With one yo-yo to attack and the other to defend, Peacock found herself struggling even more to land a hit but at least her partner was struggling to do the same.
Ladybug through her yoyo at Peacock who easily blocked with her fan and as the round device was sent off to the side, Peacock leapt into the air and decided now was the time to show her new skill. She closed her fan into her hand and slid a finger up over the top, a small metal point appearing. With a wide sweep of her arm, a small sharp 'thing' flew through the air and embedded itself in the dirt right next to Ladybug's foot, making her let out a small surprised shriek. "What the…"
Peacock used this to tackle her and pin her to the ground, fan to her neck as she had to Chat. With a smile she said. "Good match, bug"
"How… where did THAT come from."
She smiled to herself as she jumped of Ladybug and offered her a hand. "I was training with a master for the last 6 months, you know. And did you really think that after undergoing the change I wouldn't have some new tricks?" She looked at her fan again. "I mean, you get a second yo-yo shield and Chat a sword. I have these new… blade dart things."
"That is really cool."
Chat hummed as he went over to the blade and pulled it out of the dirt, looking it over. It was flat as a piece of paper and had the same peacock eye design from the fan engraved into the metal. With an impressed nod, he turned it over in his hands before yelping and stepping back, holding out his hand. "Oww!" He yelped, looking at his palm.
Ladybug gasped as she walked over and looked at his hand. "What happened?"
Across the middle of his hand was a short red mark, cutting into the magical leather and his flesh below it. Peacock rolled her eyes. "It is sharp fur ball." She sighed before taking hold of his hand. "But I guess I get to show you this too." She placed her hand over his and for a second the underside glowed blue.
When she took her hand away, the cut was healed. Chat looked at his hand with a fond little smile, thinking to the last person he'd seen do that. "You learnt that from the other Peacock." He said, looking at their friend.
"Learnt it all on my own actually. Turns out it works when I'm in civilian too, cut my hand the other day and the next thing I know, it's healed. Freaked me out until my kwami explained it to me." She chuckled, looking over the others. "Oh, did you know, they have their own language?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah and it's really complicated."
From there, the trio sat on the floor, leaning on a wall and listening to Peacock's stories of her time in Tibet, from the times she learnt how to read the kwami language, the times Feathers had caused her to black out, to the library and the acolytes. She told them about Niji and Dawa but left out what they were. She decided it was not her place to tell them.
As she finished telling them about the temple and its rooms, she sighed and leant back. "Maybe one day, we can go see it together."
"But…" Ladybug gulped. "You said it takes days to get there. We wouldn't be able to go as Miraculous."
"I know." Peacock said, eyes closed.
"You mean… you're talking about… going as ourselves? As civilians?"
"Perhaps." She shrugged. "It's… just an idea. Something to think about."
Ladybug looked at her before lowering her gaze and shifting to lean on her, closing her own eyes as she felt herself relax, almost falling asleep. Oddly, Chat had changed his seating position from his normal spot sat beside Ladybug to sitting beside Peacock, resting his head on other her shoulder. She didn't mind, his contact was missed but was so tired and at ease by it that she missed the short, sudden intakes of breath that cat was taking and the sad smile on his lips.
"I'm sorry Pea…" he muttered under his breath.
"Hmm? Chat, did… you say something?" Peacock replied with a kind smile.
"Nothing." He purred, snuggling closer. "Nothing."
A/N: Hey everyone! So next chapter is up! Bit of a 'Slice of Life' chapter but I hope you enjoy it. Big thanks to horseg27, darkmist111 and the Guest for reviewing! Please keep them coming! I love to get them.
