Battle of the Moves

by Hirikari

The Akuma, AKA the newest club in town and the holder of the long-awaited Break Dancing Competition in Paris! Each team has four members, and the two leading teams - Cataclysm and Lucky Charm - go head to head in this showdown. Not only that, but they train in the same building! What will the team captains do when they find themselves in a predicament between victory and desire?

3. Chapter 3

Her room was dark, with the exception of the moon above her window. Stars dusted her face, making the deep red greasepaint more prominent on her pale skin. She touched the edge of her makeshift mask, wondering silently whether the disguise would work or not. It rounded her eyes and widened to the middle of her forehead and midway down her nose. It was sloppy work, but she definitely looked different, at least.

She stared at herself in the mirror for a brief minute. A red crop top adorned her chest, black spots dancing over the fabric and leaving her stomach exposed to the chilly air. Cladding her legs was a pair of baggy harem pants, all grey and washed of color. Her red sneakers squeaked on the wooden floor as she spun around and dropped low, landing on one knee and testing out the flexibility of her costume. It didn't restrain a single muscle.

This is it, her mind chanted. This is it.

On her bed were a few pillows carefully stacked underneath a thick blanket, making it look like a lame but passable imitation of her. Pocketing her keys, she made her way to the far wall. Opening the front door at this hour would only prove to be risqué. She knew for a fact that her father liked to watch a soccer game on TV at ten, and Sabine was probably with him. Just a creak of a door could alert them and it would all be over for her before the real battle even began.

Quietly, she unlocked her window and stood on the frame. The long drop down was a bit intimidating, and she might break more than just a few bones, but she had to tough it out. Holding on tight with one hand, she used the other one to reach for a lightpost. It was way too far.

Sighing, she tugged her hair and groaned. She hadn't really thought the whole thing through.

She had to jump.

She gulped and tried to slow down her racing heart. It was half an hour to ten already and if she didn't make a move now, she'd be too late.

Bracing her feet, she leaped and made a wild grab for the lightpost's metal pole. She suppressed a fearful shrill as she descended down, thankful that she was wearing gloves even though they were fingerless.

She would have loved to say that she had landed gracefully on the pavement, but in reality she almost broke her butt after a somewhat safe fall.

It didn't help her that the club was blocks away from her house. She didn't risk any breaks as she wove around Paris's many streets and into the darker parts of the city. The neighborhood was a narrow, damp old place with few lights lining the way. She hurried along as she passed a group of youths lurking in the shadows.

To her surprise, a few police cars were parked here and there, some with the red and blue lights on, and a couple of officers were guarding the perimeter, weapons at the ready. She let herself relax a bit.

Ducking, she scanned the buildings and kept a lookout for the club's sign. She faintly heard a bass beat as she neared the corner. In this area, three policemen were sitting on a bench and eating donuts as if they were in a coffee shop talking about the weather. Marinette stared at them and smiled politely when one of them turned.

"The Akuma?" The policemen tilted his head.

"Um, yeah." Marinette said. "Is it around here, sir?"

"The second building from the end. Be careful in these parts, though. It could get pretty dangerous, especially with this new club in the district."

"Oh, don't scare the girl, Matt." His friend chided. "It's alright miss, we officers are gonna wipe this place clean from any sort of crime, don't you worry."

"Thank you." Marinette nodded. "Have a good night."

Sure enough, bright purple lights lined the words 'The Akuma' in artistic lines and curves, and at the bottom of the sign was a design of a butterfly. The walls were painted jet black with colorful graffiti decorating the bricks like brand names. From the vibrating stone under her feet, Marinette could tell, with a hint of excitement, that the music inside definitely wasn't coming from just a few tiny stereos.

But her insides twisted uncomfortably when she took in the dozens of people waiting outside.

Nino had been pumped and bragged that their first night would absolutely be a hit, though it didn't prepare her for all these competitors. From his short briefing, he had said that all contestants had to be on standby at the door and not come in before the clock struck ten. Her watch told her that there was still ten minutes left.

She tried to find Alya in the throng of bodies, struggling to spot her fiery hair, but there were too many people. Like herself, they wore something to hide their faces. Some were wearing bandanas over their noses and mouths, some wore masquerade-like masks, and some even went as far as painting their entire faces in outrageous colors. Alya, Rose, and Juleka could be any of them.

Marinette shrugged before fishing out her phone and dialing Alya. Might as well try. Besides, her best friend never went anywhere without her smartphone.

"Yo, where are you?" Alya's voice flitted through the contraption.

"I have a better question." Marinette said. "What the hell do you look like? I can't find you."

"Pssshh. The hottest one there, obviously."

"Haha." Marinette mumbled an apology when she accidentally bumped into someone. "Seriously, Alya─"

"Hey, keep it down!" The other girl hissed. "Don't expose me before we've even started!"

"Oops. Sorry. So, it's…?"

"Lady Wifi." She smirked. "Cool, right?"

"Totally." She wriggled between a couple of girls and continued her aimless search. "I'm… uhh…" She looked down at her attire and wracked her brain for any names. Polka dots? No, too ridiculous. Black and Red? No, too long. She touched the hem of her crop top and bit her bottom lip. "I guess you could call me… Ladybug."

"Alright, Ladybug. What are you wearing? I'll come and find you."

"I can manage to find you faster if you─" Her head clashed with something hard. Mewling in pain, she rubbed her forehead and blinked away the abrupt dizziness. "Watch where you're─"

Marinette stopped her voice when she saw who the person was. A girl with chocolate skin and messy hair tied into a ponytail stood in front of her. She wore a black tank top under a too-big "I Love Wifi" shirt, completed with a pair of black, white striped shorts and sports shoes. Rubber bracelets circled and bounced on both her wrists as she rubbed her face. It was then that Marinette noticed the black eye shadow around her eyes like glasses without support.

Triumph, Marinette shut her phone. "Found you." She grinned.

"Whoa, girl," Lady Wifi pocketed her own gadget before giving her best friend a hug. "You dressed up!"

"And you look like a raccoon."

A pinch to her sides.

"Kidding! You look awesome. I wouldn't have recognized you if it weren't for that shirt and uh," Ladybug pointed at the two wifi pins fastened in her hair. "Yeah, cool accessories, by the way."

"It completes the costume. But mine doesn't hold a candle to these guys." She indicated the others around them with her chin. "I mean, shit, get a load of that."

She was right. A lot of them had apparently planned the whole thing out, starting with some wardrobe assessments. Some teams already had signature hoodies, wild caps, dyed-up hair with matching colors, and one of them was even bathed with bling. Ladybug winced. "That can't be comfortable to dance in."

"I swear, half of these chicks are coming here just to hook up." The redhead crinkled her nose in distaste when a girl wearing nothing but undergarments passed by. "This is hip-hop, not a strip tease."

"Just forget them." Ladybug turned her head. "Anyways, where are─"

"Lady Wifi!" Someone from the crowd shouted. "Did you find her?"

"Oh, yo, over here!" Lady Wifi waved her arms high in the air.

A small girl emerged in the middle of them, grunting and puffing, and raised a gloved hand. "Hello!" She chirped. "Do you recognize me, Mar- ahh, Ladybug?"

The girl had short blonde hair, obviously gelled as it spiked at every direction, and huge blue eyes that twinkled between a thick sheet of pink paint. The holes of her cream-colored shirt were large enough that she could catch sight of a fashionable bra. Her tight-fitting pink pants ended on her shins, and stitched to the pocket was a pattern in the shape of a perfume bottle. Tiny dance shoes covered the soles of her feet with little bows attached on top.

"Princess Fragrance, at your service." She bowed before giggling.

Ladybug's jaw dropped. Leaning in hastily, she whispered-cried, "Rose?!"

"Yup."

"Oh my…" A grin broke her face as she let out a breath. "God."

Rose blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "I got too excited and went kinda overboard."

"You look great." Ladybug squeezed her friend's shoulder. "Feel free to get overboard on the dance floor while you're at it."

"Where's Reflekta?" Lady Wifi piped up. "They're gonna open soon."

"Oh, right." Princess Fragrance tugged at something behind her. "Hey, it's okay, you can come out."

"I feel embarrassed." A low voice replied.

"Nonsense! You look beautiful."

"You're saying that because you're the one who styled me."

"Stop being ridiculous." She tugged again. "Come out."

A pause, and then a sigh. "Fine."

Reflekta was not-so-obviously Juleka alright. It wasn't because she could actually tell by her features per-se, with the only physical indications of said girl being the streak of purple in her dark hair. Other than that, she was another person. Her usually long bangs were braided to the side, giving them a full picture of the impossibly-detailed painting of gears around her eyes. A black blouse was tied at the middle, her thin stomach on display, and a hint of a purple tube top peeking through. An old pair of jeans had been cut short and it hugged her curves perfectly. Purple sneakers and a single glove completed her outfit.

"This is Reflekta." Lady Wifi pointed a thumb at her. "And I dare say that she may be the only one here that can rival my sexiness."

"Absolutely." Ladybug nodded appreciatively. "Stop being so shy, Reflekta. You're a total knock-out."

"I don't really care all that much about appearance." The girl said. "But it makes PF happy. And that matters to me."

Beside her, Princess Fragrance blushed and pushed her playfully.

It wasn't long until the big double doors burst open, revealing three men in glow-in-the-dark hoodies, headphones hugging each of their necks like a collar. The entire group clapped and whooped as deafening music slithered out to the sidewalk. One of them, cladded in more random colors than the other two, stepped forward and raised his hands for silence. When the roar of cheers died down, he said, "Yo, b-boys and b-girls!"

Another chorus of shouts, a few whistles and a few meows.

"I'm sure y'all are stoked for this night as the rest of us. The name's Bubbler, and on behalf of the Akuma nightclub, I welcome you to Paris' sickest Battle of the Moves!"

Ladybug stomped her feet along with her teammates, ecstatic, as they screamed their gratitude. This was actually happening.

"You guys know the basics of this competition already. Do not, under any circumstances, reveal your identities because if you do, you and your team will be ultimately kicked out of the line. Battle of the Moves is strictly about your moves and nothing else, and we judges want to make sure of that."

The second DJ raised his hand. This guy was cladded in black and streaks of glowing grey. "Which brings us to the more specific details of the competition. Your team will go head-to-head with another random team, and your goal is to collect as many scores from the judges ─ that's us, btw ─ and climb your way to the top of the list."

Bubbler continued, "The battles are also switched from time to time. Tonight, it's a one-man battle which means you're going solo on the dance floor. Next week, who knows? It might be a team battle, two-on-two, or whatever shit we judges roll on you."

The last DJ stepped up. He was a bit brighter than the two, with his hoodie white and a few jagged lines of light blue lining his sleeves like odd-colored lightning bolts. "The last bit of info you might find interesting is the ranks. As my friend Copycat had explained, your goal is to get to the top. Wanna know the perks of it during your time at the club?" He grinned when the contestants beyond him shouted a yes. "The three top teams will get unlimited drinks at the bar, completely free of charge!"

The older kids went nuts at that; yelling out incorrigible words that weren't suitable for a youngster's ears, throwing their hands in the air and jumping on pure energy.

"Yo, wait, Pixelator!" Copycat immediately interjected with a frantic wave. "Alcohol is strictly for eighteen and up ages, folks!"

Nearly half of them whined out a long 'boo'. Ladybug just shrugged, followed by her teammates.

Bubbler in turn laughed and gestured widely at the door behind them. "Well, whatcha bitches doin' down there? Get in the club and dance!"

"Single file, everyone!" Copycat sighed.

Without being told twice, everyone ran through the doors.

The club was vast, dark, and ridiculously loud. The song playing through the speakers vibrated the entire building, making the walls pulse like a vein. A small bar was located at the far side, the counter lit up with blue neon lights, girls in tight clothes serving the ever-growing customers. Over at the DJ booth, which was at another level higher than the dance floor, an older woman was bobbing to the beat, her fingers flipping and turning a few switches on her equipment. Most of the contestants weren't patient enough to wait for the three other DJs as they pushed onwards to the middle of the club, raising their arms in the air and laughing into the darkness. Thanks to the dots of colorful light flying around the room, Ladybug could maneuver herself and her team to the side, gripping the railings that separated them from the dance floor.

The instinct to just jump and be one with the masses of dancers was excruciatingly tempting, but she held it at bay, reminding herself that these people were her competitors, and it'd be a good idea to observe.

She was about to say something to the other girls when someone collided with her shoulder. Stumbling back, she huffed and glanced up at the stranger.

Green eyes greeted her underneath a dark hoodie, the upper half of his face smeared with black. For a second, their gazes locked, and just like that, he turned away and continued walking.

The others, however, didn't notice the brief eye contact. "Let's get down there and groove, girl!" Lady Wifi screamed to be heard over the echo of noise surrounding them. "What are we waiting for?!"

"Yeah, come on, Ladybug." Reflekta nudged her.

Ladybug blinked away the mysterious fog from her mind, hastily brushing it off with a shrug. "I was thinking that we should watch for a minute," she replied, "see what we're up against, you know? It wouldn't hurt to just─"

"Oh, come on, Ladybug!" Lady Wifi pointed below. "There's plenty of that once the first round starts! Let loose already! Dance!" At the last word, the redhead pulled on her wrist, guiding her to the stairs. She didn't have time to protest when they descended because her teammates were already jumping up and cheering, Princess Fragrance doing a sort of victory twirl and a flip, landing once again so gracefully on her shoes. Reflekta wasn't too far off, having embraced the pumping atmosphere and doing her own routine that seemed to be a mix of hip-hop and ballet. Her feet were light, less stomping and more gliding, as if she was walking on a cloud. Lady Wifi, though, was all power. Her hair flew about her face, hips swishing and hands pushing out, and Ladybug realized that the bracelets adorning her wrists were actually glow-in-the-dark, which made her movements all the more vigorous.

And she had to admit. They were all having so much fun, so much freedom to being who they were – dancers. At home, there was just so much dancing that she could squeeze in, and so limited space to leap and spin, but at Akuma, it was everything that she could ask for.

Once the song looped back to its electronic rhythm, Ladybug's soul broke loose.

It started from her fingers, the bones in them nearly nonexistence as they moved atop invisible piano keys, up her shoulders and down her hips, until the heat burst and wrapped her in a coat of fire, and she let all of her limbs work in tandem. Her sneakers flew over the floor, not exactly as elegant Reflekta's were, but it wrote a message on the smooth surface of the ground, saying the she was here. Ladybug – Marinnete Dupain-Cheng – was here to rock and rule over any song they threw at her. She was here and ready to soar, each kick and wave filled with purpose to take her higher and higher.

Ladybug spun and dropped to her hands, letting her legs become blades above her as she never let the momentum leave her body. Returning to her feet, she met back with her group, the four of them working a synchronized harmony.

The look of sheer glee on all of their faces was enough to bury the remaining guilt that had followed her from home, if only for the night.

And then she saw it. A flash of green.

Tearing her eyes from her friends, she looked at something behind Princess Fragrance's head. Another group stood a good distance away from them, but she could recognize the hoodie, if only because of the strange neon-green strips decorating the edges. It was the stranger that had bumped into her earlier. It was absurd, she chided herself though. Lots of people wore black hoodies, and she hadn't even gotten the chance to study him any further other than his intense eyes. But when the person flicked his head to her direction, she knew that she wasn't mistaken.

The same eyes locked on hers, and it was incredible, considering the dully lit club that they were in, that she could make that small detail out. Clearly a boy, he was definitely looking at her, if the small smirk that tugged his mouth was anything to go by. She didn't let herself be fazed, instead daring him to be the first one to look away. He didn't.

She couldn't help but examine his attire, letting her stare drift up from his green sneakers and black pants, further still to the black T-shirt portraying a green paw print, and finally to his head. Locking eyes again, he seemed to notice her taking in his appearance, and his smirk grew wider, a single eye winking at her. She held her chin high in response, making sure he saw her unimpressed expression.

"Yo, Mari," Lady Wifi elbowed her, successfully jolting her back to reality. "You okay in there?"

"I… I'm fine." She glanced quickly at the boy, and found that he was still focused on her.

"What are you looking at?" Princess Fragrance asked before turning her own head.

"Nothing!" Ladybug squeaked a little too loudly. "It's nothing, PF. Really."

"You're acting weird," her best friend said skeptically.

Just as she was about to reply, the sound of a microphone being tapped replaced the pounding music. She sighed in relief, careful to not alert her group. She wanted to look again, to see if the stranger was still there, but thought better of it. It wasn't a good idea, she concluded, at least not with Alya's pestering curiosity.

"You had your fun," Pixelator spoke, "but now is the time to get the losers out of the way."

"Dude, really?" Copycat sighed beside him, yanking the microphone away from him. "Sorry about this asshole. Don't mind him." Pixelator gave him the finger, one which Copycat didn't catch. "Anyways, it's time for the first round to start. Team captains, if you would please pick a piece of paper from that bowl," he pointed to Bubbler, who was holding said object, "then that'd be awesome."

"That's your cue," Ladybug gripped her best friend's shoulder.

"Nahh, girl." Lady Wifi waved her off. "You're the captain here, missy."

"Say what?"

Reflekta gave her an encouraging push, while Princess Fragrance held up her thumbs.

Gulping, she climbed up the stairs and over to where the judges stood. She cursed when a few people pushed her aside, scowling at the backs of their heads before attempting to squeeze through. But despite her small size, she couldn't get in. She sighed and decided that she'd have to be a model citizen and queue.

In the midst of her mini-sulking, someone whistled next to her. "Team captain too, huh?" Stranger-boy asked her.

She was only stunned for a split second before she cocked her hip, eyeing him up. He was tall, she mused, and his hair was messy and blond, the locks plastered to his forehead from sweat. She held in a giggle when she caught sight of what seemed to be cat ears perched on top of his hood. A kid at heart, perhaps? Or a cat lover? "Did you expect me to be something else, kitty?" She poked the paw print pattern on his chest.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He leaned down then, his breath close to her ear. "I liked your dance." He whispered huskily.

Ladybug couldn't contain the shiver that ran down her spine, struggling to regain her composure. She pushed him back with a finger to his cheek. "Thank you." She replied curtly.

"Hey, relax. I don't bite." He shrugged, grinning. "At least, not if you don't want me to."

She rolled her eyes. "A Casanova, are you?"

"Depends." He touched his upper arm to hers, again whispering in her ear, "Is my charm working on you…?"

"Ladybug." Thinking that she couldn't stop his flirtatious antics, she decided to play his game. Standing on her tiptoes, she blew a gust of hot air at his sensitive skin, smiling wickedly when she saw him shudder. "You can call me Ladybug, minou."

"It's Chat Noir, actually." She instantly regretted her choice of action, as he immediately took it as a go sign to be handsy. His gloved hand snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, making her suck in a sharp gasp. "What do you say we dance together later─"

"Uh, no." Ladybug disentangled herself from him, throwing in a glare for good measure. "I'll stick with my team. Thanks for the invite, alley cat."

"Ouch. You wound me, my lady." He stepped again to her side, keeping some space between them this time, but still a bit too chummy for her taste. "But my invitation still stands. Don't get your ass kicked out of here before you say yes."

"I wasn't planning on losing the first round. And I wasn't planning on saying yes."

"Oh, I'll find a way. After all," he smirked, "I'd like to see those moves you have a bit more closely before the night ends."

Sending him one last glance, she scoffed.