The drumming of Papillon's well manicured fingernails upon his glossy white marble countertop in an equally darkened room matched the rythym of his pulse as his piercing, hate filled eyes stared impatiently at the plasma screen projecting the security camera footage of the room in question. He had possibly made a mistake with this girl, she was too clever.. Too independent.. But he wouldn't have to worry about her for long..
Then.. Just as he'd completed this train of thought, there she was.. Volpina had quickly, and effortlessly performed a midair summersault from somewhere in the ceiling, right into the room! Immediately, she was standing straight and alert, looking around for any sign of a possible setup.
"Right on time, as usual, and the typical unexpected entrance as well.." Papillon's voice boomed from a speaker somewhere in the ceiling.
Volpina wasn't phased in the least. She smirked and dryly replied "Hmph! Cut the small talk, Paisano, and let's get down to business.."
"Oh, but of course, my dear.." The sly voice of the villain crackled over the speaker. "But first, let's have proof that you've completed my little assignment."
The thief snorted derisively, before digging into her napsack and pulling out the handkerchief. She then held it up a considerable heigth, and untied the soft cover to reveal the glistening prize within..
"Ahh.." The voice sighed with the satisfaction of sinking into a steaming hot bath. "Very well done.. Now.." He continued, as a low whirring noise approached. Suddenly, a small section of the fancy tile floor slid away, through which a small pedestal emerged. Atop the flat surface was a containment unit of plexiglass. "If you'd please.." Papillon stated in a sugary sweet fashion, belayed by his sinister, deep voice.
Volpina took a few cautious steps toward the unit, before stopping abruptly and gazing somewhat impatiently at the area from which his voice emitted. "Hold it, amigo.. Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked with a slight snarl.
"I assume you'd be referring to your reimbursement." The voice came with almost a droll, uncaring response. "I'm afraid that will not be possible until another task is completed.."
"WHAT?! We had a deal, Papillon!" The girl shouted in outrage.
"Now, now, now, temper.." Papillon's voice chimed in, becoming a little less patient. "Recall how I said when this deal began that I required your SERVICES.. I never specified that they were of a singular nature.."
"IDIOTA! How about I just walk out of here and not do ANOTHER blasted thing for you!?" Volpina countered, volcanically. Shaking her fist in the direction of the disembodied voice.
"Oh, certainly, my dear. And you'd be more than welcome.." Papillon retorted with all the smoothness of warm mollasses. "..But.. if you do choose to back out now, you'd never be able to regain.. That with which you cannot be without.."
Volpina was silent for a moment or two, before a sneaky smirk crept across her olive complected skin. With a minute shrug, she simply replied "Okay, that's fine by me.." in a nonchalant fashion, before turning on her heel, and waltzing over to a darkened corner of the room. There, she began to raise her flute to her lips, when all of a sudden, with the sudden flash like a bolt of lightning, the entire room seemed to illuminate with a blinding intensity, accompanied by one of the most piercing, horrific high pitched screeching sounds like an entire auditorium of fingernails on chalkboards over amplified.
Volpina, in her moment of complete agony and confusion could only drop her instrument, fall to her knees and cover her ears in a vain attempt to protect her sense of hearing from the wailing caucauphony.
"Now, now. We'll have none of that.." Papillon authoritively chided over the blare of his little "correcting" measure.
"STOOOOP! YOU FRIGGING TREDATORE! TURN IT OFFFF!" Volpina growled at the top of her lungs, defiantly, trying her best to shut out the maddening blare.
"WILL YOU BEHAVE?!" Papillon demanded, his voice now a little less than easygoing.
There was a brief pause of hestation. "WILL YOU?!" The deep, refined voice continued to press aggresively.
"SI! YES! NOW TURN THAT DAMN NOISE OFF!" The young lady shouted in reluctant concession.
Almost within a fraction of a second of the syllable leaving her mouth, the lights and sound both quickly shut off in unison. For a moment.. all that was audible in the once again darkened room was the sound of Volpina's labored breath, as she tried to recover from the traumatic event.
For a few moments, Papillon just sat quietly. Watching her kneeling form in the distant corner of the room through his security moniter. Finally, he spoke into the microphone before him. "Now... Miss Machiavelli.." He began.
Volpina suddenly sat up with a gasp at the mention of her surname.
"If you're quite done with this foolishness.. You will listen to what I have to say.." He continued, quite firm in his tone. "If you truly care to have.. This little trinket.. of yours back.." He said, looking down at the small, golden Egyptian Ahnk amulet that lay on the marble desk beside him, the blood red ruby tight in its center cavity glowing in the dim light. "You must retreieve another such artifact.. By force, if necessary.."
"Okay.. Okay.. I'm listening.." Volpina replied. Her thought process now returning to normal.
"It is a black marble Egyptian cat. With a gold necklace embroidered around its collar. If my traces on the object are correct, you shall find this object in.. The History Room of the School that you attend!" Papillon explained, his voice now cold and mechanical once more.
"And the reason cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt is accound of their belief in the goddess Batset, who would take the form of a cat.." Professor Delon, the fourtysomething history teacher instructed his class with the same amount of interest as seeing a discarded gum rapper upon the floor. The students who weren't covertly playing with their digital devices were secretly regretting their curriculum choices.
Marinette was trying her hardest for her heavy eyelids not to close, sending her into a heavy slumber at her desk, but his presentation.. So boring..
"..Which is why there were often these idol statues of black cats in the royal palace like the one you see here.." The Professor continued, reaching down and placing the statue on his desk. This managed to stir the interest of some. Namely Sophia, her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of it.
[AH! There it is..] She thought with a sense of excitement.
Marinette, on the other hand, was not as impressed. [Ugh.. I've got enough black cats in my life already..] She reflected with cynicism, her long lock of hair now drooping between her eyes, creating an almost metronomic fashion that continued to lull her.
Suddenly, Marinette felt a sudden, sharp flick on her forearm. "Ow! Wha..?" She briefly exclaimed, albeit not loud enough to make a scene.
"Shh!" Came the calm whisper of Marinette's best friend, Alya Cesaire as she covertly said out of the side of her mouth "At least TRY to look like you're awake."
"Can I help it if this lesson hasn't changed it's presentation since the Revolution?" Marinette whispered back.
"Still, it would be nice if you paid attention. You'd never know what history can teach you." Alya surreptitiously informed her.
"MR. DELON! MARINETTE AND ALYA ARE INTERRUPTING THE LESSON!" The shrill voice of Chloe Bourgeois, the blonde, overly made up spoiled daughter of the Mayor wailed at the top of her voice, seemingly unaware, or uninterested in the fact that she was emitting a volcanic interruption from her mouth. Needless to say, the entire classroom went so quiet that you could hear a flea cough.
"Why, thank you, Madmoiselle Bourgeois.. Now, may I continue with my lesson?" Professor Delon replied in a sarcastic manner.
"Yes, of course!" Chloe replied in an overly cheerful tone.
This immediately caught the dagger glare of Marinette. [You prissy little stuck up..] She began to snarl inwardly, before catching a heartstopping glimpse of Felix Agreste, sitting within Chloe's vicinity, several seats back, staring directly at her in either a curious or pitying manner. [AH! Oh my gosh! HE.. HE looked at me again!] She thought with a combination of surprise and embarrassment [He..He probably thinks I'm a gossipy jerk now..]
"Anyway.. This fine antiquity was recently excavated from what was believed to have been the tomb of a teenaged girl in the Pharoah's Court." The Professor continued to dryly elaborate.
Sophia, like most students in the room, simply tuned the message out and continued her laser focused attention on the statue...
With a few simple twists of the dial, Marinette opened up her locker and was almost immediately met by a hacking and coughing Tikki.
"Geeze, Marinette! You should really clean your gym shoes more often!" She complained.
"Shh! Try to keep it down!" Marinette hissed in a worried voice. "I'll make it up to you. I'll sneak you some pastries from Daddy's shop."
"Hmm.. Alright.. That will make up for it!" The luck sprite said cheerfully, before once again adopting a dour expression. "Marinette.. There's something I must tell you!"
"Huh? What's wrong, Tikki?" Marinette asked with unease.
"It was.. That.. That room you just came out of.." Tikki began to explain with a sense of disquiet.
"History class?" Marinette asked, confused.
"If you can call it that.." Came the sudden interruptive remark of Marinette's friend, Alya came behind her like the sudden prick of a needle. In a panicked reflex, Marinette hurriedly and blindly grabbed a book from her bag and slammed the door shut, prompting a yelp of pain from Tikki, before briskly spinning on her heel to face her.
"Uh.. Marinette? What was that noise? You hiding an animal in there?" The girl asked with suspiscion.
"NO! N..N..Nothing like that! I..It was me! I slammed my hand in the door!" Marinette replied in an apprehensive stammer, beginning to feign the rubbing of a pained hand.
"Uh..Huh.." Alya responded quite unconvinced, before continuing her gentle interrogation "So, who were you talking to just now?"
[THINK, Marinette!] She thought quite shakily. "MYSELF! I'm just so nervous and frustrated that I was caught nodding off in class, and made a fool of in front of everyone. It happens, you know.." She then tried her best to bluff her way through, her strand of hair bouncing about impatiently atop her head.
"Hmph.. Yeah, I see.." Alya answered seemingly convinced.
[Phew..Ladybug comes through again..] She thought graciously to herself, before suddenly becoming as stiff as an iron rod, the same went for her hair as well, as Felix just happened to grace Marinette's section of the hallway with his roguish prescence.
"Ah! B..Bonjour, Felix!" Marinette managed to greet in a squeakish manner from her trembling lips with surprisingly less stuttering than usual.
The moody blonde angel flickered his eyes to the irritating greeting's general location, before, seemingly with great effort, turning them back straight ahead, leaving only the scent of his expensive cologne in the air.
"Did you see that? He barely looked at me.." Marinette moaned.
"Oh, chin up, Marinette. He's probably just got a lot on his mind." Alya attempted to rationalize.
"Oh, that's what you always say.. I've just GOT to convince him that I'm worth his time!" Marinette declared resolutely.
"Well.. Have you tried poetry.. Or music or something..?" Alya cautiouly suggested.
*Psst, Marinette* Tikki whispered from the locker.
*Shh!* Marinette hushed from the side of her mouth.
*But Marinette! It's important! I've really got to tell you something!* Tikki pleaded.
*SHH! Not now!* Marinette responded irritably, her whispering voice raising a few decibals.
"Huh? What was that?" Alya responded curiously, edging closer.
"AH! I.. I.. Just said "THAT'S HOW!" I'll talk to him through poetry! That's how all of the famous tales of love got started!" Marinette swooned, her hair strand forming a heart once more.
"Heh! Glad I could inspire you! I'll see you at lunch, Marinette." Alya replied with a grin before strutting off.
"Okay, Tikki, now what was it that was so important?" Marinette turned to her locker and asked quietly.
"It's the statue, Marinette! There are some terrible.."
"..Bad luck vibes coming off of it!" Plagg continued that same topic in Felix's backpack as he sorted through his locker. "Which means it could give us some poor saps a VERY unlucky day! Sounds like fun, huh buddy?!"
"ForGET it!" Felix growled out of the side of his mouth.
"Oh, COME ON, Felix, mon chere! You NEVER try to have any fun since that Ladybug girl showed up! We've just GOT to get our hands on it!" Plagg pleaded aggresively.
"Plagg.. Will you just quit harping on that! I can't find that piece of paper.." Felix muttered as he continued to rummage through his belongings.
"What.. Paper..?" The little cat sprite asked nonchalantly.
"The.. You know.. The little poem that I was writing..." Felix hissed with embarrassment.
"Ode to My LADYbug?" Plagg questioned.
There came a stone cold pause from the uptight young man. "Plagg.. How did YOU know the title of my poem?" He asked suspiciously.
"Oh, well, because I gave it a quick glance before tossing it in the rubbish bin.." Plagg casually replied.
An electrical surge seemed to make the lights flicker in the hallway as Felix simmered under the collar of his dress shirt. "Plagg..." He snarled as the hair on the back of his neck stood up in a feline fashion.
"Hey, Mon Ami, I can't have you wasting your time chasing ladybugs when we've got a mischief quota to keep up. You DO want to avoid causing an even worse cat..astrophy, don't you..?" Plagg queried in a passive aggresive tone "Besides, all that GOOD LUCK can't be good for you.."
"Hmph! The jokes on you, buddy! I've already memorized most of it, so that when I finally do encounter that vestige of beauty, I'll lay these words of delightful passion on her with the feeling of warm molasses, that she'll have NO CHOICE put to place the delicious kiss upon my lips that will free me at last from this blasted curse!" Felix concluded with determination, yet with no smile.
"That'll be the day.." Plagg snorted.
"Oh, Plagg.." Felix asked somewhat nonchalantly, but before the Kwami had a chance to reply, Felix had already slammed the door shut on his locker, prompting the creature to yelp in pain. "Watch your tail.." He concluded intentionally too late.
TO BE CONTINUED...
