Chapter 4
Chloe transformed as Queen Bee stamped her foot impatiently "Come on! Let's get this meeting over with!" She tapped her foot anxiously as she stared at Ladybug "I have something important I need to do!" Her arms crossed is she stared at the other two superheroes on the roof beside her.
"Stop whining, you not the only one Carapace and I have some where we have to be." Rena Rouge said besides her rolling her eyes before looking at the green suited companion beside her.
Ladybug shook her head and sympathy "Sorry guys this is very important." She too was on a tight schedule though it was important to tell trio in front of her about the strange monster.
"What is it?" Rena Rouge with a more sympathetic tone.
"I wanted to wait for Cat." Ladybug said hesitantly before perking up "There he is!" She let out a relieved sigh as the feline superhero made his appearance.
"Sorry guys." Cat Noir gave a nervous laugh "I had something I needed to do, so, what's up?" He looked at the other three with expectation
Ladybug gave a small ground before saying "You know what's up."
Cat nodded before extending a hand to Ladybug "M'lady?"
"Fine." The red suited heroine groaned "Cat and I wanted you to be made aware that there is a new enemy in Paris."
"Someone besides Hawkmoth and his bubbies?" Carapace said with concern.
"We aren't that that it's even a person." Ladybug answered honestly.
Rena immediately snapped her fingers realizing something "This has to do with those metal and goo things that were on the news?" She asked already knowing the answer.
"It does." Ladybug gave a quick answer.
"The scariest part of it is that whatever the substances that creates those monsters, it can be akumatized." Cat Noir filled them in remembering how the amalgamation of metal in liquid had actively tried to swallow the butterfly.
Carapace cringed at the thought before saying "Oh, that is super bad."
Ladybug nodded in agreement before staying "You will need to stay on alert, just like Hawkmoth these monsters could strike at any time." Then pulled out her yo-yoing explained "Cat I have also discovered that our weapons will start to vibrate signaling we can destroy the monsters. It's very likely that other Miraculous's have this ability as well."
"Does that mean we get to keep our Miraculous is on us!" Queen Bee gave a little hop expectedly.
"No,no,no." Cat replied quickly, before stating "But you need to be ready in case we need you guys, and if you see one of the monsters and were not around make sure you get all the innocent people out of the way."
"Fine" Queen Bee pursed her lips her arms crossed thing with a grumpy huff "Can we go now?"
Ladybug and Cat Noir looked at each other briefly before nodding. Then with a great deal of stealth and timing Ladybug went around to Queen Bee, Carapace, and Rena Rouge and retrieved each of their Miraculouses before entering Fu's massage shop.
Marinette power down the her miraculous before handing back the other miraculous is to the old man. "Here's the Miraculous back." She said as he took them from her "You're sure you don't know anything about the monsters?"
The old man shook his head in denial as he put the miraculous back in their proper places "I wish I did, though this is not uncommon." He said turning back to her.
Marinette blinked and surprised then asked "How so?"
"Throughout history various entities, strange otherworldly beings have emerged out of nothing with the sole purpose of attacking Miraculous." Master Fu explained "There was one even intelligent enough to vocalize its desire."
"What did it want?" She hoped that if entities were smart enough to be communicated with, there might be a chance to dissuade it from causing any more damage.
Tikki had been silent for a brief moment finally spoke up "I remember that one Marinette, it wanted to eat a Kwami."
The air in the room went cold as Marinette took in that information. She couldn't imagine what type of force would want to devour an innocent Kwami let alone have the physical capability to do such a thing.
"Thankfully it was defeated before it could get to do that." The Kwami said trying to comfort her.
Marinette nodded and asked "So, this could just be an entity that needs to be defeated?"
"That may be the case, though it picked in an opportune time to appear." Master Fu nodded before moving to offer Marinette a cup of tea.
"Ah!"
Fu nearly dropped his cup at at Marinette's shocked sound "What's wrong?" Looking to see Marinette staring at the clock anxiously
"The time! I'm supposed to meet Alya and the others at the movies." She looked down at the elderly man with a great deal of nervousness.
With an understanding nod Fu waved her off "Get going, I'll try to find information on previous entities to see if there is an easy way of getting rid of it."
Marinette way goodbye to him as she made her way out the door "Thank you, Master Fu. Bye!"
"Bye." Fu responded before looking at a wall "Now where to begin?" He said somewhat lost in thought.
Meanwhile Marinette rushed through the streets today was the day and Dark Dance movie would be released in theaters and the school had been a buzz seeing it for the past few days. Therefore, she planned to go see it with Alya and some of her other friends. Though now she was sprinting down the sidewalk because the time she had planned to meet up with everyone was in about a matter of minutes.
Her hand quickly moved to her back to check to see if the book that Juleka had given her. She had managed to finish the first book in time to see the movie adaptation, and begrudgingly she liked the story. She couldn't help but feel that it wasn't really a supernatural romance at all, but instead Marinette couldn't help but think that the main characters love 'interests', were but personifications of her greatest desires and fears as she grew into adulthood. In a way she deeply related with the basket weaver's daughter that was the lead protagonist in the Dark Dance saga.
"Girl, we were about to go in without you." Alya called to Marinette as she approached the entrance of the movie theater "Chloe was here a few minutes ago saying that she had already seen midnight showing with her mon and how she had already preordered her seats for the one we're going to be in."
Taking deep breaths to slow her panting Marinette let out a "Sorry." Then looked realized that only Nino and Alya were waiting for her. "Where's Adrien?" She asked somewhat worried and relieved that she had managed to get to the theater before her crush.
Nino looked at his phone then answered "He texted me a few minutes ago, his is cutting a photo shoot short to go to this movie. His pops is probably holding him up."
Just then a familiar voice called from up the street "Guys over here!"
"Juleka, Rose!" Marinette smiled as her eyes growing wide seeing the rest of their group arriving "There you are Adrien!" She said seeing the blonde team a little shyly, but also slightly disappointed. When Alya extended the invitation to go to the movies and a group to Nino could then in turn extended it to Adrien she had hope that he would've brought along Félix.
"Everyone ready?" Rose said cheerfully as they approached.
"Yup." Marinette said cheerfully before pulling out the books she had brought with her "Here's your book back, Juleka."
Juleka gave a cheerful smile and took the book with a nod.
Now that the group was together, they went inside and watched the movie. I was bright and actioned film for a book that manly focused on romance and relationships. The movie induced characters and places that Marinette had remembered reading about in the first book. It made her wonder if she continued to read the books these things would make sense to her, or the people who made the movie only added them in to make the film more appealing.
"So, what did you guys think of the moive." She said when she exited the theater with her friends.
"It was okay." Nino said before getting a playful jab from Alya his saw past is in difference to the movie.
Adrien looked around the group sheepishly before saying "Not really my thing but they put a lot of effort in the soundtrack."
Juleka looked at her phone and then said "I have to say to wasn't boring, the movie didn't feel three hours long."
"Three hours!" Adrien seized up as he looked at the sky, what had once been a bright afternoon sky was already starting to tempt with color. His heart started to pound with panic "Man it's late, thanks for the movie guy!"
Before his friends could say another word, Adrien was already making his way home. His dad was being behaving a little bit off today, which Adrien hadn't considered a bad thing since he was allowed to go to and from the movie without an escort. Though the main restriction to that temporary freedom was that he would be back within two hours since he had believed that the movie was only can a last for as much as an hour and thirty. He scrolled through his phone, becoming very worried that he hadn't received any calls or text from anyone.
Rushing through the security gate and into his home he shouted "Hey dad, Nathalie I'm home!" He let his voice echoed in the entryway as a began to sink in that nobody was answering his call.
As his own voice faded from his ears, he realized that his house wasn't completely silent. Upstairs there was the sound of a piano playing from his room. As quietly as he could he sneaked up the stairs and made his way to the door of his room.
Peering in he saw Félix playing his piano, it unnerved him to see his doppelgänger in his room. Despite not going out today Félix was as dapperly dressed as the first day he arrived. There was also something in Félix's expression that made Adrien uneasy it was so dour and miserable and made his stomach flip. The uneasiness of the situation was only amplified by the seeming soft happy song he was playing on the instrument, moving his hands across the keys almost robotically.
The music died immediately as Félix looked up his eyes going why does he noticed Adrien. He stood up moving away from the piano as if he had committed the worst crime.
"This is my room." Adrien said entering his room but positioning himself in front of the doorway.
"Sorry." Was all the other boy could say.
Taking a slight bit of joy catching his rather stiff houseguest off-guard he smiled and asked "Where's dad?
Félix diverted his gaze to the floor "He left, something about work."
Now that Félix was standing up Adrien noticed that one of the sleeves of Félix's shirt was rolled up a bandage wrapped around his inter-arm. The bandage reminded him of a time when he was very young and needed to get his blood tested. He wondered if his dad had brought in a doctor to do the same thing to the other teen.
Without a word of warning Félix began to move towards the door, clearly planning to leave the room.
Adrien put a hand out to stop him and said "Don't go, since you're in my room. Let's talk."
"About what?" Félix is eyes seem glint of irritation.
"What do you do for fun cooped up in the house all day." Adrien asked his tone slightly teasing.
Félix gave a subtle the groan before saying "I'm not stuck in the house all day."
Adrien rolled his eyes at Félix's deflection of his question "Sure whatever, but what do you do."
The other blonde trained his gaze to something in the distance before saying "Well, Mr. Agreste keeps me busy with tutors."
"And do you find that fun?" Adrien scoffed at Félix's answer.
The other boy straightened his posturer to stand an inch taller than Adrien "What if I do?"
"I don't know, you just seem like the type of person who has other interests." Adrien shrugged secretly enjoying how he had mad the other teen uncomfortable.
"Are you trying to accuse me of something?" The adible hiss in the statement made Adrien "I get it, you want me gone." Félix's gaze turned from distant and icy to something truly glacial "If I had a choice I'd be where I belong right now, but I can't."
Adrien recognized the expression, it was uncanny to the one his father would give him when he did something that he had disapproved of. "I don't want you gone, I want you to be an actual person with a personality." He snickered enjoying that he had gotten such a rise out of the other teen "Seriously, I haven't seen you do anything that dad didn't tell you to do first."
With a sudden violent movement Félix pushed Adrien aside and stormed out of the room. The other teen giving off a hostile aura as he made his way out of Adrien sight.
Hearing the sound of the door of Félix his room Adrien smiled widely.
Plagg then appeared aside it Adrien narrowing his eyes and shaking his head "Smooth moves. You keep forgetting there's a chance that he might be living with you forever you now?"
At that moment Adrien didn't care instead of closing his door to his own room as he internally reveled in his perceived victory over his unwelcome and houseguest.
…
The night air Paris was cold and invigorating as Marinette swung around us Ladybug, the lights of the city of Paris glowed like candlelight as the moon shone down like a giant pearl. She felt so free like nothing could ever hurt her as she landed on top of a high rooftop she looked around and try to remember why she became Ladybug in the first place.
Feeling confident and satisfied with her nocturnal adventure she saw felt the need to return home. Though as she swung and retraced her steps back home, only to realize that she didn't recognize any of the streets. Looking up at the skyline it was in this day couple that she was still in Paris, but something was very wrong.
She made her way down to street level and try to reorient herself, only to see that the street was empty. It concerned her that nobody was out on the street at night, only empty storefronts that shone with warm light.
Ladybug turned around as she heard footsteps, rapid in quick footsteps. From the far end of the street a blur of a person approached with a startling velocity, blue streaks of lightning pouring out of their body. She managed to dodge as the stranger skidded to a stop their eyes and hair gleaming white as their deathly blue body shot of violent bolts of electricity.
The stranger narrowed its empty eyes at her as he readied himself to charge at her once more.
Ladybug readied her yo-yo to swing away from, only to be too late as the blue figure rammed himself against her, sending her flying into a wall. When she looked up to reassess herself however there was no wall as she had only been falling farther down the street. In front of her the electrified stranger stood still smirking at something behind her.
She looked up behind her to see a young man dressed in white and blue with a blue mask. From the mask till colored eyes stared down at her as he rested against an invisible wall. It struck her in that moment how similar this stranger was to Mine, one of the villains Hawkmoth had created, and her heart began to race.
Seeing how she was trapped on both ends she pulled out her yo-yo again to escape through the roof tops only for a voice to stop her in her tracks.
"Enough of the games LB." On the light post stood a girl adorned in gold and black, for second ladybug thought it might be Queen bee. But further examining the girl with her long blonde braid and how them black markings looked like musical notes her heart sank. "You're surrounded."
"Who are you people?" Ladybug said her gaze glancing around the trio.
"This isn't the time to play dumb." The girl who glittered with golden power looked down upon her. "Either you tell us what you want to know or will get it out of you the hard way."
Ladybug shook her head the sense of danger becoming heavy on her shoulders "I don't understand you guys to attacked me first."
"Where did he go LB?" The girl snarled pointing a flute down at her threateningly
"Who?" Ladybug asked before jumping away from a straight bolt of lightning the white-haired stranger shot at her "Ah!" She let out a shriek.
"Listen we are running out time!" The strange girl readied her flute as if she was going to play it "Tell us where he went!"
Understanding that no matter what she said it would be the wrong answer Ladybug best to launch past the electrified person and swing from another light post. The rush of hope made her feel light as she was launched into the air.
She was free!
She just needs to keep moving.
A short musical note dashed all her hopeful feelings. As with a mighty blast of golden power Ladybug was slammed to the ground once again.
"Do you want to put the world at risk again! For a stupid crush!" The girl dressed in gold and black approached her a stream of burning light pouring out of her flute like a sword. "I how many times you can screw up as a hero and a Miraculous still considers you worthy!" She pointed the light at ladybug's feet as the Mime like boy and the electrified blue stranger joined beside her.
"Stop!" Ladybug cried to her attackers "You're not making sense, who are you people?"
The trio said nothing, each of them seeming ready to use their powers to knock her down again if she tried to escape.
In a last-ditch effort she threw up her yo-yo "Lucky Charm!" She shouted hoping that her power would save her.
Yet nothing happened.
"Lucky…" She said halfheartedly as her yo-yo fell back into her hand.
The girl with the long braid shook her head disappointedly then raised up her magical flute as if to strike her.
"Help!" Her voice rang out in an empty Paris, a city filled with beautiful light but for some reason know people. "Cat! Somebody!" She didn't understand what was going on, if she didn't find help or outrun the trio after her. She could only imagine what would become of her.
Then with tears welling the corners of her eye's ladybug braced herself for impact of her attackers next strike.
"Black Hole!" A voice called out as a pillar of black energy sprouted up from behind her attackers.
Then in a flash all the lights went out as the wind began to whip around in a chaotic fashion. In the blank confusion ladybug felt herself being picked up by somebody and carried off against the section of the wind.
Ladybug tried to get her bearings "What!" Only to flinch as a stray bolt of blue lightning rose up just try to strike her rescuer. "Who are!" And the flash of light she saw cat ears poking out against blonde hair.
White cat ears.
As her rescuer began to rent of the darkness more and more of his features. Blonde almost platinum colored hair, a silvery white mask that distracted her from the color of his eyes and a snow-white suit with the dark fur trimming around the neck that led to a silvery piece of metal with writing on it that she couldn't decipher.
The most distracting feature was his tail, white and fluffy tail that moved about as he ran.
Her mind couldn't process the person she was who was holding her. "Let go of me! They're not chasing us!" She commanded.
The stranger dressed in white heard her commands and put her down gently at her feet. Then stepped back as he stared at her not saying a single word.
Ladybug examined him as well her eyes drifting down to one of his hands where the line of a familiar black ring stood out to her. "Who are you?" She asked him
The Stoic expression of the pale suited to hero turned into a frown as he said "I don't." He ran a gloved hand through his hair brushing up against his seemingly very real the cat ears "I don't know."
As strange as he was, at least he wasn't trying to attack her. "Is there something I can call you?"
A slight smile creep to cross his face "Perhaps one of your tears, so I could be born in your eyes, run down your cheek, and die on your lips." His facial expressions becoming more teasing as he continued "Or maybe I can simply be a to be a drop of your blood, so I could travel your body and sleep in your heart."
Ladybug looked away briefly as she felt her cheeks getting hot before turning back to him. "Okay! Cat Noir number two it is." She wondered if she should've said something like Blanc Cat or Cat Blanc seeing her rescuers pale coloration.
The not quite Cat Noir frowned and said "My apologies for being so forward." There seemed to be genuine sorrow in his response "I don't know how much time I have left to be with my lady luck."
"Lady…Luck." She wasn't sure if she was as fond as that nickname is how Cat Noir called her 'M'Lady' "Who are those people that attacked me?" She wanted to get to the bottom of her situation as soon as possible.
"Friends of yours?" He answered hesitantly his tail twitching "But you don't remember them."
"What you mean I don't remember!"
instead of giving an answer her feline themed hero wrapped her in a hug, bearing his face in her hair.
It startled her and she couldn't help but blush at the sudden contact.
"I've missed you much, my precious crimson gem." The white suited hero said his chest chattering as he fought against tears "If I was at my full strength, I would steal away all your troubles."
"Tell me what's going on." Ladybug begged, whoever this feline superhero was he clearly felt something for her. Was it a part of the things she didn't remember? Perhaps like how she was now partners with Cat Noir, this 'Cat' was also her partner at some point.
"When we meet again I will, until then." He said stroking her cheek with his gloved hand before tilting her face upwards towards his.
"Uh?"
Her voice was cut off as she saw the males face lower to hers, with the clear intent of giving her a kiss.
"Wait don't do that!" Marinette's eyes opened wide as the shock of her dream caused her to smack against the ceiling "Ouch!" She groaned covering her nose.
At the noise and shadow of pain the red Kwami appeared "Are you okay Marinette?" She asked to zipping around Marinette's head.
Marinette fell back on her pillow and rolled over "In the morning Tikki." She groaned and closed her eyes as she began to blush.