Chapter 4

The Storm

Adrien pressed his forehead against the dark glass of his bedroom. The storm Paris was bracing for had finally arrived. Three days had passed since he had talked to Ladybug and an awful knot had formed in his stomach. Was that a look of fear he saw in her eyes before she took off swinging? Did she think that he would take her Miraculous by force?

The teenager rubbed his face, feeling numb and unfocused. He couldn't remember the last time he slept well. Every time he closed his eyes Dreamweaver was waiting for him. She had taken to crafting him dreams where he would relive moments with his mother. Adrien found himself torn in two. He wanted desperately to see his mother, but he knew it was an illusion. Every time he tried to tell Dreamweaver to stop - that it was painful, she tried to pressure him to try and resurrect his mother with the Miraculous. Every night his resolve was weaker and weaker. He just wanted it to end, so he didn't sleep last night… and he wasn't planning on sleeping tonight either.

Plagg watched him from his desk, his eyes narrowed, calculating. Adrien had barely spoken to him since he asked about the true power behind the Miraculous. It was true that they were capable of so much more than transformation; but Plagg liked secrets. Secrets protected them, allowed them to manipulate if needed. Chat Noir was cursed with bad luck. The kwami knew from past moody teenage Chat Noirs that they tended to point fingers, and when misfortune came up in conversation those fingers always made their way to Plagg. Still, as upset as they were with each other, Adrien's lack of sleep was scaring the kwami. Adrien had told Plagg about his Dreamweaver problem when he refused to sleep and immediately Plagg recognized the work of a particularly dangerous akuma - but nothing Plagg said would get through to the stubborn boy.

"Ask Ladybug for help Adrien."

Adrien balled his hands into fists and clenched his jaw. "What's she going to do!? No. This is my problem. Besides, she's afraid of me… and she has a right to be. I don't know what I want anymore." He slid down the glass, but remained on his haunches. The ache of his thighs while he held the cat-like position was keeping him awake. "I miss her…" He raised his chin, staring deep into his reflection echoing in the blackness of the window. He could see his mother's features in that shadowed face. Those haunting eyes.

"You miss Ladybug?" Plagg asked, not making any sense from Adrien's words. He hesitated to fly over to him, his little paws twitching with the effort. "You can't deal with this akuma by yourself! If you won't find her I will!" The sincerity in Plagg's voice shocked even him.

"I told you, she's not an akuma!" Adrien replied weakly. He knew she had a Miraculous, but Plagg didn't believe him. The description of Dreamweaver didn't fit any of the Miraculous Plagg knew. Yet when Adrien asked how many Miraculous there were and what powers they possessed, the cat kwami clammed up. Secrets had caused a rift between them.

Lightning streaked across the window, followed by a rolling thunder that shook the building. Adrien backed up from the window and turned to his computer. He was going to look up the weather forecast, but suddenly the power went out. Everything was cast into darkness. Adrien felt his heart beat a little erratically in his chest. For a split second he thought he had fallen into a dream, but Plagg's sudden comforting weight on his shoulder calmed him down.

"A power line must have went down." Adrien theorized, but Plagg shook his head.

"No, this is something more. We need to go out there."

In Adrien's current state, he was paranoid that this was a trick of Plagg to get Ladybug to help him; but if he stayed here it was likely that he would eventually succumb to slumber. He needed a distraction.

Reluctantly he transformed into Chat Noir and threw open his window. The sudden surge of cold fresh air revitalized him. Without further thought, the cat fled out his window. The rain beat against his back as he leapt from the sill, but he savored the sensation. This was freedom - the reason he signed up to be Chat Noir in the first place. He scampered across the ground, skidding and sliding more than usual due to his combined lack of sleep and the slickness of the rain. He gained altitude the closer he got into the center of the city, his night vision helping tremendously with finding hand holds in the storm. He was passing alongside an office building when he saw something in the reflection of the windows. Dreamweaver was flying beside him, her long gauzy veils trailing behind her.

"Whoa!" Chat Noir skidded to a halt and looked behind him, but there was nothing there. He could hear his sharp bursts of breath over the rain, and his arms were shaking from fatigue. When he looked back, Dreamweaver floated behind him in the reflection, her face mask-like. Was he dreaming?

"You can run from me Chat Noir, but you cannot escape. Your mind is slipping into my realm…" She reached out a hand, but Chat Noir ran from the reflection, feeling full of chaos. He threw himself onto the next rooftop, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the image dissipated. When he looked back he let out a yelp for there was someone standing right in front of him. Without his usual grace he scrambled backwards and tried not to look as crazy as he was feeling.

"You are the Chat Noir?"

That wasn't Dreamweaver's voice. It was a girl with long dark hair pulled back into a loose braid. Her olive skin was obscured by an orange and white outfit that made her look like a fox. Bright brown eyes took in the defensive stature of Chat Noir and frowned. "She is in your mind. Quickly. You must come with me." She reached out a hand to grab his wrist, but Chat Noir waved it off.

He took in her look from her cute fox ears to her booted feet and stood up from his cat-like crouch. He was Chat Noir - this was his city! Though this was the first time someone like her crossed his path.

"You know who I am, so you know I'm not some just some stray." She didn't look like someone that meant him harm, yet he couldn't be sure. "You can't just take me home, foxy lady." He was tired, but there was no way he couldn't resist a bit of flirting. She was kinda cute in that get-up. "Unless there is some reason you want to take me home?" He winked.

This brought a momentary blush to the girl's cheeks. She recovered quickly and straightened her back. "No jokes. You are in grave danger!" Her accent became thicker the more agitated the fox became. Chat Noir couldn't place where the accent was from, but he found it intriguing. He took a step back the moment the girl stepped forward to close the distance between them. He brought up a hand and shook his finger.

"You're a forward one, but this cat isn't for sale."

"You need my help!" The girl cried out and took out a flute from a satchel on her hip. "I can keep her away from you-"

Chat Noir crossed his arms, "Wait wait wait. Who even ARE you?" As he spoke his voice trembled slightly. There was something wrong with the shadows around the rooftop they were standing on. They were… moving; creeping towards him like pools of ink. He stared around him wildly. "What the-"

The fox's brown eyes fixated on Chat Noir despite his erratic behaviour. As he was distracted by illusions, she lifted the flute to her lips and let out a trill that cut through the sound of the rain hitting the metal roof. Chat Noir seemed struck dumb by the sound. Eyes wide, he took a tentative step towards the mysterious girl, but the notes became lower and slower. Something seemed to click in the cat's head and his eyes rolled back. He hit the ground hard.

The girl lowered the flute and ran to the boy. An ornate choker around her throat started to beep, but she disregarded the sound as she flipped the cat over. He was most definitely asleep, and it looked like he needed it from the bags under his eyes.

From behind came a shout and the sound of rapid footfalls. The fox looked over her shoulder and jumped back just in time to avoid a yo-yo to the back of the head.

"Get away from him!" Ladybug demanded, chest bellowing as if she had just ran a marathon. She had landed over Chat Noir, her eyes flashing with determination to protect her partner.

The fox looked momentarily shaken, but then leveled her eyes at Ladybug. "I am not the enemy. She has him under her spell." The girl pointed to Chat Noir with her flute. There was a desperation in her voice that made Ladybug lower her guard.

"You're the one hunting the akuma." She said slowly, taking in the look of the girl. Was this the person that was talking to Tikki a couple days ago? Or was this the akuma?

"Yes! I am Volpina." She walked over to Ladybug and motioned her away from Chat Noir. "He is dangerous. Please stay away." Her grasp of French was difficult, but there was fear in the girl's movements that Ladybug understood.

"Chat Noir is my friend. He isn't dangerous…" Ladybug wanted to believe that. Especially since he looked so helpless flopped over in a puddle. He need her.

Ladybug pulled him up out of the water and threw him over her shoulder in a fireman's carry. Volpina shook her head and tried to grab at Chat Noir, but Ladybug jumped backwards. "It's alright! He's out. I'm just going to put him somewhere safe and we can talk later all right? Wait here…" She made to jump off of the roof but when she turned around yet another figure appeared.

She looked like a white version of Ladybug, though her hair was pleated and light, and her mask was shaped differently. An orange jewel adorned her forehead. Those eyes though - they were as hollow as the smile she wore. She moved to jump at Ladybug and Chat Noir, but Volpina moved faster than the lightning in the distance and came between them.

Tentatively, Ladybug put a few yards between herself and the other two masked women. She wanted to vault out of there with Chat Noir, but what if Volpina needed help? If this was the akuma responsible for Chat Noir's condition… it was her responsibility to watch his back. They were a team after all.

"Run Ladybug! I will end this." Volpina shouted, throwing one hand backwards to shoo Ladybug while using the other to put her flute to her lips.

"Too late." Dreamweaver whispered as she blew a kiss in Ladybug's direction. Out of Ladybug's vision, an orange glow in the shape of lips appeared on Chat Noir's forehead. The cat opened his eyes, though his pupils were reduced to nearly nothing. Ladybug felt Chat Noir stir in her grip and let him down gratefully. She was about to say something to put him at ease, when his hand shot out and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off her feet. Ladybug grabbed at his wrists and wheezed, trying to get air to her lungs. What the hell was going on?

Volpina turned to see the events transpiring behind her and gasped. This was exactly what she dreaded would happen. On top of that her powers were going to fade in the next five minutes. Turning her attention back to Dreamweaver she snarled. "You have done enough harm! You will never collect the Miraculous. Give up already!"

Dreamweaver grimaced and jumped backwards off the roof. The air rippled like water around her and she sank to the street below. Volpina thrust her flute in the air, a bolt of electricity highlighting her figure as her tail split into nine ghostly apparitions. She yelled something and took off running with superhuman speed. She seemed to appear and disappear at will, coming up behind the descending Dreamweaver and delivering a powerful kick upwards. The akuma couldn't dodge, and ascended, her sideways momentum sending her into Chat Noir and Ladybug.

Ladybug put a hand to her bruised throat and sucked in as much air as she could before stumbling for some cover. Chat Noir dragged himself to his feet, looking much like a puppet with it's strings tangled. Volpina had just enough time to vault over to Ladybug who was cowering behind a vent before her collar beeped again and her transformation receded. She was a normal girl again, and powerless to do anything. In her hands she cupped her kwami, a cute fox-like creature with large amber eyes. "I'm sorry… there is nothing I can do."

Ladybug closed her eyes. Panic was bubbling up inside her. She needed to try something, Chat Noir was depending on her! With fervor she stood and threw her yo-yo up into the air and shouted "Lucky Charm!"

It gave her a towel.

Volpina looked at the towel then to Ladybug with a look of complete confusion. "Is that… your power?"

The disappointment in the girls' voice was hard to ignore, but Ladybug worked with what she was given. Dreamweaver was groaning from Volpina's attack, but Chat Noir was coming for another bout. Ladybug vaulted over him and threw the towel over his head. She clung to Chat Noir's back, using the towel as reins while she tried to wrestle him to the ground. Dreamweaver stood up and made to walk over two the struggling pair, but Volpina came from their hiding place charged at her in normal form. This took the akuma by surprise and Volpina jumped, tackling the woman. In the mess of limbs Volpina called out and threw something at ladybug - it was the forehead jewel.

What came next was automatic. She crushed it under her foot and watched a black insect come out of it - only it wasn't a butterfly… it was a bee. The difference startled her into almost letting it go, until Volpina shouted to purify it. With a swing of her yo-yo the deed was done and a bright yellow bumblebee buzzed off into the stormy night.

Behind her Dreamweaver dissolved into a girl wearing a white dress and an expression of utter despair. "You ruined everything… I could have brought him back… brought them all back." The girl ground the palms of her hands into the rooftop, still so angry about something Ladybug couldn't decipher.

Volpina helped the girl to her feet. "It is too high of a price to pay to undo what fate has done. You must live with your loss… if you do not, you lose much more." Her words were surprisingly tender for someone who just roundhouse kicked their opponent three stories high. The former-fox girl looked to Ladybug and smiled faintly. "I have done what I came here for. I will take Lynn home… you should see to your cat."

Ladybug smiled, "Thank-you. I don't know what I would have done without your help." It seemed awkward now, standing in the middle of a roof in the rain with an angry crying girl between them. It surprised Ladybug how much she liked Volpina even though they had only met less than half an hour ago and under such weird circumstances. She watched Volpina take the light-haired girl by the hand and guide her down the fire-escape. Once their heads disappeared over the side, Ladybug turned to her partner.

Only to find that he was no longer Chat Noir.