Chapter 9
Adrien quickly made sure no one could see him standing behind the black drop for the band before raising up his right hand and ordered, "Plagg, claws out."
The black kwami found himself sucked into the ring, his dark magic turning Adrien into Chat Noir. He poked his head out from behind the backdrop to see everyone was focused on keeping the president safe, a whine loud enough to be heard over the commotion from ChloƩ.
Chat Noir stepped back behind the backdrop and turned to go into the kitchen door hidden away from view. He let the door close behind him, a hand catching it behind his back to prevent it from making a sound, as he took in the kitchen staff. Marinette's parents stood, frozen, with their eyes on him as the wait staff looked prepared using the kitchen knives and rolling pins as weapons.
"Chat Noir, how did you-?" Tom asked, cutting himself off.
"She's taken a hostage in m-the boy's room," Chat Noir informed. "I can't get in through the door, is there another way to his room?" He felt weird asking such a question, not even sure if Natalie knew about the beginnings of a dumbwaiter from the kitchen to his room.
"I believe this does, but it was never finished," one of the waiters that usually worked Gabriel's functions offered, sliding open the small doorway in the wall.
Chat Noir walked over, already pulling the pole off of its spot on his back. He stuck his head in, looking up to see if he could see how high it went up. He remembered finding it a few years ago, it hidden behind a poster he never remembered putting up. Pulling his head back out he gave the waiter a quick, "thank you," before throwing his legs into the hole. He sat on the ledge, careful of his head as the top of the hole could be felt on the back of his neck, and enlarged the pole downwards till it hit the concrete slab below. He pulled his tail into the vertical tunnel and rose upwards on the pole, keeping an eye for the opening with Plagg's power. He quickly found it in the dark and slid open the hatch, pushing aside the poster. His eyes quickly fell on the green skinned girl as she was resting her foot on Annick's back, Annick tied up on the floor. He dropped into a balanced stance, his pole quickly retracting to only five feet long, as he ordered, "Release her, now."
The green skinned reptile like person looked over at Chat Noir as they rolled their eyes. "Finally, what took you so long?" They stepped off of Annick and flicked a webbed hand towards the limp form only for it to disappear.
"Where'd they go?" Chat Noir asked, worried for the person he had called friend.
"You sure are dumb," the akumitized said with a laugh. They placed a hand on their hip and informed, "This was all a trap. I am the Mimic and I will be the one to defeat you." The Mimic snapped their fingers together, creating a noose around Chat Noir's neck.
Instantly Chat Noir reached up, scared of what could happen, only for the noose to tighten the closer his hands got to it.
"Uh, uh, uhu," the Mimic said, stepping over so she stood in front of him. With a sudden blur of movement, Chat Noir quickly found his hands tied behind his back and the Mimic standing there with his pole in hand. They looked straight into Chat Noir's green eyes, their eyes a darker shade than humanly normal, as they ordered, "Get up on the half pike."
Careful of the rope around his neck, Chat Noir turned his head towards the right to see they had created a step ladder up to the top of the half pike. He turned back to look at her and growled, "What are you planning?"
The Mimic just gave him a laugh, pointing a finger up to the part of the rope that appeared to come out of the ceiling. To Chat Noir's surprise, the rope pulled him backwards, choking him as it pulled him up to the top of the half pike. Black spots took over his vision as he felt the top of the half pike beneath his butt, the pressure releasing as he was set down. He found himself gasping for air, his lungs desperate as the black spots cleared. He looked down at her only to find them sending out a call to Ladybug. Only one ring let out before, in Chat Noir's voice, they said, "A little help, ma'lady?"
"Where are you?" Ladybug's voice asked, sounding frustrated.
"In the kid's room, Adrien's room," they said, keeping up the charades.
"On my way," Ladybug said, ending the call.
"She won't fall for it," Chat Noir said, glaring down at the Mimic.
"Why wouldn't she?" the Mimic asked, throwing the pole over to the floor by the bed. "Believing you're trapped, which you are, she'll come and rescue you." They looked up at him, Chat Noir now seeing the necklace around their neck, and crossing their arms over their chest. "That's what superheroes do, isn't it?" The Mimic looked over at the window, as if something had caught their attention there. They rushed beyond where Chat Noir dared to look, fearing the rope around his neck.
Chat Noir could hear something against the glass before it burst open. In the reflection of his computer screens, Chat Noir made out the slim form of Ladybug. She stood tall, yo-yo out and ready for a fight. "Ladybug, it's a trap!" Chat Noir called out, trying to turn his head to look at her. He could feel the panic building up, worried for what the Mimic might do to her.
Ladybug looked up at him in surprise as the window was slammed shut. She ripped around, yo-yo already swinging in a shield.
The Mimic balanced against the glass, a smug smile on their face clear in the screen's reflection. They said in Ladybug's voice, "Well, wasn't that easy." The Mimic dropped to the floor before looking Ladybug over, placing a hand under their chin. "And to think you two are what keeps this gay ol' city safe, huh?"
"If he says this is a trap," Ladybug started, throwing her thumb at Chat Noir, "than where's the actual trap?"
"You're in it," the Mimic said, throwing their hands up to the ceiling as their voice turned back to their own.
Chat Noir could see Ladybug looking at the Mimic a moment before looking back to the window. The reflection wasn't clear enough for him to see what she saw, but whatever it was stopped her spinning her yo-yo.
"Now, give me your miraculous and I'll let you go save the guests of this party."
The Mimic flicked a hand towards the screens, causing Chat Noir to lose sight of Ladybug as a recording appeared from when the Mimic had called all Parisians stupid. Quickly Chat Noir found himself standing close to the President and First Lady, only to quickly notice it was a loop like a short gif. "Ladybug, it's a recording," Chat Noir called out, not sure if she would notice the small inconsistency.
"Huh?" Ladybug asked.
"Watch them, they're repeating," Chat Noir pointed out.
Ladybug focused on the screen for a moment before swinging the yo-yo hard, quickly getting it humming at the speed she spun it. The screen went black again, letting Chat Noir see her back flip to avoid the Mimic's hand reaching towards her earrings. As sounds of what seemed like keep-away played out between the two, Ladybug asked, "What have you done to the guests?" She threw the yo-yo only for it to get smack away and sound against the floor.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about the guests," the Mimic threw off. "They think everything's been taken care of by now."
"Then why did you get akumatized?" Ladybug asked.
"Because I hate you," the Mimic said, simply. They stopped advancing and leaned against Adrien's foosball table. "Hawkmoth gave me the
best answer to my biggest problem, how could I say no?"
"You're Brigitte Casla's kid, Annick Casla!" Chat Noir exclaimed as the necklace finally clicked in his mind.
"No!" They stood up straight, stomping their food against the floor. "I'm the Mimic. I'll take you two out and take over, giving Paris and the world the superhero they need."
The Mimic turned to face Chat Noir, giving him a smile as they raised up a hand to create a ball of black energy in the palm of their hand.
Quickly Ladybug threw her yo-yo up in the air. "Lucky charm!" Ladybug ordered as the Mimic froze. The ladybug magic dropped out a baseball that fell into Ladybug's opened hands.
"Oh the famous Ladybug pitch," the Mimic said, the energy dissipating back into their palm.
Ladybug looked around the room, trying to find what she was supposed to do with a baseball.
Chat Noir noticed the Mimic taking Ladybug's distraction and recreated the ball of energy as they shook their head. Quickly they tossed it below Chat Noir.
"Chat Noir!" Ladybug's voice called out as the half pike disappeared out from under him. The rope pulled taught against his throat, cutting out the scream of surprise that tried to come out. The black dots came back as he fought for air, blocking out his vision completely as his senses left him.
