"DAMN MOON BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH THE EPISODE REWRITES!" - one of my Doctor Who readers, probably.
Here we go ladies and gentlecats. Those of you who haven't read my Doctor Who series (which I'm guessing is 99% of you) should know that episode rewrites are my specialty. The first of many episodes I'll be rewriting for this powerswap verse. Why? Because I want to and because there is no way for them to progress the same way as they did in canon. It simply won't work. So from here on out, this series will be a combination of original plots as well as re-writes.
Also, I'll be using a combination of French dub and English dub dialogue depending on availability and personal preference of lines.
Marinette was known by her family and friends for being extremely helpful. A go-to girl for all sorts of things. Sometimes bizarre things. Most of them thought it was because she was a kind and helpful girl, which she was. She also was a people-pleaser who had trouble saying 'no' when under pressure. …Fortunately for her, Plagg was none of the above.
So when her mother's friend asked her to watch Manon for the day, Plagg growled in Marinette's ear that under absolutely no circumstances was she to babysit the child. He would not spend his day hiding from a hyperactive five year old. Absolutely not. Grow a backbone, kid, and figure a way out of it. It was still summer vacation so she couldn't cite homework. Then her eyes fell on the summer dress and hat combo she had been unable to work on for the last week and found her excuse. There was some disappointment and Sabine tried to persuade Marinette to work whilst watching Manon, but Manon's mother laughed in understanding and reassured Marinette that she knew that would be nigh on impossible.
Just like that, Marinette had the whole day to herself.
It was nice and warm so she opened her windows to let the air in. Plagg turned on the TV to watch cartoons ("One of the finest inventions of the 20th century, I'll have you know.") and she provided him a block of mozzarella to gorge himself on so he wouldn't heckle her while she was working. In that respect, at least, Plagg was a simple creature.
The dress was sleeveless, made from a white material with pink polkadots, that gathered at the waist and had a pleated skirt. It was already sewn, she just needed to add the matching pink accents to the sleeves and the hem of the skirt and it would be finished. After that, she could add the finishing touches to the hat and then the whole outfit would be complete! Now that she had the day to herself, she would certainly be finished by that evening.
As the host of bad luck incarnate, she should have known better.
Around lunch time, several hours into her work, Plagg started bugging her for her phone so he could vote for the new Kids+ Weather Girl. Marinette didn't much care about the competition, although she recognized one of the finalists from her school last year, but Plagg had been surprisingly intrigued.
"Humans have contests to see who gets to tell them what the weather's gonna be?" he'd asked scathingly only to be engrossed in the competition an hour later.
She lasted through two solid minutes of him pestering her, including a threat to turn off her sewing machine mid-stitch, before he unleashed the most adorable kitten eyes she had ever seen and it was all over. "Who are you going to vote for?" Marinette asked, tapping in the password, and relinquished her phone.
"Aurore," Plagg replied without hesitation. "She's obviously the better choice."
"How so?"
"Easy. She knows her stuff, she's confident, she has an excellent stage presence. The other girl is far too silly when she's presenting and too timid when she isn't." Plagg said matter of factly as he typed away on the screen with his paws.
So, of course, the other girl won in a landslide. Plagg howled in protest, threw cheese at the screen, belittled the establishment, and insulted the tastes of the Parisian youth. Marinette laughed so hard she had to turn off her sewing machine before she hurt herself. Plagg switched the TV off in a huff, floated over to Marinette, and perched on her shoulder to watch her work.
"Polka dots," he lamented for the fifth time since she'd first designed the dress. "Why did I choose the girl with Tikki's sense in fashion to be my cat?"
"If I recall, you said something about having an inner kitty and being crafty. Among other things."
"True. But…polka dots…ugh."
"Oh hush," she admonished and switched her sewing machine back on. "Don't criticize my tastes just because yours are unpopular."
Plagg shoved at her cheek with his paw and harrumphed quietly.
Marinette turned some music on her phone to fill the space and went back to work. For a short time, the only sounds in the room were the gentle notes coming from her phone, the steady thrumming of the machine, and the ambience of the city filtering in through her open windows. She was glad Plagg had talked her out of babysitting. She really needed this time for herself. God knows she won't have it in two weeks. This would likely be her last project of the summer unless she suddenly got inspired to make something really simple.
The last month and a half had been almost like a dream or a…well, not a fairytale, but definitely otherworldly. Her double life truly felt like just that: two separate lives. The days were Marinette's and the nights were Chat Noire's, akuma attacks notwithstanding. She had no responsibilities but those of Chat Noire and the occasional ones imposed on her by her parents. With school coming, though, she would have obligations and a schedule and Chat Noire would have to give some of her nights back to Marinette and vice versa. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that.
She was drawn out of her thoughts by Plagg suddenly leaping into the air. "Marinette, turn that infernal thing off for a moment."
The urgency in his tone prompted her to obey immediately. Sewing machine stopped, music paused, they waited in silence for a long moment. And then the telltale screams of terror reached her ears.
Plagg let out a long, whiney meow and his tail drooped. Marinette sighed and cast her dress a forlorn look. So much for that, then.
"You know, we don't have to go," Plagg told her.
Marinette scoffed. "And leave Ladybug to deal with it alone? No!"
"It's not like he can't," the kwami grumbled.
"Not a chance. Transforme-moi!"
Plagg disappeared into the ring with another whine. Her suit rushed over her skin and her body flowed with it. When the magic settled, she shook herself quickly to adjust to the sudden shift in herself—the addition of her ears and tail, as well as the extrasensory inputs provided by them, took a moment to get used to—then she leaped onto her bed. Out her trapdoor and onto the balcony.
With her enhanced hearing, Chat Noire was able to pinpoint the exact direction the screams were coming from. The park! She tossed her yo-yo in the right direction, waited until it hooked on something sturdy, and tugged. Sailing through the air, she landed on the rooftop across the street, hooked her yo-yo to her belt, and then began scanning the area. The akuma couldn't have gotten very far, not when there were plenty of people to terrorize. She could still hear screams of panic nearby and something that sounded like bursts of energy. The latter cut off quite abruptly and the screaming grew fainter.
Chat Noire frowned in confusion. What happened?
She got her answer about ten seconds later when Ladybug suddenly went hurtling through the air on a huge gust of wind with his wings nowhere in sight and screaming at the top of his lungs. She sighed and chased after him, arriving in time to see him sprawled out on the street. She heard his groan, pain mixed with annoyance, and giggled, knowing he was okay. She'd already seen him take worse falls and walk away just fine. Perks of being a Miraculous wielder.
Chat Noire jumped down from the low rooftop and ran towards him. "Nice landing, Bug." She held out her hand to him. "At this rate, you might be able to stick one by the time you're thirty."
He rolled his eyes, accepting the hand, and she hauled him to his feet. "Thanks, mon minou. I try my best." With a devilish smirk, he bent to kiss the hand he still held in greeting, but she pulled it away before his lips had even properly made contact and pushed him back by his nose.
"Ah, ah. Not the time, Buggy. But you're welcome."
He frowned, rubbing his nose, but didn't get a chance to reply. Chat heard the wind pick up and turned to see the akuma descend just a precarious few meters away. She was humanoid and really young, probably not much older than Chat. Her hair was two-toned purple, bound in swirly pigtails. She was pale, with a prominent blush on her cheeks, gray eyes, and a deep purple mask with jagged designs on the edges. She wore a short dress, also purple, with white gloves and boots, and in her hand she clutched an umbrella.
She smirked at the two heroes. "We should be expecting lightning storms like RIGHT NOW!" With that, she raised her umbrella high over her head and pink lightning shot out of the tip into the sky.
Thunder rumbled overhead and the white, fluffy clouds morphed into thick gray masses that obscured the sun entirely. Chat felt her skin prickle at the sudden change of atmospheric pressure and her ears flattened. Lightning crackled through the clouds and a bolt flashed overhead, racing towards them. Both heroes screamed and Chat threw herself at Ladybug, seizing him by the waist, and leaped out of the way.
They hit the ground awkwardly and rolled for several feet until they came to a stop with him on top. He gasped and quickly propped himself up on his hands. Ladybug blinked and gave her a nervous toothy grin. Chat frowned and turned his head towards the akuma. He scowled and pushed himself to his feet.
"Oh, it's on now," he growled as Chat Noire picked herself up. Before she could stop him, he charged forward.
The akuma grinned and brandished her umbrella. "Black ice!" Blue light shot from the tip of her umbrella and coated the ground in a sheet of ice that stretched towards them. Chat tensed as it extended under her feet and
Ladybug yelped as his feet slid across the ice but managed to stay upright, at least until the akuma flung a huge gust of wind at him. It was strong enough to knock him, along with half the cars on the street flying. Chat brought her hands up to protect herself and yowled when the wind hit her. She went sliding backwards and reached for her yo-yo. Spotting a light pole just a few feet away, she flung her yo-yo at it and it wrapped around the structure securely not even a full second before her feet left the ground. The string snapped taught but didn't break under the force, not even when Ladybug snagged her tail as he went flying by. Chat yelped at the strange sensation, ears flattening against her head, and resolved to pinch his wings later to remind him that just because it wasn't a physical part of her, didn't mean she couldn't feel that, thank you very much.
The gust ended abruptly a few seconds later and Chat was so surprised that she let go of her yo-yo string. Catlike reflexes failed her utterly in that moment and she face-planted.
Groaning, she lifted her head blearily. The akuma seemed to have decided they were no longer worth the bother because she was already flying away from them, wind swirling around her in a violent circle that knocked everything in its path away, regardless of size.
"Aren't cats supposed to land on their feet?" Ladybug teased from behind her.
"Don't you even start," she grumbled and sprang onto all fours. He chuckled behind her and she ignored him, straightening up. She went to free her yo-yo from the light post and when she turned around, Ladybug was still in the ground, rubbing his shoulder with a sour look.
"What are you doing?!" she demanded, gesturing over her shoulder to the akuma who was rounding the corner up the road. "She's getting away!"
"Just give me a second. It's not like she's going to be hard to track."
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Just strained it a bit, I think. I'll be fine, don't worry," he assured her and jumped to his feet.
They used their respective weapons to get to the rooftops and headed in the direction the akuma had gone.
"Did you manage to catch her name?" Chat asked as they ran. "Motive? Anything?"
"Her name is Stormy Weather," he reported, "but as for motive, your guess is as good as mine."
They spotted her gliding up the road, knocking cars away like they were nothing but toys with the wind around her. They jumped from the rooftops. Chat Noire landed in a crouch and Ladybug touched down just a few feet ahead of her.
Rolling his shoulders, he flexed his hands and growled, "A little Ladybug will take the wind out of her sails!"
Chat Noire knew what he was going to do before he did it and she sprang, landing on his back before he could make it more than a few feet. He stumbled under her weight, arms going up instinctively to brace her legs which were wrapped around his waist.
"Whoa there, Buggy," she chided.
"What the—"
"You go buzzing in there and you'll just get swatted again."
She pushed against his shoulders and he released her legs. She dropped to the ground and he turned. "You got a plan?"
Chat Noire put her hand on her hip and cocked it. "Just follow my lead," she instructed with a wink.
Sprinting off, she leaped at the nearest building and began to run across the side, perpendicular to the ground. It was a trick they had discovered quite by accident one night and they had learned the hard way that it wasn't something they could keep up for very long, but somehow they were able to defy physics and pull it off. Chat Noire pulled her yo-yo from her belt and spun it over her head, leaping from the wall. Across the street, Ladybug did the same.
Stormy Weather either heard or sensed them coming because she turned even before either of them let out a battle cry. By then, it was already too late for Chat to alter her course and when Stormy Weather hurled the words, "Not you again!" accompanied by another powerful gust of wind, there was nothing she could do.
The two heroes screamed as they were blown through the air across the span of several blocks, along with no less than a dozen vehicles. Luck, instinct, skill, or some combination of all three allowed both of them to stick their landings without more than unavoidable jolts of pain, but there wasn't time to even worry about that, because the vehicles were only seconds behind them. Chat Noire threw herself to the right out of the first car's path. She landed on all fours and bounded forward, another car landing just behind her. Rebounding off a shop front, she dove forward to avoid a car sailing over her head, leaped over another, then skidded across the street and narrowly avoided being hit by two more.
Pushing off an overturned car, she vaulted over the last of the cars flying her way, and landed in the street next to her partner. She looked in the direction they'd come and gasped at the sight of a bus coming straight at them. Ladybug was frozen, staring wide-eyed and horrified at their oncoming doom. For the second time that day, Chat Noire leaped at him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and scooped him effortlessly off the ground, leaping towards the sidewalk.
Make it, make it, make it—!
She landed on the sidewalk a split second before the bus crashed behind them, the shock of the impact shaking the ground and knocking her off her feet. The two heroes landed in a tangled heap on the ground, both of them gasping and too shocked to even comment on the potentially intimate position they'd found themselves in. Ladybug raised his head and Chat followed suit a moment after, both of them staring at the bus with wide eyes.
Ladybug swallowed loudly and his arms tightened around Chat Noire's shoulder. "This really blows," he deadpanned.
Chat Noire scoffed. She looked at her partner to tell him off and was startled by how close his face was to hers. And, oh, their legs were tangled together and they were holding each other and— Chat ducked her head before he could see her flush and pulled out of his grip. He let her go without protest and sat up.
"So," he said, all business. "It's a pissed off purple chick who likes messing with the weather and blasting everything in sight."
"And has no interest in fighting us unless we attack her," Chat Noire added.
Ladybug jumped to his feet and offered his hand to help her up. She pretended not to notice the concern in his eyes or the way they swept over her. "Speaking of which, is it just me or is it getting colder?"
Chat Noire paused and took a moment to consider this. Her suit and adrenaline were keeping her at a decent temperature but now that he mentioned it, her cheeks were beginning to feel cold. She looked up at the sky. The clouds, which were gray before, had darkened considerably.
Her cat ears flicked backwards in annoyance. "Now what is she doing? We have to hurry."
Ladybug nodded once and they took off down the street. Normally, rooftops were their go-to when they needed to get around but they both seemed to have to come to the same conclusion: so long as Stormy Weather was unaccounted for, they couldn't take the chance of being so far off the ground in case she attacked. Given enough time and measure of control, they could land safely from alarming heights, but if she managed to send them flying off the rooftops without warning, they could take some serious damage.
The reached the street where they'd last faced her in almost no time but Chat could tell instantly that the akuma was long gone. People were watching from storefronts and one brave (or foolish) individual had decided to venture outside. Parisians were adapting quickly to the presence of akumas but as a whole were still timid enough to not come out until they were sure the coast was clear. Spotting Ladybug and Chat Noire, the person quickly darted back into the safety of the shop.
"Any ideas on this one, minou?" Ladybubg asked.
"Maybe she has some unresolved anger issues?" she suggested.
Ladybug eyed the overturned cars on either side of the road. "Or she didn't pass her driving test."
Chat Noire shivered as a gust of wind blew past her, not strong enough to be from Stormy herself.
"Still!" he added. "She kinda looks familiar. Don't know from where, though."
Chat frowned. Did that mean Ladybug possibly knew the girl underneath or was she a famous face? Chat hadn't had the chance to look at face properly yet and what she'd managed to see wasn't very distinctive. Any distinguishing features had been disguised, anyway.
"I'll take your word for it," she replied after a moment.
"Hello, viewers!" Stormy Weather's voice came out of nowhere to their left, followed by an electrical crackle. Both heroes stopped and turned, expecting to see the akuma, but instead they were greeted with the sight of her face sneering at them from a shattered monitor above the sidewalk.
"Here's the latest forecast for the hottest week of the summer." She backed away from the camera and turned to observe a map of Europe behind her. She looked confident up there, like she knew exactly what she was doing. And according to the lower-third, she was broadcasting on the Kids+ Channel.
Zooming in, France was brought to the forefront. Stormy Weather touched her cheek. "Looks like mother nature had a change in plans." She slammed her umbrella against the image and a large snowflake appeared over France. "Summer vacation is officially over!"
As she said this, Chat Noire noticed snowflakes beginning to drift towards the ground. Disgruntled, controlled the weather, acting as a weathergirl on the Kids+ channel….
The weathergirl contest!
"Aw, really?" Ladybug protested, hands on his hips. "But I look so good in a swimsuit!"
Chat whipped her head towards him in surprise. He grinned slyly at her, chuckling as he wagged his eyebrows.
"Good to know, Bug. Now focus."
"On what?"
She pointed at the screen. "Look. See the logo? She's at the TV station."
"Oh!" Ladybug turned in a quick circle, scanning the area. "I think I know how to get there from here."
"Lead on, Bug."