Sup everyone! Finally got this chapter and the fight with DL finished. It took me a while to think up what the lucky item would be, but I knew for a while what the doctor's weakness and an eventual loss would entail. I hope you guys will like this. Plus I can now get back into the MariChat fluff you guys know you love. Though I am curious if there's anything you guys want to see in later chapters. If you have something or if you want to give your opinion on this chapter and the overall story, leave a review. I do love reading them as they help me figure out what to improve on, what to continue doing, and whether or not the story is worth continuing.
OH! and before I forget, I've been thinking of one more akuma to slip into a later chapter. Consider it a sneak peek at the next big akuma fight (not counting any "between timeskip" fights. I've actually got a lot of akuma power/theme ideas, but most will be in other fanfics (including one I'm working on involving the Grimm fairytales and Manon's teacher) Anyway, I came up with him while listening to a certain Disney song. I'll give you a hint. He's got many friends, loves tourists, and is a man hoodoo voodoo. :3
Okay, the pun was probably overdoing it, but I couldn't help myself. Just a heads up, though. This guy isn't going to be as nice as those Disney villains, though. Think the shadow man's power mixed with Scar's cunning patience, and Shere Khan's morals. And I mean the Shere Khan from the live action Jungle Book. Yeah... let that sink in. Thoughts?
Observation
Chapter 10: Luck be a Lady (Part 2)
Not out, but still down, it seemed. Doctor Lucky hadn't left the casino room as they had found out upon reentering. Engaging him in another fight had proven just as difficult as before with his astounding accuracy and impossible dodging prowess. But no sooner had they began round two when Chat Noir went on the offense while Ladybug fell back to give herself the opportunity they needed.
Ladybug threw her yo-yo up into the air above her, "Lucky Charm!" What fell down was about as helpful as most of her lucky charms. Well, maybe a little less than helpful. "A banana?"
She looked around but her visual ability didn't work as it normally did, an effect of Doctor Lucky's luck stealing power. All that was around the bar were a bunch of high tables, stools, a fully stocked bar, mirrors, and some leftover meals and drinks from the people who fled.
Her partner landed nearby hoping to hear what the plan would be. Ladybug turned to Chat for any ideas; he usually had a few comments to give about her items. ..Some not so helpful.
The male hero only shrugged after sparing a quick glance at the item before deflecting one of the flying horseshoes. "Unless that's a new type of boomerang or you're recreating Mario Cart, I've got nothing. But hey, sometimes bad luck is just good luck in disguise. I'm sure you'll find something to use that on."
"Hmm," Ladybug looked around once more before looking back to her partner, a sly smile in place. "I think you may have given me an idea."
Chat leaned onto his extended baton with his own playful smile. "It's one of my many perks."
"You know what they say about black cats, and broken mirrors, right?"
After blinking twice, his playful smile became just as sly and wicked as hers. "Oh. I'm way ahead of you, Bugaboo."
Doctor Lucky laughed at the sight of Ladybug's new 'weapon.' "A banana!? You hope to defeat me with a banana!? HAHA! You must really be down on your luck!"
Hawkmoth narrowed his eyes at the vision before him and his akuma's overconfidence. "Don't let your guard down, Doctor Lucky," he warned, waving his cane about. "She has done more with less and I'd hate for you to be another failure."
"Don't worry, Hawkmoth. I'm the luckiest man in the world right now. And with a little more luck, I'll truly be untouchable!"
"Sorry, buddy, but the only luck you'll be getting from down on is bad luck!"
Chat jumped at him but was easily sidestepped. Yet before the akuma could move to his new spot, Chat pushed off against the table had just landed on and ran in front of the akuma, passing him.
"Whoops. Looks like a black cat just crossed your path. How much bad luck is that? A day? A week?"
"Gyah!" Doctor lucky wrenched back as Chat began to cross every path the akuma tried to take. "Stop that!"
Chat, of course, didn't listen. Only when the akuma actually slipped on some fallen casino chips did he change tactics. He leaped back onto the bar, turned around gave the man a raspberry along with wiggling hand ears "Lucky my ass. I bet you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. No wonder whoever you were with left you. A gambler down on his luck and losing everything. Such a sad and predictable tale"
"Y-YOU!" the akuma roared.
The doctor's temper and patience were beyond stretched as he tried to even form words or insults. He couldn't even hear Hawkmoth's warning about Ladybug's sudden disappearance in the room. And he certainly didn't consider his surroundings when he threw his horseshoe as hard as he could at that annoying wretch of a cat. The one thing hid did notice was the Cheshire grin sent his way before the leather-clad hero took a dramatic step off to the side with his hands folded behind his back. A resounding crash filled the room from broken glass. Large and small shards alike fell to the ground, reflecting whatever surrounding they faced with crystal clear accuracy. All the color drained from Doctor Lucky's face.
Chat whistled in amazement. "Wow! Breaking a mirror. That's what...? Seven years bad luck? Yikes. I'd hate to be in your shoes right now."
The akuma was just flabbergast for a good minute as an overwhelming sense of dread took him. A foreboding he couldn't predict. His luck...all of it...was gone. The doctor pointed an accusing finger at the young teen. "Yo-...th-this is all your fault! You'll pay for that!"
He charged forward, ready to clobber the boy with his other horseshoe when something yellow floated below his vision. He had no time to stop himself, but just enough time to look. In one quick motion, his feet were up in the air and his head was crashing down onto the floor.
Ladybug vaulted out from under the table and onto the fallen akuma before he could recover. He struggled to push her off before succeeding, only to realize too late that she had taken his lucky rabbit's foot with her.
"NO!"
"Your lucks run out," she said before the charm was snapped in half. A purple butterfly escaped, making a beeline for the exit, but in one swift motion, a blinding white yo-yo captured it. Ladybug's finger traced down the center, which opened, and the once corrupt bug flew off. "Bye-bye, little butterfly."
Behind her, chat walked up, his baton propped behind his head and along his shoulders. "Wow. I didn't think that would actually work" He bent down to pick up the destroyed banana peel in case his Lady also slipped on it.
His partner giggled, "I've tripped over lesser things."
"It must be because you're always falling for me." The flirt.
She only snorted. "You wish, Kitty."
Chat held up his fist with a broad smile. "Pound it?"
"Pound it," she said, returning the smile and fist bump.
Dr. Lucky had returned to the normal, non-super villain man he was. Given that they had plenty of time before she detransformed, Ladybug decided to try and help the poor man with whatever had set him off.
Assuming she could help.
"What...what happened?" he asked, rubbing his head and trying to shake off the haze. "How'd I get here?"
Chat came over and helped him up, clearly having the same idea as his lady. "You had the misfortune of being Hawkmoth's lucky chosen. But don't worry. We kicked ass and stopped you from hurting anyone."
"Oh...," was all the man said before a downcast look was directed to his feet. One of his hands reached into his pocket where he pulled out several pieces of paper. His frown deepened and he let his hand drop with the tickets.
Ladybug approached them to see what the papers were and to ask about what he remembered from before when her feet suddenly moved out from beneath her. She yelped and fell flat on her ass.
"My Lady, are you okay!?"
"I-I'm fine. I guess destroying the akuma item didn't get rid of the bad luck," she winced as she slowly got to her feet. "Where's my Lucky Charm?" she asked, now remembering she hadn't used Miraculous Ladybug yet.
"Right here," Chat offered the slippery peel which was then thrown up into the air.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
In a swirling wave of ladybugs, everything was returned to normal, including everyone's luck. The heroine sighed in relief and took a closer look at the papers once more.
"Scratch cards, huh?"
The man sighed, defeated. "Yeah. My fiance told me that if I lost this time, she would leave me. ...She's pregnant with our first child. The money I spent on tickets was supposed to go to our child's future. I just...I just wanted our little girl to have a better future than I did. I want her to be able to have the things she really wants. To go to college. To be able to be whatever she wants to be as an adult without having the restrictions of where she can study because of cost... But I lost."
Ladybug's eyes fell back down to the tickets in his hand as her earrings beeped once. "But...these tickets haven't been scratched yet."
The man gave her a confused look before looking at the tickets himself. They were indeed, unscratched. He sighed, with dead eyes. "What's it matter. I know the results. I'm done with it all." He sighed and threw them onto the nearest table as he headed out of the room.
Ladybug bit her lip and looked between the man and the cards.
"Chat can you find me a chip real quick?"
"But of course."
The male checked around them as his Lady picked up the cards. He handed her one of the plastic chips and watched her work.
She held out a card for him. "Wanna try your luck?"
Chat Noir grimaced. "I don't think that's wise after today. Being a black cat and all."
She made a face at him but resumed her work. He knelt down at the table, folding his arms along it and resting his head to watch her more closely. Her tongue stuck out, pinched between her teeth in concentration, perhaps unaware of her own expression. It was cute.
Chat whistled at the numbers printed on the ticket when she was done. His partner confidently walked out of the room with him in tow, tickets in hand.
The akuma victim was at the front desk, apologizing to the staff for whatever disruption and damage he may have caused. Ladybug walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"You know...my Miraculous Ladybug power fixes things 100%," she explained. "But sometimes, it gives an extra 10% every now and then." Ladybug held out the tickets once more. "I think these belong to you."
Still unwilling but compliant, the man finally looked down at the square pieces of paper. The moment was not instantaneous as it took him several moments for his brain to comprehend what he was looking at. At the numbers... at the number of zeros! His jaw dropped and he reached out almost hesitantly with both hands to grab the card.
"This...this..."
"All yours," she explained, excited.
"Th-this...this is..."
Chat leaned over to her, to whisper, "I think you broke him, M'Lady."
She chuckled, "He'll be fine. And I think he's learned his lesson about testing his luck." Her earrings beeped again. "Looks like I gotta go, though. Bug out!"
Ladybug ran to the door but stopped before opening it. She turned to face him. "Just for future reference, I've never believed black cats were unlucky. It's just a silly superstition. Besides, there's plenty of people and cultures who believe black cats are actually lucky, and I'm one of them"
Chat Noir stepped outside to watch her leave across the rooftops of Paris. The loving smile he usually had for Ladybug in place. "I suppose I am lucky...to have someone like you by my side, M'Lady."
Back in Hawkmoth's dark dome, a man fumed. The grip he had on his cane shook in anger and he threw about another fist through the air in a fit of rage. "I was so close! Ladybug should have been easy to pick off without her luck. As long as those two are together, accomplishing my goal will take far too long! Just you wait, Ladybug! Someday soon you will suffer the same pain I have. Be it before or after, I WILL have your Miraculous!"