I just edited a whole bunch of NJAMFHGS chapters, and I am glad to be working on this one again.
Disclaimer: I do not own the world represented herein.
Chapter 20: Reflekta, Part 1
Marinette definitely wasn't happy to find a cut down her neck when she appeared in the schoolyard.
She was alone - well, no, Chloe was probably spying on her - so it wasn't hard to make a hasty retreat into the bathroom.
"Must be from the glass," Marinette figured as she inspected the cut in the mirror. "Doesn't look too deep, so I should be able to just clean it up and leave it be."
Marinette limped over and grabbed a couple of towels just as a rush of students barged in.
"Another akuma attack!" One of them yelled at Marinette.
Marinette faked being surprised. "What? Where? And who?"
"I thinks it that goth girl in that class with the bratty girl," another answered.
"Oh no! Not Juleka!" Marinette replied. "Oh, I have to find Rose - I'll be right back!"
Marinette burst from the bathroom and found a hidden corner to transform in.
"Tikki, spots on!"
Chat Noir decided he would have to have a talk with Nino about being subtle.
At the sound of Nino's proclamation, Reflekta turned and immediately started to shoot at Chat Noir.
He dodged a little less easily than the first time, but he managed to avoid being hit. That was an experience he didn't want to repeat.
"Save us Chat Noir!" Someone called, but Chat Noir knew better than to stick around the lockers.
"You're a little slow, you know," Chat Noir taunted, running up the stairways and jumping over Reflekta.
"I hate cats," she grunted, almost hitting Chat Noir but still missing slightly.
"That's really a shame," Chat Noir replied, dodging another blast.
He could see students in the courtyard peaking out of their hiding places. He still needed to get how, but how could he without being hit again?
"Need a little help, kitty?"
Ladybug landed in front of Chat Noir, spinning her yo-yo to create a shield.
"Thanks," Chat Noir replied.
"Get the students out," Ladybug ordered before engaging Reflekta.
Chat Noir nodded and jumped into the schoolyard. He landed next to the lockers.
"Cataclysm!"
Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Reflekta's arms, keeping her from aiming.
Reflekta jerked her body just enough to set Ladybug off-balance, and she slipped off the roof and landed on the nearest solid surface - one of the hallways on the top floor.
Ladybug grimaced. That had hurt her ankle a ton.
Below her, the lockers disappeared and the students began filing out.
"No!" Reflekta yelled, jumping down to the courtyard and shooting at Chat Noir, who dodged easily.
Ladybug pushed herself up and followed Reflekta down, landing harshly on her bad ankle. She forced herself not to wince.
Chat Noir dodged another blast as Ladybug once again wrapped her yo-yo around Reflekta. Chat Noir used his baton to sweep her feet from underneath her, and soon she was bundled up and wrapped nicely.
"I'll take that," Ladybug said, leaning down to grab the bracelet.
Reflekta head-butted her in her bad ankle, and Ladybug let out a cry and stumbled backward, accidentally dropping her yo-yo as she did so.
Reflekta stood up and aimed a blast at Ladybug, but Chat Noir pushed her out of the way at the last second.
Ladybug rolled and grabbed her yo-yo as Chat Noir stood up and blocked another blast with his baton.
Ladybug pulled herself up to her knees and threw her yo-yo again, this time wrapping it around Reflekta's wrist. She yanked it, and the blast went somewhere between Chat Noir and Ladybug.
Reflekta aimed for Ladybug, but she rolled away at the last second and the blast hit the ground.
Ladybug stood up and yanked her yo-yo, throwing off Reflekta's shot again. Reflekta grimaced and began pulling at the string.
"Chat Noir! Grab her bracelet!"
Chat Noir grabbed Reflekta's wrist with one hand, but she punched him in the nose and sent him stumbling back. She shot another blast at Ladybug, who barely had time to duck.
Realizing that her yo-yo wasn't keeping Reflekta from aiming at her, Ladybug ran towards Reflekta and catapulted herself over, bringing Reflekta's arm with her as she did. The other girl toppled backwards and landed on her butt.
Reflekta fired a blast blindly, and it went between Ladybug's legs. Reflekta rolled over and aimed again, nearly hitting Ladybug's ankle and forcing Ladybug to dodge.
Ladybug retracted her yo-yo, and positioned herself behind Reflekta's range.
Chat Noir's ring beeped. "I only have two minutes."
"Go!" Ladybug called. "I can handle this."
Chat Noir nodded and ran off as Reflekta stood up again.
"Now, it's just the two of us," Ladybug said.
She spun her yo-yo as Reflekta shot at her, backing up as Reflekta advanced.
Ladybug stumbled as her ankle gave out, and her defense wavered. Reflekta aimed, but hesitated for a moment and dropped her arm.
"Actually, I think I'll take those earrings first," Reflekta decided, stepping closer to Ladybug.
"Not a chance," Ladybug replied, rolling out of the way and automatically trying to stand up. Pain spread up her leg, and she just ended up on her knees again.
"How do you expect to fight me if you can't even stay on your feet?" Reflekta taunted, moving closer again.
"Hey Reflekta!"
Chat Noir sent his two halves of his baton flying, forcing Reflekta to dodge.
Ladybug scurried out of the way, deliberately standing up this time and keeping her wait on her good ankle.
Chat Noir's ring beeped as his baton pieces returned to him like a boomerang. Ladybug saw the tension in his body - he was almost out of time.
Reflekta returned to her previous attack method and shot at Ladybug again, but she wrapped her yo-yo around a railing and soared over Reflekta. She landed behind her classmate, grabbed Reflketa's arm mid-aim, and pointed it at Chat Noir.
Reflekta fired just as Chat Noir ran out of time.
Ladybug watched as her partner's transformation began to wear off, but before he fully transformed back, the blast hit him and sent him into the wall, now looking exactly like Reflekta.
Poor Chat Noir.