~A FEW DAYS LATER~
"The Mayor is running rampant, and he's gone all evil on Paris!"
Chloe had been out shopping and was on her way back across the bridge by the school when she heard the people screaming. She nearly dropped her bags as she watched her father, wearing some kind of general's outfit, rampaging through the streets on a running stone horse. "D-Daddy?!"
"We must hurry, Chloe, dear," Huneyy popped up behind her shoulder as Mayor Bourgeois charged past the school, "your father has been akumatized!"
"I don't believe this," she grumbled as she ran towards the empty school, "all of this because that councillor was questioning his work ethics."
"Did he deserve it?"
"Yes, but people should know by now not to be so hard on a Bourgeois!"
"Of course, dearie."
She slipped in behind the walls of the courtyard and pointed to her hair comb. "Time to shine. Huneyy, STRIPE IT UP!"
Once transformed she put her bags into her locker and flew out from the top, looking for her father. "Now to save my father before he wrecks his own city!"
"Plagg, CLAWS OUT!"
Chat Noir transformed and climbed to the rooftops in time to see Mayor Bourgeois in his akuma form, riding through the streets towards the zoo. "Looks like someone is throwing a bit of a political tantrum."
"Is there really any other type?"
"Greetings, m'lady," he stood up as Ladybug landed beside him, "I hope you've got a strategy."
Povas jumped up beside them as she smiled. "I'd say it's time to impeach this wacky warlord before he gets ahead of himself."
Povas sighed. "And I thought real politicians had unruly campaigns."
They began to race along the roofs, reaching the zoo just as Queen Bee flew in view. "Over here, queenie!"
She rolled her eyes and fluttered over them as they jumped down to the entrance. "You've got a real gift coming up with nicknames, kitty."
"At least mine are unique. Kitty? So last season," he smirked, "bugaboo."
He noticed her and Ladybug sharing some sort of understanding look before she stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't call me bugaboo. You've already got one on the team. I prefer queenie."
"Whatever floats your beehive."
"Let's split up," Ladybug told them, "Povas and Queen Bee, you take the right of the zoo. Chat Noir and I are on the left. Once you find Mayor Bourgeois call out and regroup. I don't know what he's trying to do, but-"
"He's making an army," Povas indicated a walking stone panther walking around freely outside of its cage, "be careful not to break any of the animals. I'm not sure what it'll do to the real ones if the stone cracks."
Chat Noir followed Ladybug through the back of the bushes, out of the panther's vision. "I thought animals being in politics was just a metaphor."
Ladybug snorted, unfortunately gaining the attention of the panther. They had to jump into view as it growled at them. "So much for sneaking up on them," she got her yo-yo ready as Chat grabbed his baton, "plan B – take them down! You know, without breaking them! Povas, Queen Bee," she called over the zoo so they could hear, "plan B!"
"We have a plan B?" Queen Bee's voice carried throughout the zoo. "Since when have we ever had a plan A?"
Ladybug slid her hand down her face. "Just deal with the stone animals!"
It feels so strange, Chat thought as they dealt with creature after creature, slowly but steadily reaching the center of the zoo, fighting with three other people instead of just me and Ladybug…I wonder how this is going to affect our partnership.
"Chat," Ladybug got his attention, "over there! He's lining them up."
They got behind another bush as Mayor Bourgeois paced back and forth in front of the bears, tigers and giraffes, his horse breathing heavily. "Paris will soon be ours, soldiers! I want no complaints, no dawdling, and no prisoners! When we get out there we fight for honour, for pride, and for the takeover of this city!"
"We should signal the others," Ladybug whispered to Chat, "and take him from all sides. I think the akuma is in that helmet of his."
I remember seeing Chloe talking about her father's antique soldier helmet, bought in some auction, he realized, he must have taken it out to reminisce.
"We can take him," he put a hand on her shoulder, "let Queen Bee and Povas deal with the animals."
Ladybug stared into his eyes, and instead of arguing, she gave him the same lovely smile he'd first fallen in love with. "With whatever experience they may have, I need your help warming Povas and Queen Bee up to Paris. I can't do this without you, Chat Noir. They need you…I need you. Please don't ever change…but we're all taking this guy down together, you and me and them, got it?"
…Things are changing for the better. Duh.
"You have my everything at your disposal, bugaboo."
She blushed when he said the nickname. "Thanks, Chat."
For the MUCH better. Double duh.
All four heroes jumped out into view of Mayor Bourgeois in his general attire. "We're calling for your impeachment, general," Chat Noir showed off his claws, "so the war is officially off."
"And stone animals? Really?" Queen Bee crossed her arms. "Haven't you heard that cement is out? Ceramic is all the rage now."
"Fools," Mayor Bourgeois boomed as his animals snarled at them, "I may be outnumbered, but with my soldiers by my side there's no army your justice can bring together that could possibly stop me! I will show those who dare defy me that my reign will be supreme!"
"Yada-yadda-yadda," Queen Bee sarcastically made a talking motion with her hands, "you're evil and annoying, we get it. Can we get to the part where we own you now?"
"I was thinking the exact same thing," Ladybug agreed as she threw her yo-yo up into the air, "let's go, Miraculous! LUCKY CHARM!"
This is the penultimate chapter, and man does it feel weird getting to the end of this story. I've spent a lot of time writing it and posting the chapters, and to think that it's almost over, right before my family gets ready to move out of our town and into the big city. It's exciting and nerve-wracking, and worst of all, we have no idea when the next season of the cartoon is coming! Uh, I'm so impatient.
Until the next chapter!