Disclaimer: I don't own ML.
Of course I damn well redesigned Rena Rouge's suit. If I'm known for anything, I hope it'll be for female suit salt.
Thanks to yellow 14, Shiranai Atsune, Evander1435 and The Keeper of Worlds for your reviews :)
"Master?" Ladybug's saying as Chat Noir enters the room for their weekly meeting. Master Fu hums and nods for her to continue. "Why don't we ever…no, don't worry, it's silly."
"There's no such thing as a silly question, Ladybug," Master Fu says.
"I was just wondering…" Ladybug trails her fingers over the Fox necklace in the open Miracle Box between them, then the Bee comb. "Why don't we hand out more Miraculouses?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Chat Noir says. Ladybug smiles at him when he crosses over to sit down next to her. "We're not the only ones learning how our Miraculouses work. And there've been a few times where we could've done with a bit of help, especially when I'm the one hit by the akumas."
"If the Lucky Charm indicates that you need the help of an ally, I'm willing to allow you to choose one," Master Fu says. "But I already took an enormous risk by putting two Miraculouses into circulation, especially the two that Hawkmoth is after. More Miraculouses in the world gives Hawkmoth more chances."
"Well, Chat and I haven't lost ours," Ladybug says. "And we've had some close calls because we had to figure things out as we went. If we do eventually need an ally, wouldn't it be a good thing to have one who's already got experience?"
"Ladybug's right," Chat Noir says. "If we throw someone into battle with us for the first time, it'd make it easier for Hawkmoth to get their Miraculous."
"We don't even have to let them keep the Miraculous like we do," Ladybug says when it looks like Master Fu is wavering. "We could give it to them when we need them and then take it back after each battle. Or each time we train them."
"Don't get me wrong, Ladybug and I are an unstoppable team," Chat Noir says with a grin at Ladybug, who smiles and nudges him in return. "But we've got timers and we seem to have less experience than Hawkmoth. It couldn't hurt to train up a few people in case we need help every now or then. Or in case Hawkmoth does something big."
"Hmm…" Master Fu strokes his grey beard. "Both of you raise excellent points. I'm just wary after the last time I made a mistake…"
"You've mentioned that mistake before, but what was it?" Ladybug says. Master Fu looks her and Chat Noir straight in the eye, and Chat Noir swallows at the ancient heaviness behind Master Fu's eyes.
"The destruction of the Guardians' temple and the loss of every Miraculous except the ones I have here," he says. Ladybug and Chat Noir blink.
"Oh…" Ladybug says softly.
"Master," Wayzz says. "If I may?"
"Of course you may," Master Fu says. "You know you're always welcome to speak, Wayzz."
"I think that Ladybug and Chat Noir are correct," Wayzz says. "There will come a time when they need help, and it would be best to have prepared themselves for that eventuality. You know that they wouldn't hand out a Miraculous to anyone they didn't trust with their lives. And…you can't keep allowing one mistake to haunt you to this degree, Master. It was over a century ago, and you've seen and learned so much since then."
"We've proven that it wasn't a mistake to trust us with these Miraculouses," Ladybug says.
"Now, let us prove that you can trust us with others as well," Chat Noir adds.
For a long while, Master Fu simply stares down at the Miraculous Box, his face completely unreadable to Chat Noir. It feels like an eternity before Master Fu looks back up at them and smiles.
"You're right," he says. "You've proven that you can both be trusted with the two most important Miraculouses, and it would be foolish to throw a new hero into a battle with a stronger Hawkmoth. Pick a Miraculous and an ally you can trust, and I will allow you to introduce them tonight, should they accept. They may also keep their Miraculous, as the holder's bond with their kwami is vital for ensuring they are as attuned to their powers as possible, but the responsibility to retrieve the Miraculous if the need arises rests entirely on the two of you. If this ally works out, I will eventually entrust the other two within this tier to you."
"I think we should pick the Fox and give it to Alya Césaire," Ladybug says immediately.
"That…was quick," Chat Noir says. "Any reason why?"
"Oh!" Ladybug's cheeks pinken. "I'm sorry, Chat. I should've asked you."
"No, no, I don't mind. You're the one with the killer instincts, milady. I'm just curious."
"Well…" Ladybug chews her lip. "Alya's the Ladyblogger, right? She's already familiar with our job. And she loves us, so I know she'd never betray us. Also…maybe she'll have a new appreciation for our secret identities if she's got one of her own?"
"Makes sense," Chat Noir says. "But why the Fox? Alya's a pretty forceful person…from what I've seen."
"Trixx is a crafty kwami," Ladybug says. "I think he would be a good influence on Alya and help balance out that forcefulness. And the Fox corresponds to wood, right? That push to grow and hang back to get the facts first could be just what Alya needs, especially after why she was akumatised into Lady Wifi."
"Huh. I never thought about that," Chat Noir says. "Well, milady, I'm totally on board."
"Excellent." Master Fu removes the Fox necklace from its slot and carefully places it in a tiny box, just like the one that Chat Noir's ring had come in. "Good luck, both of you."
"Well, even if it flops, it's better than being at home after the day I've had," Chat Noir says.
"Poor kitty," Ladybug coos and reaches out to scratch Chat Noir's head behind his fake ears, making a loud purr rumble in his chest.
"Have you been talking to Marinette?" he complains. "Because it's so not fair that you know my weak spots too."
Ladybug giggles and scratches particularly hard and Chat Noir nearly lets out a mrow in response. Jesus Christ. If he ever actually does that in front of his lady, someone please end him.
"She seems happier when I see her now," Ladybug says. "I take it that's your doing?"
"Well, of course," Chat Noir brags. "My charms are irresistible. I'm quite the cat-ch."
"God help me," Ladybug mutters. Although he's sure that she's just teasing him, Chat Noir can't help but wonder…
"Is that…okay with you?" he says slowly. "Being close friends with a civilian? I still remember how you were when Lila said you were besties…"
"Of course it's okay with me," Ladybug says. "Lila was trying to use me to boost her own status and act like we were openly friends. You seem to genuinely like this Marinette girl and I know you wouldn't do anything to endanger her and she wouldn't spread the word just to make herself look good. And from what I've heard about your life, you could do with a good friend."
"Aww, no one will ever replace you, milady," Chat Noir teases, flopping across her lap. She rolls her eyes but thankfully continues to pet him, while Master Fu watches with a twinkle in his eyes. "But honestly…I'm happy you approve, Ladybug. Marinette's really special."
There's something odd in Ladybug's smile but, for the life of him, Chat Noir can't possibly figure out what it could be. "I'm glad, minou. She definitely sounds special." With a sigh, she pushes his head off her lap and climbs to her feet in one graceful motion, then pulls him up. "Come on, Chat. We've got a baby superhero to meet. Thank you, Master!"
"But petting!" Chat Noir whines, though he still follows her out of the parlour.
"Behave yourself and I'll give you all the petting you want later," Ladybug says as they leap through Paris towards Alya's house.
"Hmph. I'll just go to Marinette for pets."
"You do that, kitty."
When they land on Alya's balcony, she's thoroughly engrossed in whatever she's doing on her computer; probably some Ladyblog stuff. But Alya's always had a sixth sense for superheroes, and as soon as their feet graze the balcony, her head whips up and her eyes start to glimmer at the sight that greets her.
"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" she cries when she bursts out onto her balcony. "What's wrong? Is there an akuma? Do you need my help?"
"Not now, but we'll need you in the future," Chat Noir says cryptically. Ladybug rolls her eyes.
"Ignore him," she says. "Mind if we kidnap you for an hour or two? This could change your life."
"Um, yes!" Alya dances from foot to foot. "You can kidnap me anytime! And getting to help you guys? What's going on?"
"How about we snatch this fair maiden first?" Chat Noir says, and Alya gives him a thoroughly unimpressed look and pointedly holds her arms out to Ladybug, who smirks and scoops her up. Then they're off, bounding through Paris towards the Eiffel Tower, and Alya lets out a shriek of laughter and whoops as the wind whips through her hair and blows her curls all over the place. Once they've finally landed on the tip, safe from the view of Paris, Ladybug sets Alya down and laughs when Alya tries in vain to tame her windswept hair.
"So," Alya says when she's finally given up on fixing her wild curls. "What's up, you guys? Do you need me to do something on the Ladyblog?"
"If this works out, you can't breathe a word of it anywhere near the Ladyblog," Ladybug says. "You can't tell anyone. Not the Ladyblog, not even your friends or family."
Alya's eyes widen. "Whoa. That's heavy. What is it?"
"Stop scaring her, bugaboo," Chat Noir grins. "Like she's gonna say no."
"I'm just making sure she understands the responsibility that this entails!" Ladybug says.
"Okay, not that I'm not up for some Ladynoir banter," Alya says, "but it might help if you guys actually tell me what's going on."
Ladybug sticks her tongue out at Chat Noir, then swipes the top of her yo-yo to open it up so that she can reach into the pool of bright light and extract the little Miraculous box. "Alya Césaire," she says, holding the box out to a wide-eyed Alya, while Chat Noir silently sulks at the fact that his baton can't do that, even though his suit has pockets when Ladybug's doesn't. "Here is the Miraculous of the Fox, which grants the power of illusion. Should you choose to accept, you will use it for the greater good whenever we need your help, then return it to us when the mission is complete."
Chat Noir shoots her an odd look. Hadn't Master Fu said that Alya could keep the Fox? Oh well, Ladybug's always got a plan for everything, so he just has to assume that this is another plan of hers. And if she's come up with it on the spot, he can't very well ask her without tipping off Alya.
"No way," Alya breathes. "For real? Me, a superhero?"
"Of course," Chat Noir says. "Ladybug and I both thought you'd be a natural fit."
"But your identity must remain a secret," Ladybug says. "If we hear that you've told anyone then we won't be able to give the Miraculous back to you. Unless the circumstances were unavoidable, of course. Accidents happen."
"Of course not!" Alya says, once again bouncing from foot to foot. "I mean – of course! I won't tell a soul!"
"Then welcome to the team, Ladyblogger," Chat Noir grins as Ladybug indicates that Alya can take the little box. "Tonight's just an orientation, but we're gonna try and give you a few training nights so you're not shoved into the thick of things like we were."
"I will actually have both your babies for this," Alya blurts out.
"I think that's scientifically impossible with two uteruses, but sure," Ladybug says with an amused little grin. Alya rolls her eyes, then snaps open the box and gasps and shields her eyes from the bright orange light that pours out of it.
"What is that thing?" Alya gasps. When the light fades to reveal a little orange fox kwami with mischievous violet eyes, her own eyes practically bulge out of her head.
"I'm not a thing!" Trixx says. "My name is Trixx and I'm your kwami!"
"Mind. Blown." Alya feverishly examines Trixx from all angles. "You're what gives Ladybug and Chat Noir their superpowers, right?"
"Not bad," Trixx remarks to Ladybug and Chat Noir.
"She's an expert," Ladybug says.
"That's one word for it," Chat Noir says. Alya gives him a very dirty look.
"So, what do you say?" Ladybug says. "You ready to become a superhero?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Alya shoots back.
"Then you just need to say one thing," Trixx says. "Trixx, let's pounce!"
"Trixx, let's pounce!" Alya is enveloped in the same orange light that had introduced Trixx, and when it fades to reveal her fox outfit, she squeals and twists and turns to look at every little bit of it. She's wearing a baggy, cropped orange jacket with a white chest, open over a tight, white-torsoed orange suit with a high black collar, along with white-palmed black gloves that look like they rise underneath her jacket sleeves. Her orange suit stops at her knees, meeting her orange-mottled black boots with orange fox paw prints on the white soles. Her black collar tapers into a sharp point where the fox tail of her active Miraculous rests, and there's a wide strip of material wrapped around her waist that falls behind her in a black-outlined orange and white fox tail. Topping off her outfit are fake black-tipped orange fox ears with white insides, a mask that's orange on the top half and white on the bottom half, a long flute strung across her back, and white-tipped hair that's pulled back into a bushy ponytail. The more Chat Noir stares, the more he realises that it's not just a ponytail; each thick bunch of curls forms a fox tail, with nine in total, giving her ponytail the illusion of extra volume.
"You know, milady," Chat Noir says, "you'd better ask your kwami about a suit change, 'cause Alya looks pretty damn cool."
"And just what is wrong with my suit?" Ladybug huffs, crossing her arms. Chat Noir raises his hands.
"Nothing, nothing! You know I've got a thing for spots." He winks. "I just don't know you'd go for such a…plain suit if you were given the chance of a lifetime to be a superhero."
"My suit is practical, thank you very much!" Ladybug says.
"So's mine. But I've got a bell."
"Yeah, because you're a whipped kitten!"
"Ooh, burn," Alya cackles, her head swivelling from Ladybug to Chat Noir to follow the argument.
"Her suit's practical but still cool!" Chat Noir points at Alya.
"Hey, whoa, keep me outta your lover's spat."
"I'll so take that Miraculous back off you and give it to Chloé Bourgeois if you call it a lover's spat again," Ladybug mutters.
"Hey! Low blow!" Alya clasps her heart dramatically.
"Shouldn't we be introducing Alya to the nightlife?" Chat Noir says with his usual smirk. Ladybug pinches the bridge of her nose.
"Just…pick a superhero name and jump off the Tower already," she sighs. Alya squeals and jumps again.
"A name! I get to pick a superhero name!"
"Yep, so make it count, 'cause you'll be stuck with it, foxy," Chat Noir says.
"Call me foxy again and I'll claw your eyes out," Alya says. "Hmm. My name's…Rena Rouge! Yeah! Rena Rouge!"
"Not bad," Ladybug says. "Okay, now jump off the Tower."
"…You were serious about that?" Rena Rouge says. Ladybug smiles sweetly.
"Of course. You want to be a superhero, right? Go!"
"I'll accompany you, foxy," Chat Noir winks, then jumps off the Eiffel Tower before Rena Rouge can follow through with her threat of gouging his eyes out. But at least it gives her sufficient motivation to forget the fact that she's jumping hundreds of metres down to the ground, since she growls and hurls herself after him seconds later, catching herself with the metal beams and sliding down the Tower directly when necessary to slow herself with the friction, then launching herself back off.
It's so not fair. Why can't Rena Rouge hurtle through Paris or get whacked off a pole-tightrope on her first day like he and Ladybug had? Damn foxes being a damn natural at this.
"Oh my god," Rena Rouge gasps when her feet hit the concrete ground seconds after Chat Noir lands, with Ladybug bringing up the rear. "I just jumped down the Eiffel Tower!"
"And you doubted my instincts, kitty," Ladybug says with a smirk.
"Please, milady, you insult me if you think I ever doubt you," Chat Noir says.
"This is so cool! I can't wait till my first battle!" Rena Rouge then grimaces. "I mean, not that I want someone to get akumatised – ugh, you guys know what I mean!"
"Yes, yes, you're just an overexcited douche rather than an insensitive douche," Chat Noir says. Rena Rouge sticks her tongue out at him.
"I hate to cut this short, but we didn't exactly tell Alya's parents that we were kidnapping her," Ladybug says. "This'll have to be a brief orientation. But next time will totally be longer."
"I will commit every second of this to permanent memory," Rena Rouge whispers with starry eyes.
"One last thing before we end our little soirée," Chat Noir says. "Try using your power."
"My power? Oh, right! Like Ladybug has Lucky Charm and you have Cataclysm!"
"Yep," Ladybug says. "Yours is Mirage. As many illusions as you want for five minutes, no matter how big or small. It should be easy enough to make and hold the illusions –"
"– but it'll take pawractice to make it look purrfect," Chat Noir says. Both Ladybug and Rena Rouge glare at him.
"Feel like being my new partner?" Ladybug says.
"Damn right I do," Rena Rouge says.
"Hmph," Chat Noir says. "As if you could live without my ameowzing puns. But it does seem a bit unfair that Rena's gotta work on perfecting her illusions when the others get straightforward powers – make a shelter, stinging others…"
"And that's why it takes a clever mind and a fast learner," Ladybug says. "And we know Alya's both."
"Sorry, Chat Noir, but you're just gonna have to shove off and let me make out with Ladybug," Rena Rouge says. "She called me clever and a fast learner!"
"Don't go getting a big head or anything," Chat Noir says sourly.
"Besides, imagine the chaos of having unlimited illusions everywhere without a timer once you're more experienced," Ladybug says. "You wouldn't know what's real or what's not. The Fox is suited to hanging back and annoying the enemy, remember?"
"Hanging back? That doesn't sound like me at all," Rena Rouge says.
"Which is why we picked you for the Fox," Ladybug says. "It's not always about what power you're best suited to, but what that power can teach you. I get the feeling that you'll benefit from learning how to be a true Fox, especially since you wanna be a professional journalist someday. Hang back, gather information, confuse your opponent, then get out of there. Even if you prefer to be in the thick of things, it's all about learning how to use your wits under stress. He did say that aggressive foxes were a thing, didn't he?"
"Yeah, if I remember correctly," Chat Noir says.
"Actually…that does sound pretty cool," Rena Rouge admits. "Especially the part where I can create literally any illusion I want. Okay, I'm in. How do I use my power?"
"Just picture the illusion you want to create, play your flute, then say, "Mirage"," Chat Noir says. "First illusion will start your timer, then you've got five minutes to either use that one illusion or make more."
"But the more you have, the harder it is to focus on them," Ladybug says. "Which is where experience comes in."
"Right, right. I think I've got it." Rena Rouge's brow furrows, then she unslings her flute and raises it to her lips to play a short tune. "Mirage!" She flings the orange orb at the end of her flute and when it hits the ground in front of her, a small group of people appear in a flash of orange light.
Wait. Why is Chat Noir looking at himself? Well, not technically himself, but his civilian self. Adrien. And Marinette, and Nino, and a few other people who he assumes are Rena Rouge's parents and sisters. Except that they're slightly fuzzy around the edges and very obviously not real.
"Guess what, guys!" Rena Rouge crows. "I'm a superhero! I'm Rena Rouge! Me, Alya!"
"Oh my gosh, really?" Illusion Marinette bounces on the spot. "That's so, so cool, Alya!"
"We all know how much you love superheroes, especially Ladybug!" illusion Adrien says.
"I'm so proud of you, babe!" illusion Nino says.
"Our daughter, a hero!" illusion Mrs Césaire says, and illusion Mr Césaire beams and hugs her.
"Super Alya! Super Alya!" the illusion twins chant.
"Not bad, sis," illusion big sister says. Rena Rouge's necklace beeps and loses a tail segment, so she sighs and reaches out to touch illusion Nino, and the group of people disappear in another flash of light and the faint sound of flute music.
"Rena?" Ladybug says softly when Rena Rouge says nothing for a few moments. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah." Rena Rouge turns to face them, and Chat Noir's stomach lurches at the sight of her glossy eyes. "I just…had to tell them somehow. At least I'll have that memory with me."
"You know we'd love nothing more than for you to be able to tell your friends and family, right?" Ladybug says. "But all it would take is one brainwashing or mind-reading akuma…"
"Not even Ladybug and I know who each other are," Chat Noir says. He slips an arm around Rena Rouge, and she smiles and leans into his embrace. "Considering how many hits I take for her, that's probably a good thing."
"You're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days," Ladybug mutters as she joins the embrace, sandwiching Rena Rouge between herself and Chat Noir. They stand there in silence, squished together, ignoring Rena Rouge's Miraculous when it beeps again.
"You know," Rena Rouge eventually says. "I never would've put this on the Ladyblog, even without you guys asking me. I don't care about the world knowing who I am. I just want my close friends and my family to be proud of me…"
Alya considers Adrien to be one of her close friends? Chat Noir can't help but squeeze Rena Rouge tighter after that, not that she'll know why.
"I think they already know just how miraculous you are, even without superpowers," Ladybug says.
"God, I'm such a fucking sap," Rena Rouge mutters, squirming until Ladybug and Chat Noir release her. "Alright, alright, break it up. I should get back before my family comes to check on me and thinks an akuma stole me or something. How do I detransform?'
"I think it's "let's rest"," Chat Noir says.
"Let's rest." Rena Rouge's costume vanishes in a whirl of orange sparkles, leaving Alya standing in her place with Trixx floating above her head. Alya looks up at Trixx, bites her lip, then ever so slowly reaches up to unfasten the necklace, as though she's prolonging the inevitable.
"Thank you, Alya," Ladybug says as she accepts the Fox Miraculous from Alya and returns it to its box. "For proving that we could trust you."
"It was super tempting to keep it, not gonna lie," Alya says. "But you wouldn't give it back if I did, right? And I'd be an idiot to make an enemy of Ladybug and Chat Noir. I figure if I get to be a hero sometimes, at least it's better than never."
Ladybug smiles widely. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear," she says and holds the box back out to Alya, whose eyes bulge. "I wanted to make sure that we could trust you enough to relinquish your powers when asked. Good job passing our test, Alya."
"You mean your test," Chat Noir says. "I had no idea what you were doing. But hey, bugaboo always has a plan."
"Stop calling me bugaboo," Ladybug says, though her lips twitch.
"Are you…serious?" Alya breathes. "This isn't another test to see if I'm gonna be greedy and snatch it or something?"
"No," Ladybug says. "You've earned it, Alya. We offered to take it back each time, but Mas – the person who gave us our Miraculouses said that the bond between holder and kwami is vital. You do know, though, that Chat Noir and I are entirely responsible for you."
"So, you'd better not seriously mess up, yeah?" Chat Noir says. "But no pressure or anything."
"Yeah, no pressure," Alya says sarcastically, taking the Fox Miraculous back out and clasping it around her neck again, then tucking it under her shirt. Trixx reappears in a flash of orange light and gives Alya a rather shark-like grin. Or should that be a fox-like grin? "I can't wait till the next akuma fight!"
"Actually, we don't want you out there just yet," Ladybug says. She holds up a hand before Alya can protest. "Hawkmoth doesn't know for sure that there are other Miraculouses in Paris. The minute we reveal you, we lose that element of surprise."
"We gotta be sure that you're not gonna get downed in two seconds before we let you out there," Chat Noir says. "You saw how bugaboo got flattened on our first day."
"Excuse me?" Ladybug huffs. "Mr 'Oops-I-didn't-listen-to-my-kwami-and-used-Cataclysm-like-an-idiot' wants to imply that he was the better one of us?"
"I'm with Ladybug. At least she used her Lucky Charm right." Alya sticks her tongue out at Chat Noir while dancing from foot to foot, while Trixx watches with an amused gleam in his eyes and Chat Noir pouts at her. "And that makes sense, about making sure I'm prepared. Even if I'm literally about to wet myself both out of excitement and to see if this is just a dream."
"Please don't," Chat Noir says. "Or Ladybug will have to Lucky Charm a –"
"You'd better not finish that sentence, Chat Noir, or I won't pet you for a month," Ladybug says. Alya coughs rather suspiciously behind her hand at that. "Thanks for understanding, Alya. I know it must be super tempting to rush out there and get in the action."
"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head," Alya says. "I'm totally cool to be your secret weapon. And it will be secret 'cause this isn't going anywhere near the Ladyblog. At least, not until my first battle. Just promise me that I get to break this scoop, right? And I get to Peter Parker this shit and throw people off our trails?"
"Of course," Ladybug and Chat Noir say together, and Alya beams.
"Damn right. Now, take me back home before you guys are reported for kidnapping and end up on the run to prove your innocence."
"A shame, really, that we can't keep you," Chat Noir deadpans as Ladybug scoops Alya up. Alya smiles sweetly at him.
"Damn right, furball."