Ch. 18
The other day Louis had to wait until his mother came back from work. He didn't want to go to the bakery after school, becasue he didn't want to be overheard.
"Mom, we need to talk" Louis said when she got home.
"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" the woman smiled. She was in a good mood as usual.
Louis took a deep breath. He knew he had to tell what he discussed with his partner during the patrol. Thiugh he didn't have a chance to do it on Sunday, it was bothering him more and more. Louis barely slept the previous night and therefore he felt really tired the whole day.
"Err... Cat Noire and I talked about what Alya told me. We think that Plunksna can possibly be related to Hawk Moth. Otherwise, she wouldn't know what kind of mistakes he did."
"Why do you think she knows?" Marinette put her hands on her hips.
"Because she's avoiding to reliese the amok from the same time twice, because she doesn't chose the accidental angry people. She has a tactic and I want to fogure out what. One more thing. She has the butterfly miraculous together with bee but she uses only peacock. This also has to have a reason. So, tell me how she knows so much about it then?" Louis sad. "The explanations could be only two. One is that person had to have heard the stories of dad's and your fights or had lived in there herself."
Marinette nod.
"You're right. That person could be from France. But who?" it looked that the woman was talking to herself. "Chloe is a mayor of Paris. She has a lot of stuff to do besides terrorizing us. Nathalie is imprisoned for five more years, besides she called herself Mayura, not Plunksna. And the others... Well, there were lots of people who could have desired to make their wishes come true. Of course, miraculous holders knew better about that kind of stuff than normal civilians, so it makes less suspects. Though Lila still should be in the list. She also worked with Gabriel but her ability to lie so well, helped her avoid the prison. Nobody know where she is. Same as nobody knew whete we were."
"So, you think it could be Lila?" Louis asked.
"Possibly, but not necessarily. It can be even Alya, Alix, Kagami or other girls who could have layed their hands on the miraculous. But than there's other question - why they gave their miraculous back?"
"Maybe because they knew which ones were more useful?"
"It's posible. But I don't believe that any of them could have done this. Maybe make a little joke when they figured where we were all the years but not like this one. Because It's not funny at all."
"You are right. Plunksna isn't joking" Louis shook his head from memories of all the monsters he had to fight and especially the one which kidnapped Cornellia.
Marinette didn't know what else to say. She was afraid that Lila was the one who took the box with all the miraculous. She knew that this person was really smart and tricky. Maybe that's why she knew she didn't need all of the miraculous. She knew exacly what she wanted and how to get it. Lila probably kept the bee miraculous to protect herself in case she'll be found. Nobody could stop her from getting what she wanted.
Marinette shook her head. I hope it's not true. I hope it's not Lila, because they'll have serious problem when these two heroes will face her, she thought.
--
"Ugh... I have been waiting for him to come for more than two weeks now. The whole world knows what I'm doing here, so how he didn't manage to get the message."
"What message?" Duusuu was flying around the room. "Whoah!! Whoho!!" she laughed.
"That I'm here. Or he's too stupid and can't understand the clues I give?" the woman sighed. "And I thought that Gabriel become smarter over the years. Seems absolutely oposite."
"Maybe you should send more clues than?" the kwami smiled.
"You worked with him. You know him better than me. What kind of clue I have to make that he'd understand the adress are that I make the monsters in a symphonic way showing the adresss? How should I do that nobody except him would understand?" she asked.
"I didn't really had to work with him I was his assistant's and his wife's kwami. But yeah... I've probably got to know him better" Duusuu stopped flying around. "But I don't really know what you want to send him and how to do that. But you are really smart and I know you can do this. This will be so awesome when he gets here! Then he'll help you to get the miraculous and make your wish come true!"
"Yeah yeah... Like I'm giving him the miraculous. Gabriel was an idiot who didn't manage to get the two simple jewls from the teens. He was so dump that he didn't even notice his son had one of them. While I already know who has the earnings." The woman sighed. "I still can't believe Louis is Mister Bug. He wears the earrings. Of course, he weared the same ones before but Marinette loves him too much and there's no doubt she didn't believe her son can replace her. But well... I'm not blind. I can see how similar Mister Bug is to his parents starting with his blond hair like dad's and eyes like mom's and finishing with his allergy to the feathers. I wouldn't be surprised if he had this miraculous even before I took the box."
"But if you know who has it, why don't you take it from him? They're much weaker when they're not transformed."
"Silly Duusuu. If I could do that I would have done it by now. Firstly I have to find the Cat's identity. Because if I make such move, she'll become more careful and then I won't be able to get what I want. Besides, I need to keep my identity. They can't know who I am, otherwise they'll find me" the woman glared at the kwami.
"Ohh... This is so compulsive!" it looked like the kwami was shaking ininside. "Ohh! Maybe your next monster can be too strong for Mister Bug and his partner this time? Then you won't need Gabriel at all!"
The woman took the miraculous from her inside pocket. Then she looked at her kwami and smiled playfully.
"Everything is possibel" she said. "But now we should have some fun, shall we?"
--
Marinette called Adrien. Though ahe was aftaid of Lila's return as a villain, she was also interested of what was going on in Paris.
"Salut Buginette! How are you doing?" Adrien said playfully. He obvoiusly was in a really good mood because he usually doesn't use his Chat Noir in his daily life.
"Hi. I see this Chaton is in a good mood. Have some news?" Marinette hoped to be right.
"Can I be in a good mood just because I can talk to you? Or there necessarily has to be some news?" Adrien teesed more.
Marinette sighed and rolled her eyes. She really missed Adrien and felt like she lost a part of her soul when he left. She felt much better being able to communicate to him but it wasn't the same when he was close. Therefore it was really hard to pretend being mad at her husband.
"I visited Nathalie yesterday. I talked to her about Plunksna. I think you should know that" finally the man said.
Marinettes eyes widdened.
"Tell me everything. What did you ask? Did she said something useful?" she asked.
"I don't know. She doesn't know much either but Duusuu was her kwami, so what she knows about her miraculous, I thought could be useful. That's why I was there yesterday" Adrien began. "Luckily, she wasn't so secretive and talked quite easily. She said that Duusuu can sometimes be irresponsible and reveal himself accidentally. Duusuu is really poverful and Plunksna doesn't probably know that. She, of course, wants to get the miraculous because her sentimonsters aren't a joke but she could obviously do better. Or she may not want to. Nathalie said that it's posible that Plunksna just wants to send a message."
"The message? For who?" Marinette asked.
"To Gabriel. Nathalie doesn't think that these two accidents are a coincident. She thinks that Plunksna can even be related of Gabriel getting away from the prison" Adrien said with serious look.
"So he might will get there?" Marinette freaked out.
"If not already had. In either way, I'm comming back the next week. The flight is on Friday morning. I'll be back before Louis's lessons ends. I hope you'll be able to take a break, my lady" Adrien smiled again. He was happy he could finally return. That's why he was so playful from the beginning of the conversation.
Marinette smoled as musch as posible.
"I'm happy you're finally comming back. But it doesn't mean anything good either" her smile faded. Gabriel is comming or is already in Vilnius. That means Marinette and her family is in danger. God knows what kind of plan he had after being imprisoned for twenty-five yars.
But then her phone beeped. And she looked at the screen. There was a message that there's amok in the town again. She almost forgot that she asked Alya to make the same alarm for the sentimonsters as hers.
"Louis! What are you doing now?" she shouted out loud.
Louis went out of his room.
"Just playing with Xbox. Why?" he asked.
Marinette showed him her phone.
"In the illusion house" she said.
Louis nodded and got back to his room. There he transformed and got out of the house trough the window.
"You have the amok alarm? That's cool. How did you make it?" Adien asked.
"Alya did it to me. She made for herself as well" Marinette blushed. "I'm not that smart on such things."
"At least you can know when Louis has to go sooner."
Marinette nodded.
--
Mister Bug was the first one who got there. Cat Noire joined him after a few minutes. While the boy was waiting fot his partner, he decided to find out more about the situation.
The young woman wearing a special uniform came to superhero. She was really scared.
"Mister Bug! I'm so glad you came. The's a Bloody Marry in the mirror maze" she said.
"B-Bloody Marry? How is this even possible?" the hero was confused. But than he sighedsighed and tried to stat calm. "Thank you. I'll keep this is mind. Have everyone left the place?"
The woman nod
"We evacuated everyone. But one of the visitors lost their tickets to the film this evening, so if you'll find it we'd be very pleased."
"Of coure" the boy nod and looked at the black-suited girl comming the way.
"What did I miss?" she asked when she got there.
"Bloody Marry" Mister Bug said crossed his arms on his chest.
"Seriously? I thought it would be something related to illusions not horror movies" Cat Noire squeaked.
"It's serious, Cat Noire!" Mister Bug glared at her but than he sighed. "One of the customers lost the tickets to the film, so I guess amok is hidding there."
"I bet they are planning to go to the horror one" Cat Noire smiled rolling her eyes. "So, we find the tickets, we defeat Marry."
The two heroes went inside the place and entered the room where the mirror maze was. They slowly closed the door, so nobody could come insede. They looked around but only saw their own reflexes. The heroes went a few steps further but bumped into one of the mirrors.
"Ouch" Mister Bug murmured fixing his nose. Cat Noire, who was right behind him fall on him and they fall on the other mirror.
"Watch where you're going" Mister Bug glared at the girl. "If you'll be like that, we'll never be able to defeat the monster."
"It looks like there's no monster at all" Cat Noire rolled her eyes. "Though I love seing so many copies of me" she smiled. "It was just a prank."
But suddenly Mister Bug saw something. It was somewhere further in the maze. The boy tried to go inside a bit more, just this time he was touching the mirrors to understand where it is and where he can step. Cat Noire rolled her eyes and followed him. It feels like he doesn't even hear me. What kind of proof he wants? Nobody is inside there besides both of us. Ugh he's so stubborn, she thought.
But than she saw something too. Cat Noire took her baton and prepared to fight.
"Show yourself, you little coward! We know you're in here!" she shouted.
Her partner glared at her and put his pinky finger to his lips showing her to shut up. The girl sighed but stayed quiet. She didn't really understand why, until they heard a little girl giggling. A girl? We have to fight a girl? She laughs like a five or six year old, the superheroine thought.
Cat Noire felt like someone took her belt and put it around her neck. After a moment she was pulled closer to the mirror. She screamed and made Mister Bug look into her. The boy saw the little girl with a black long hair over her face. She weared the white long dress and reminded of a vilain from The Ring. This little creature was inside the mirror and holding his partners reflection. Trough she traped only his partner's copy, it looked like that Cat Noire felt the same. Mister Bug broke the mirror releasing her paerner.
"Thank you" Cat Noire said and grabbed her belt and put it like a normal one. "I think it's safer to wear it like that, now" she said.
The heroes heard the giggling again. The mirror creature now was behind the boy.
"Whatch out!" Cat Noire peeped and broke that mirror with her baton.
But than the little girl appeared in all the mirrors. She was laughing from the heroes.
"Breaking the mirrors won't halp you to defeat me. We can play this all night if you want. Or you could just give me your miraculous" the girl said still childly giggling.
"Only in your dreams" Cat Noire said and broke a couple more mirrors with her staff.
Meanwhile Mister Bug was confused. It was the first time they fought the monster which can actually talk. And that creature had a little psychic girl's voice. But when his partner started breaking the mirrors he stopped her.
"It won't help. She's a reflection. She can't just disappear when we break it" he said.
"So, I guess, we'll have to play not very friendly" the little creature giggled. This time it felt like she talked from everywhere but was nowhere in the view.
But when she apeared, she started pushing the heroes reflections, grabbed Cat Noire's baton and Mister Bug's yo-yo and threw it on the ground, while heroes couldn't do anything. The little girl wasn't touching them in reality, only in the mirror. But what was happening in mirror, it happened to the heroes out of it. They almost started to panic. How were they planing to defeat the creature if she doesn't really excist? And where the film ticket was?
Mister Bug figured that the creature should had something out of context. It must be there, he thought but had no idea how to take it from her. The amok was hidding in the other, mirror, reality.
The boy looked at the mirror and saw the little girl attacking him. To avoid it, he fell on the ground and accidentally bumbed his head into one of the mirrors. It wasn't verry beneficial that there wasn't much space to move around. Though he still managed to take his yo-yo and throw it into the air.
"Lucky charm!" he yelled hopping that at least this will help him to figure out what to do. The spray paint fell to the boy. He cough it and sighed. What am I going to do with that? I can't paint the mirrors with that. It'll be useless like breking them, the boy thought.
At that time his partner tried to defend herself without her baton. She didn't use her Cateclysm because she knew that it can be useful later. But only with her claws and the belt she used insted of the staff wasn't enough. She was always hit by the creature but Mister Bug noticed something more. His partner's reflection hit the little girl as well.
"Kitty, she can be hit!" he shouted to his partner with excitement. Maybe it can be the key defeating the mirror creature, he thought and stood up. "Look at the mirror. Every time she attacks, she hurts only your reflection, right? So your reflection can do the same. You, can hit her."
Mister Bug looked at the mirror and used his yo-yo to hit the little creepy girl. Hit girl stoped laughing. She glared at the boy with her strange, psychic eyes. Mister Bug tried to attack her again but she was waiting for it, so she easily avoided the upcoming yo-yo hit and ran right into the boy straight to take his miraculous. The boy could have felt how she touched the earrings but managed to pull her off him before she took it.
"Cat Noire!" he yelled to his partner and she imidietly used her reflection to grab the little girl. Though she couldn't do it right because it was hard when she excisted only in the mirror. The girl reliesed herself but Mister Bug grabed his spray paint and sprinkled it on her face. The little gerl screamed and hid her eyes. While she tried to clean her face, Mister Bug grabbed the girl and quickly looked if she didn't have anything else with her. He found the tickets in her pocket and looking at the mirror ribbon it.
The blue amok flew out of the tickets and the mirror. The little screaming girl disappeared.
"No more evil playing for you, little amok" Mister Bug said turning his yo-yo into the net. "Time to de-evalize" he said and threw it capturing and purifying the amok.
When he reliesed the white feather he fixed everything and bumped his fist into his partner's.
"Pound it" they said in unison, smilint to each other.
"I'm sure, I'll never come back here" Cat Noire said.
"Don't lie to yourself. One way or another you'll visit illusion house. Even if not this one" Mister Bug said before his earrings beeped.
"Don't worry, if I'll come back, then only for amok, because this was definitely enough for me" Cat Noire raised her hands showing she doesn't 't want to experience that again.
Mister Bug smiled to her.
"We should go. People are waiting to hear that everything is fine again. And give the ticket back" he changed the subject and went out of the maze touching the mirrors, so he wouldn't't bump again.
When they left there was a huge crowd already waiting for them. Blinding flashlights photographed them and paparazzi trying to ask sone questions. Mister Bug tried to go away because of his detransformation but Alya stepped in the heroes way.
"I know you have to run, but maybe I could get an interwiew for my blog some day?" she went straight to the point. "I'm Alya Lathette, the creator of the Ladyblog, if you don't know me" she added.
"I know who you are" Mister Bug gave her a friendly smile. "Umm... I mean, we bumped into each other before. And... It would be a plesure."
"So...I know you should be still attending school. Friday evening?" Alya smiled.
"Fine with me" Mister Bug nod.
Cat Noire thought a bit. She hoped she can be avalable. She hoped there won't be any other plans.
"I'll see if I can make it" she said and felt someone put a hand on her shoulder.
"Excuse me, can I get a selfie with you two?" the girl asked.
Mister Bug earrings beeped.
"Sorry, ladies, but I have to bug out" he said and using his yo-yo he flew away.
A few people looked dissapointed that they couldn't enjoy it for a longer time.
"But I can" Cat Noire smiled. The teenages standing there become really excited and started making pictures. Some boys also joined. Therefore Cat Noire become really confident and happy. She started to understand how much people believed in her, how many of them trusted that she and her partner can defeat Plunksna. Nobody hesitated. They knew she will do this and save everyone. This helped Cat Noire believe in this too. She would never give away her miraculous, of course. But she wasn't sure if she could defeat Plunksna. Though this kind of encouencouragement made her feel differently. She was redy to fighr until the end.
Some adults were breve enough to ask a picture together with Cat Noire as well. It felt a little strange because the heroine was much younger than them but she was a heroine, not them.
"Can I get a picture too?" another boy asked.
"Sure-" Cat Noire answered and looked at him. For a moment she froze. Noah was standing before her and asking to get a picture. Her boyfriend. Her love.
The boy gave his phone to someone asking to make it and stood closer to the heroine. Cat Noire took a deep breath and smirked. She couldn't let him notice her. She was Cat Noire, not Olivia at thet moment. She couldn't let her feelings get over her. Does he even have an idea who I am? she thought.
Cat Noire felt strange sparks when he put his hand on her back, but pretended that nothing happened. She felt a little awkward because in reallity they were dating and he probably had no clue. She put her elbow on his shoulder and another hand on her hip. As soon as the picture was done she pulled away and took a deep breath. She didn't breath all the time when he was standing next to her and she just noticed it. It felt strange being around him like that. But what she could do? Noah used to love Marvel films and all this hero thing was something what made him melt
--
After a few days
After her school Olivia decided to meet Noah. Though she met him not a long time ago as Cat Noire, she knew she had to be with him as Olivia. She missed him anyway.
When she saw gim she realized how much she did and therefore she hugged hum tightly before saying hi. He hugged her back and smiled warmly.
"Hello to you too, Olivia" he said still holding her.
She slowly pulled away still smiling.
"You know, I forgot to take my wallet, so I won't even be able to buy a cup of coffe" the boy scrached his head shyly. "So, maybe we can go to my place? I could make something to eat, if you want."
"What about you parents?" Olivia asked. She hadn't met them yet and she felt really shy to see them for the first time. "They probably won't be pleased to see me."
"Don't worry about them" Noah said. "They're still at work."
The couple got in Noah's flat. She remembered when her mother gave a lift home more than a week ago but it was still strange to be there in a day light. He lived in a quite small, two-room flat. He didn't have any brother or sister, so they could quietly spend time in the boy's room. Noah made a cup of coffe for himself and a cup of hot chocolate for Olivia.
"You have no idea what kind of game I bought last week" Noah said giving her girlfriend the cup.
"No, I don't" she said and waited Noah to say something more.
"I found a virtual reality game of akuma villains! You know, when Paris was occupied by Hawk Moth?" the boy said.
"I know what akumas are. I'm not dumb. I have seen Ladyblog" Olivia crossed her arms on her chest.
"I never said you are" Noah tried to defend himself. "Anyway, do you wanna try?"
Olivia nodded. She wasn't used to play such games but wanted to know better about all the villains and their povers because it could be useful in the future. Even though she was fighting amoks insted of akumas, the monsters had some kind of powers as well. Besides, if it was true and Plunksna was learning from Hawk Moth's mistakes, she definetely will try to bring same-powered monster thinking that she can succed with different strategy.
"So... How is this played?" she asked when Noah turned on the game on two pair of glassers. Then he connected both with Bluetooth, so they both could play.
"Well, when I played with computer I was able to chose one of many villains I want to be and I had to fight against another villain. With every fight I had different powers as well as my opponent. But this time we'll fight against each other. Therefore I guess we both will be able to pick the villain we want to be."
"Sounds pretty cool."
"It is. Besides, I have the special gloves for the virtual reality games, so it will be easier and even more awesome" Noah was almost shaking from excitement.
He carefully put the glassers on his girlfriend's eyes and did the same for himself.
Olivia saw all the villains she could choose from. There were so many and when she was looking through them, she was able to read a little about their powers and where their akuma was hiding. Of course, if she wanted to win, she had to destroy that thing or pull her opponent off virtual stage. Olivia felt sparks running through her back. The villains had such cool powers, they seemed so strong that she, even as a superheroine couldn't understand how the previous miraculous holders could have been so brave.
She wanted to reed about all of them. It was so interesting to know all of it, but some of them were locked.
"Why I can pick the ones from the end of the list?" she asked.
"Because they are more advanced ones. They have povers such as ice or time control, which can be used in higher levels. But I haven't unlocked those ones yet, so I can't say much about it" Noah explained.
"Ok, than I think I'll pick... Hmm..." Olivia looked through the list again. "Why there's Chat Noir?"
At first Noah didn't understand what she meant but when he did he started laughing.
"It's actually a Copycat. He has the same povers as Chat Noir or our Cat Noire but he was a bad guy.
The girl noded. She knew she couldn't pick Copycat anyway. She couldn't let anyone find out her superheroine identity she looked at the list more closely. .
"Ohh that little girl looks lovely. I'm taking Puppeteer" Olivia smiled.
"Shit. Then I'm taking Lady Wi-Fi" Noah said.
Of coure, Puppeteer was stopped before she could make Lady Wi-Fi her doll and Noah took her wand and broke it making her lose.
"You are so harsh. It was my first time and you didn't even let me to enjoy it" the girl complained
"It would have been more enjoyable if you have picled something more interesting."
"It depends of what you mean interesting" Olivia she put her hands on her hips.
"For example, Reverser or Malediktator. Oh, I love that one. I'm taking him" Noah picked Malediktator.
Olivia unhearably sighed. She hoped he was going to say that she was ininteresting. But all his flirts ended since their relationship was oficial and when she got the miraculous. Can it be he didn't feel anything for her anymore?
The girl shook her head. No, this can't be true.
"Fine. I take Reverser than. Like you offered" she said.
When the game started Noah threw a couple golden balls into her while Olivia flied in the air trying to avoid them. She knew she was still standing in Noah's room but it felt amazing when she saw herself flying above the squere stage. When she noticed that the shiny balls are still following her, she decided to throw a paper plane into Malediktator and as he wasn't that athletic, he was cought.
"Reverse" Olivia said before it touched her opponent.
Maletiktator, or Noah, was forced to take the light balls back and relase his akuma himself.
"That's not fair" Noah said.
Olivia started giggleng.
"But you told me what to chose. It's not my foult you were so clumsy big man" she giggled.
They played a few more times and Olivia was going better and better at it while she started to not let her boyfriend win. She was a Cat Noire, after all. How can she be able to defeat a monster if she couldn't do it it the simple game?
~~~
Marry Christmas everyone!
As you might see, this story is still taking place in autumn. Though the storyline is going a bit slowly, I'm trying to make it more interesting.
Besides, you might understand what inspired me to make such vilain in the illusion house, and the game in the end of chapter is Max's one. Just a bit more advanced as you might noticed. But it's because the story takes place in the future.
Until tomorow! ;)