Ch. 19
The upcoming Friday Olivia couldn't stand still. She was excited to have her first interwiew. Of course, it was Cat Noire's interwiew but it was freaking her out. She had no idea what she was going to be asked for and how to answer the questions. The worse thing, Plagg wasn't helping any better. But at least he made her laugh and forget about this for a few hours.
All the internet was full of pictures of her with fans. Everyone was excited they were able to meet her, to talk to her and get a picture. They also wanted to be able to meet Mister Bug. He was the leading one, after all. He got the legacy of legendary Ladybug and, fact was, he was hot. The whole internet were guessing his age and therefore the boy, he looked similar to. They thought he was around sixteen or even seventeen and just a few dared to say he was younger. But Louis knew the truth he was still fourteen. He was older than his whole class trough, because his birthday was in the end of November and it was month left before he turns fifteen.
The boy blushed everytime he red or heard girls talking about him as Mister Bug. But felt a little anoyed when he knew how many gossips Cornellia made. Girls from his school knew perfectly that Mister Bug saved Cornellia a couple of times and they all felt jelous of her. Cornellia dreamed all the time how amazing he was, how close thew were. She even started lying that she kissed him and was chatting with him. She told that he was falling for her. But Louis kept quiet, though he knew it was a lie. He stayed quet because he didn't want to reviel himself and break the girl's hart. He knew Cornellia didn't like him much in his civilian form. Imagining her finding out the truth would make her feel miserable. Besides, he didn't want to crush her hart so badly, especially when she was one of many fans who thought they loved Mister Bug. He was sure that after some time she'll move on anyway.
But the strangest thing was, Olivia didn't believe her either. Maybe because she was her best firend, she knew when Cornellia was lying. Or Olivia was just too smart to fall for it. Gosh, she's so smart, Louis thought.
During the lunch break she even invited Louis to join her and her classmates but he had to be loyal to Dominic. He couldn'te stand Cornellia, so he convinced Louis to not go there. Besides, it made him even more sick when she was talking about Mister Bug so much. Of course, he did like the heroes but he was anoyed when everyone takled only about them.
Meanwhile, Olivia enjoyed it. But there was other things bothering her more. Besides interview, she couldn't stop thinking abiut Noah. She started to feel left alone, because of his strange behaviour. She didn't know how to react when he was always talking about her alter ego. He changed his Instagram and Facebook profile pictures into the one where he was with Cat Noire, he changed his phone wallpaper into the picture of the new heroes and all he was doing, was playing that virtual reality game. Olivia felt happy he liked her alter ego as well as he saw her civilian form, but he stoped seeing her as her girlfriend. He treated her like a random girl and she had no idea how to react. Their conversations were only about what he red about the heroes and Olivia could say, even Cornellia didn't talk that much about them as Noah did.
The girl came to the canteen as always and saw their usual spot already talen. Olivia suggested to sit in the other place but Cornellia wasn't that tipe of girl. She went right to the people sitting in their seats and said something. At that time Olivia stood a little further, so she didn't hear what her friend was saying. After a minute the people left and sat in n the other place. Cornellia wawed her friend to come.
"What did you say to them?" Olivia asked not believing that she did it.
"I just gave them a piece of my mind" Cornellia said like it was nothing. But Olivia knew what it actually was. Cornellia wasn't nice enough to others to ask for something. She just take what she wants, because she thinks she was always right and you have to be really clever to convince her differently.
"You should be nicer to others. These people did nothing to you" Olivia said to her friend.
"Pff.. They took my seat. They don't deserve my mercy."
"You know, it wasn't written that it's your seat. Everyone sits wherever they want."
"Yeah, but this one is mine and I'm not going to let them sit there" Cornellia said and took the croissant in her hands. "Well done. Now I lost my appetite."
Olivia giggled.
In the canteen came more classmates. Martin sat next to Cornellia while Lina was forced to go next to Olivia. Others sat next to these people making the full table.
"Mmm.. Fresh croisant! Can I taste it?" Martin asked almost grabbing it from Cornellia.
"Eww! No! Don't touch it!" she screamed but Martin still took a a bite of it. "Now I'm seriously not going to eat this" she threw it across the table.
"Martin, aren't you usually buying something in the canteen?" Lina reminded.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to leave this amazing place near Barbie" he said and lead closer to Cornellia. She immediately pulled him away.
"I'm not a doll" she said. "But Lina's right. You should have lunch, before you ate other people's meal."
Martin deeply looked at Cornellia and sighed.
"As you wish, Barbie" he said flirtariously and went away.
When he stood in the line, Lina sat next Cornellia.
"You are my savior" Cornellia sighed in relief. "He's my headache."
"I know. That's why I tried to convince him to buy something" she smiled shyly.
"Maybe you should give him a chance, Cornellia. He's not a bad guy, you know. Besides, you told me that he was in love with you already for a few years" Olivia said. She felt sorry for Martin. That boy was trying so hard to be with Cornellia, while she was running away or insulting him. It wasn't really fair.
"Then maybe you should give a chance to Louis? You perfectly know how he loses his mind around you" the pink-haired girl said back.
"I have a boyfriend, you know that" Olivia glared.
"But if you didn't, would you?" Cornellia asked.
That girl was anoyed. She didn't like Martin but stayed friends with him. Sometimes she even wanted to punch that boy but tried to stay calm and ignore him. There was no way she could consider him as more than a friend. Even trough he liked her for who she was. She just felt nothing to Martin and couldn't force herself for it, but others couldn't understand that. But how they could? She barely is honest. Honesty would make her weak and she wasn't weak.
"He doesn't. He just has stuttering problems" Olivia said.
"Oh c'mon, don't play idiot. He isn't like that near anyone besides you" she said.
Olivia didn't know how to reply.. She didn't want to accept that Louis was crushing on her, because she didn't want to consider him as more than a friend. She always thought about Noah and focused on their relationship. She tried her best to not think about other boys because she was already taken.
But now she felt that this relationship was slowly breaking. Noah's attention was fully in heroes while Olivia was just a listener. Besides, she had a lot of work when she had to live a double life. Being a superheroine was really hard, because she had to be prepared in anytime and for anything. Besides that, she had orchestra and school studies. It was really hard for her to keep her grades in the middle and she always had to ask someone to give their homework or to explain the lessons. Cornellia was a good talker but not really good at subjects Olivia found dificult as well. Louis was hepling her too. Trough he stutters a lot, she somehow managed to understand what he meant. He was so kind, helpful and smart. She really liked him and his mother but never thought about him as more than a friend. She knew how Louis felt about her, he didn't have to say a word and everybody knew this, but het hary was taken by Noah trough she didn't have his anymore.
Olivia didn't answer to that question. There was no answer to that one. Not yet. For this she'd need more time.
But then one of the classmates showed the video, where Olivia could see the new sentimonster.
"You know what? I just remembered I have to print a few notes for orchestra" she said and ran out of the canteen.
--
Marinette went to the airport and looked around to find from where Adrien had to leave. The flight had already ened and she knew Adrien had to leave seen. Marinette stood nervously for a couple of minutes. The longer she was standing there, the more stressed she felt. There were a lot of people and she clearly could hear the ones talking French. Pretend normal, pretend normal, she thought.
But Marinette was too clumsy to stay unseen. She accidentally bumped her back into someone and fell on the ground.
"I'm wery sorry. Are you OK?" the person asked.
"Yeah! I'm just clumsy" Marinette said standing up but tripped down again. "Werry clumsy."
The person helped her to stand up. He even picked up her things.
"What such lovely lady is doing in the airport?" he asked Marinette. Marinette blinked a few times. She was confused to hear a compliment. She was used to hear ones only from her family and especially Adrien.
"I'm waiting for my husband" she said. She didn't want to flirt with an unknown man especially when she was looking for her love.
"He must be the luckiest man in the world to have such beautiful wife" the man smiled.
"I'm the lucky one to have him" Marinette smiled dreamily. And then she saw him. The tall, blonde man looking for someone. "And here he is."
Marinette ran towards him. She was so happy to finally be able to be with him. She missed his touch, his voice, his scent, everything. She felt like they were separated for years, not two months. She felt like the piece of her heart was taken together with his leave.
The last moment before Marinette pulled him into her arms, Adrien turned around and he didn't have any time to react his lady was already comming his way.
"Salut, Princess" he smiled and hugged his wife back. When she pulled away he saw the teers running out of her eyes. It was teers of happiness. Adrien touched her wet cheek and smiled warmly. She smiled even wider and stepped on her tippy toes to reach him.
Adien kissed Marinette softly, puttling his whole love into this kiss. It felt like it was the first one, while they just didn't see each other for a few months.
Marinette stepped on her full feet still holding Adrien and giving him the warmest smile. He brushed his nose through her cheek tikkling it. Then he kissed it softly and whispered to her ear.
"You have no idea how much I missed this."
"Missed what?" Marinette giggled.
"Everythung about you. Those lips, that skin, the way you smile. I miss your hair and those amazing blue eyes of yours."
"You're such a flirt" Marinette smirked.
"If you see Adrien it doesn't mean Chat Noir doesn't exist insolide of me" he murmured and kissed her again.
--
"You have no idea how much I have to tell you! I'm now a Mister Bug! I'm a superhero. I fight sentimonsters!" Louis was shaking when he came back from school and saw his dad. He was so excited to finally have him back.
"I know. You are in the news all over the world. I'm so pround of you. You definetely are way better Mister Bug than I was" Adrien laughed remembering his fight with Reflekta and Reflekdoll.
Louis gave his dad a sweet smile.
"I should have got a black cat miraculous. I didn't deserve to be Mister Bug. Why you thought I can make it?" the boy asked.
"Because you're my son and I know you. You are so similar to your mother, even trough you don't see it. You are smart I knew you'll be able to achieve any chalange. That's why I knew you could have ladybug miraculous. I think that one fits you even better."
"Thanks, dad" Louis smiled and at that moment his phone buzzed.
He got a message from his mom. She send him the place where new amok monster showed up.
"Ugh.. It's not the best time. And we already fought tocay" Louis mumbled.
Adrien smiled.
"We'll talk latter. I'll come to see the fight of yours and your partner. I'm really curious to see how good your partner is."
"But it can be dangerous" Louis's eyes widden. He didn't want to risk his dad's life.
"Don't worry. I know how to hide" Adrien put his hands on his hips and smirked his Chat Noir smile. "So, where the amok is?"
"In the Gediminas prospectus" Louis sighed and ran in his room where he transformed.
The place was not far away from his house but Mister Bug still stopped on one of the roofs before attacking. He saw the skeleton walking around and digging everyone with his bone fingers in the way. When the skeleton did this, the each person becomes old in a couple of seconds. The skeleton was moving pretty fast and when people saw what it can do, thay ran away but the creature managed to catch them and make them old. Mister Bug noticed that with each dig he grew bigger and faster. Probably stronger too, he thought.
When the skeleton was running after one more person, Mister Bug swirled his yo-yo around the bony wrist and yanked it not letting him touch the civilian. But he separated his hand from the rest of his body and thet fall on the ground breaking into pieces.
"That was pretty easy" Mister Bug thought loudy and jumped on the ground
The skeleton looked at the hero and without a sound put his arm on the ground. All bones came back where they were and skeleton soon bacome same as before.
"Or not really" Mister Bug bit his lip trying to think of something else.
"I thought today isn't Halloween" Mister Bug heard his partner saying. She was sitting on one of the street lights and waving her legs lightly.
"You're not helping! And the strengh of yoirs would be really handfull" Mister Bug said glaring at his partner. Is she going to sit there while I'm fighting and make these idiotic jokes? I need to find a solution how to stop the skeleton and find a place, where its amok is hiding, he thought.
"Where's the magic word?" Cat Noire didn't pay attention that her partner crached the entire skeleton's body into the little bene-pieces. Unfortunatelly, the creature repared.
"Are you serious?"Boy's eyes widdened.
"I was just kidding! I wish you could see your own face!" Cat Noire couldn't handile the laugh.
Meanwhile, skeleton decided to take advantege of the heroes distraction and jumped in the air trying to catch Cat Noire. He had already taken enough strenth from the people to be able to jump high enouth to get cat heroine. But that girl reacted fast enough and jumped above the skeleton. Using her baton, she punched it in it's back hardly. It was broken again and Cat Noire landed in front of her anoyed partner still smiling.
"I was just teasing you. Did you really think I could leave you alone by yourself, Bugaboy?" she made the sweetest voise as she managed but it didn't relive Mister Bug.
He didn't respond, so the girl turned around and faced the reparing skeleton. When it stood up, it chatter with its teeth, like loughing. It didn't talk or actually laugh, but the sound of these chattering teeth was more creepy than any other evil lough.
She ran towards the sentimonster to fight it. Mister Bug sighed, shook his head and joined the fight. But all of this didn't have much use, because they still didn't find it's amok, but at least the creature couldn't hurt anyone.
When they smashed the creature one more time this one the bones falling on the ground touched her suit and she felt becoming older.
Mister Bug gasped. He was luckier, because he wasn't cought by any of the bones. But he lost his partner. Oh, dammit, he thought. He saw how her hair changed their colour into grey, her lips lost its natural pink colour and her skin was as white as snow. Her silver eyes didn't smile anymore. They looked rather tired. The boy could swear that he could see some awful folds her mask tried to hide. Cat Noire become old.
The skeleton stood up. It was back in form much faster. The strenth he took from Cat Noire made him stronger and faster. It tried to attack Mister Bug but the boy, still being surprised, managed to step back and avoid the creature.
But it wasn't over. The skeleton steped forward with each step trying to touch the hero while the boy had to go backwards. He couldn't use his yo-yo to fly away because before he could, he would have been cought. So he tried to use it as a shield but the monster was too close.
Meanwhile Cat Noire was watching how desperately her partner tried to avoid the monster. She knew she couldn't do much because she barely could stand. She felt like her whole body become heavier and her legs weren't that strong to let her stand. Cat Noire had to use her baton to stop herself from falling.
She felt her teers running on her face. She failed. She tried to be cool and surprising but she was cought and all she could do was watch. Wait. There's more than that, she stopped herself from such thoughts as she threw her baton to the skeleton distracting it. It stopped and turned around to face Cat Noire. At that time Mister Bug got away.
Cat Noire couldn't hold herself on her feet. She started to hesitate but somehow managed to stand. It felt like her legs were made of rubber.
The skeleton saw how Mister Bug escaped from him but let it go. He had to defeat another hero. Cat Noire was too old to run away, she didn't have her staff with her anymore, she barely could stand on her feet. She was so easy to defeat and take her miraculous.
The creature ran towards Cat Noire. She didn't have that fast reaction to pull away not even one step. But when it got near her, she tried to defend with her arms. The touch of the creature didn't effect her anymore. She already gave her energy to the skeleton. The creature triped her down and grabbed her wrist with another bonny hand trying to take her ring.
Mister Bug saw that and he couldn't leave everything like that. He had to save his partner. Like she just saved him. So he used his yo-yo to swirl it around the creature's wrist and not let it lay a finger on Cat Noire's ring. Mister Bug tried to pull his yo-yo to his side, separating skeleton's hand from the body, but it didn't work. He couldn't do that anymore.
Skeleton let Cat Noire's hand and grabbed the yo-yo insted. He pushed Mister Bug strongly closer to him, but the boy fell on the ground. The creature laughed again making the horible sound and grabbed heroine's wrist.
Cat Noire gasped. When the skeleton was chattering its teeth, she saw something blueish in his mounth. She was sure there was the place where his amok was hidding.
"Cataclysm!" she yelled. The voice of hers had changed as well. She talked like an old woman. She sounded horible. That's how I'm going to sound when I get old? Gosh, this voice is worse than my grandmother's, she thought.
The skeleton stopped chattering. He looked at the old heroine who was smilimg. The skeleton couldn't take the ring anymore, or it will be destroyed. The creature got some orders from Plunksna, that it had to use something, so Cat Noire would touch it and deatroy. The skeletom bit his pinky finger and with rest of his hand grabbed it and led it on heroines hand. The finger turned into a dust.
At that time Mister Bug used his Lucky Charm and a little red ball with black dots fall into his hands. He looked around not knowing what to do with it but still didn't get any ideas.
"Mister Bug! It's in his mounth!" his partner said with her old voice. Hero felt more like he was saving his grandma than working with that person. He wanted to make a joke about her changes but there was no time for that. And he didn't have a mood, because he had to save everyone.
The boy saw how Cat Noire tried to defend herself and not give the skeleton her miraculous. But she was too weak. She knew that and therefore she panicked.
Mister Bug wrapped his yo-yo around the creatures bones and tried to push it away. It fell for a second. But than it stood up again anc chartered with its teeth. The boy saw something through its teeth too, ao he was sure, amok was there. Mister Bug looked at the ball he had in his hand again and understood what he had to do. He threw the ball in the creatures mounth, so he couldn't charter anymore. He wrapped his yo-yo around the monster, so it couldn't take the ball out. Then he gave the signal for Cat Noire. She stood up as fast as the old person could and took whatever there was out of its month and stepped on it.
The skeleton disappeared as the blue feather flew out on the pieces of where it was.
"No more evil playing for you, little amok" Mister Bug said turning his yo-yo into a net. "Time to de-evalize!" the boy threw it capturing the amok and purifying it. "Bye bye, little feather" the boy said when the white feather flew out on the net. But it tickled his nose too much and Mister Bug sneezed.
Cat Noire slowly took the little ball from the ground and passed to her partner. Though he tried to keep himself from sneezing again, he still cought his Lucky Charm and threw it into the air saying:
"Miraculous Mister Bug!" and after a couple of seconds everything was back to normal.
Cat Noire sighed heavily. It felt good to be young again.
"I kinda feel sorry for elders" the girl said smiling happily. It was a relief to be able to be fast and strong and beautiful.
"Didn't like to be old?" Mister Bug asked as she came his way.
"Asks the one, who had to be saved from becoming one" she responded but they still bumped their fists.
"Pound it" the heroes said in unison.
"I wasn't afraid of being old. I just thought I'm useful when I have my strenth" the boy tried to defend himself.
"Your lips says that, but the soul knows the truth. You shouldn't pretend being paw-some, while you're not" Cat Noire teased him stepping closer and digging her claw into his chest.
"Like you'd love to be grany kitty again" the boy smirked leaning closer. His earings beeped and he immediately stepped back. .
"No, I wouldn't. Those lines on my skin takes my natural charm fade away" Cat Noire played with her hair.
"You mean, your cattish charm? Well it doesn't effect me" Mister Bug took his yo-yo. He didn't want to listen how much she loved herself. "Bug out" he said and flew away with his yo-yo help.
Cat Noire casualy looked around and as she saw people starting going on the streets again, used her baton to go on the rooftops. From there she found the perfect spot to detransform.
Mister Bug also detransformed in the streets, in a different side of the centre, than he was living in, so nobody could track him and his living place.
Louis called his dad. The boy didn't see him while fighting and he was wondering if Adrien was there at all.
"Did you see the fight? I haven't seen you" the boy asked when dad picked up.
"Yeah, I was. I hid pretty well, that no one could see it. Actually, I tried to film it but it was too dark and the street lights made it worse" Adrien said.
"Really? Will you show what you got, when I'm home?" Louis was excited. It was really interesting for him to see his battles.
"Sure" his dad answered. "You did a great job today, by the way" he added.
"Thanks. I really hope I did. It's kind of hard to be you know who. But I like being him. Helps me to see eveeything in different colours. And than I start knowing myself better. I became braver and more confident. I even started to talk to Olivia more! And you have no idea how many times I embarased myself near her..."
"Who's Olivia?" dad didn't understand. Neither Marinette have ever told him about that girl's visits, nor Louis.
"She's err... Umm..." Louis couldn't finish. He didn't know how. She was his friend, but he liked her as more than that. He wasn't sure how good friends they were because she was used to visit his mother daily before school while during lessons she was around a lot of friends and every time she saw Louis and tried to talk to him, he felt like interupting her. Of course, she was always friendly around him and he was happy she wasn't two-faced girl who only pretends being nice. He was also glad she didn't treat him like Cornellia treated Martin. "Wait, you don't know her? Ok, I will tell you everything when I'm back" the boy finally decided.
"Fine. I'll be waiting for you at home then."
Louis felt Tikki digging his body while hiding under his jacket. The boy looked at his kwami questioning.
"Did you heard that?" she asked.
"Awesome. See you at home" Louis said and hang up the phone. "What did you hear, Tikki?"
"I think, someone is screaming." Her high piched voice was worried.
"Did you finish your cookie? Because I if I'm going to see what was happening, I may be not wery helpful being... Myself" Louis asked.
Tikki nodded and the boy found a little crack between the houses, big enough to transform, but small, to notice someone being there.
~~~
Hey everyone. I hope you liked this chapter, but I think I need to warm you. The next one will have an unpleasant scene of abuse. But I just want to show how unperfect our world is.
Besides, the monster of this chapter was inspired of my childhood nightmare. I had one because I wached The Caribbean Pirates when I was six. The monster in my nightmare had similar povers and looked like that, so I kinda wanted to put it there.
Anyway, the next chapter will be on Sunday, but it will be the last one before I make a break. I probably will continue before the end of January, but I'm not sure yet. So, don't worry, it's not the end of this book.