Disclaimer: I don't own ML.
Power's back! I lost power about an hour or two after my last update and the worst of the bushfire passed that day. Since it was just yesterday with no power, I figure I'll upload yesterday's and today's chapters together. I also liveblogged the bushfire on my Tumblr, so there are pics there for the curious.
Thanks to Little Minamino, The Dimensional Reader, bunnywabbit29, The Keeper of Worlds, Malicious hero, Evander1435, Shiranai Atsune, acosta perez jose ramiro and yellow 14 for your reviews :)
"By the power vested in me, I declare you all my slaves!"
"Well," Rena Rouge says as the golden bubble that Malediktator is creating starts to expand above his head to terrifying proportions. "We're screwed if that pops."
"What's the plan, Ladybug?" Honeybee says, unslinging her trompo. "I can –"
"No, no, don't go charging in." Ladybug throws a hand out to stop Honeybee in her tracks. "This'd be so much easier with Chat Noir and Carapace. I'll have to…Lucky Charm!" A massive machine gun falls into her hands, and Rena Rouge and Honeybee's eyes bulge.
"Well, that's an effective Lucky Charm!" Honeybee splutters. Ladybug just snorts, detaches the laser pointer, then tosses the gun away.
"No way I'd use something like that," she scoffs.
"Are you sure?" Rena Rouge and Honeybee say in unison, eyeing the discarded gun longingly.
"Yep," Ladybug says. "Honeybee just needs to take the sting out of Malediktator. Rena, we'll need you on standby to make sure that Honeybee's secret identity is safe and that no one suspects who she is."
Honeybee grins and flips her trompo around her fingers with the string. "Venom!" she says once she's holding the trompo, and it starts to throb like a beating heart.
"You know, part of me wants to be annoyed that all I ever get to do is hang back and trick people," Rena Rouge says. "Then I remember how fun it is to mess with them when they don't know who I am. And how screwed this team would be without me."
"Just keep telling yourself that, hon," Honeybee tuts.
"We all know what we're doing?" Ladybug says before they can start arguing. Rena Rouge and Honeybee nod. "Alright. Let's go!"
While Rena Rouge ducks away to hide and Honeybee starts to edge around, Ladybug aims the laser pointer at the rooftop with Malediktator and his guards. Just as predicted, Chat Noir lets out a mew at the sight and starts to chase after the laser, and Ladybug can't help but grin as she guides him around to knock over all the guards like bowling pins.
"What?" Malediktator gasps. Honeybee takes this as her cue to swing out with her pulsating trompo outstretched and jab it into his chest. He lets out a choked cry and freezes in place like a statue, allowing Honeybee to grab the sash and throw it to Ladybug to tear it in half. Ladybug captures and purifies the akuma, then throws the laser into the air.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
The healing ladybugs deposit everyone back on the ground, and then Malediktator melts away to reveal André Bourgeois once everything's fixed. Chat Noir and Carapace blink and shake their heads as Malediktator's brainwashing fades away.
"Dude," Carapace groans. "What are we doing here?"
"Missing the amazing Ladybug and Honeybee saving the city," Ladybug grins and holds her fist out to Honeybee, whose eyes light up.
"Pound it!" she cries with Ladybug.
"I really can't be Queen Bee again, huh?" Chloé emerges from a nearby alleyway with a wistful look on her face as she takes in the sight of Honeybee. For a moment, Ladybug has no clue what's going on, until she looks around for the missing Rena Rouge and then remembers her instructions to her teammate.
"Sorry, Chloé," she says, keenly aware of André and Audrey Bourgeois watching from nearby. "But Paris knows your secret identity. I can't allow you to be Queen Bee again for the safety of you and your family."
'Chloé's' mouth droops. "I understand, Ladybug. And…I'm sorry about the mess I caused."
Honeybee shifts on the spot at her illusion self's words. Ladybug smiles and says, "Apology accepted, Chloé. Thank you for being brave enough to own up to your mistakes."
"Want me to take her back to the school?" 'Rena Rouge' leaps down to land next to 'Chloé', in a mimicry of the same trick that had been pulled with the illusion Marinette earlier. "I didn't have to use my power, so I'm not gonna time out."
"That'd be awesome, Rena," Ladybug says. "Thanks. Chat and I will stay here and brief with Honeybee."
'Rena Rouge' scoops 'Chloé' up and bounds away, while André and Audrey start to bicker – or, to be more accurate, Audrey starts to tear into André while he cowers.
"Thanks for trusting me to help, Ladybug," Honeybee says once Carapace has also leapt away. "Here, I'll duck into this alleyway and take the Miraculous off –"
"No need," Ladybug says. "You passed the test…Chloé." She says Chloé's name in a whisper that only Honeybee and Chat Noir can hear.
"The what?" Honeybee' eyes bulge, while Chat Noir blinks and turns to look at where 'Rena Rouge' had disappeared with 'Chloé'. After a moment, his face clears at the realisation.
"We test all our newbies to see if they'll give it back when we ask," he says. "And I'm guessing milady tested you more to make sure we could trust you with a Miraculous again."
"Welcome to the team, Honeybee," Ladybug smiles. "But Chat and I are responsible for you, so if you blow this second chance –"
"I won't! I won't!" Honeybee practically leaps ten feet in the air. "Thank you, Ladybug, thank you! See you next time!"
"Huh," Chat Noir comments as Honeybee jumps away. "She doesn't make a half-bad hero."
"Pollen will be a good influence," Ladybug says, then grimaces when her earrings beep. "Well, that's my cue. I gotta recharge and hand out the Dragon. I think that'll be our team for the time being, until Master Fu's comfortable with handing out more zodiacs than just the Dragon. I know we've already pushed it, giving out all the working Wu Xing ones."
"Good idea," Chat Noir says. "Message me who gets it tonight, okay?"
"Of course, kitty," Ladybug says. "Oh, can you drop by Chloé's and get an email address from her so we can add her to the group chat?"
Chat Noir bows and says, "It would be my purrleasure, milady." He takes off before Ladybug can scold him, leaving her to sigh loudly and duck into the nearest alleyway to detransform and refuel Tikki. Then she's once again swinging through Paris, towards the small Tsurugi mansion with a sleek red car parked in front of it; although she's never actually been to Kagami's house, she certainly knows where it is, at least, thanks to Adrien. But she doesn't know which room is Kagami's, so she's forced to take a quick peek inside each window until she finally stumbles across Kagami sitting at a desk, clearly deep in her homework. Kagami looks up at the tap on her window, and her eyes widen when she catches sight of the superhero dangling outside.
"Ladybug? Is everything alright?" Kagami says after rushing over to open the window. Ladybug slips inside and stares around at the room, marvelling at how it's just so…Kagami. The walls and massive king bed are a deep red colour, the carpet is soft and black, the desk is made of rich, dark wood, and there are several decorations such as a Japanese flag on one wall, a few fencing trophies on a dark wooden shelf, and some photos pinned to the wall above her desk. A closer look reveals to Ladybug that these photos are of her – well, Marinette – and Adrien, cut from photoshoots and magazine articles, such as the article that had covered Marinette's hat at the Agreste fashion show.
Oh. Wow. Kagami must really care about them…
"I know it's not ideal, only having staged photos of them," Kagami says as she draws level with Ladybug. "But they're my friends, so I figure the circumstances behind the photos don't matter."
"Maybe you could take photos with them?" Ladybug says.
"I suppose…"
"From what I hear, you're a very direct person. Why hesitate now?"
"It's just…" Kagami sighs and looks away. "I've never had friends before. I don't know what's appropriate and when it's appropriate. If I make a wrong move, how do I know I won't lose them? Unlike fencing, I don't get to come back for a rematch. And unlike fencing…I don't know how to navigate this."
"Oh." Ladybug reaches out to rest a hand on Kagami's arm. "Can I tell you something? I'm inexperienced when it comes to friends as well."
"Impossible. You're Ladybug. You're sweet and charismatic. Me? I'm just an awkward autistic girl who only knows how to stab people."
"You're autistic?" Ladybug gasps. "So am I!"
"What?" Kagami's head whips around to stare at Ladybug. "You – but you're –"
"An awkward mess outside the mask," Ladybug says and squeezes Kagami's arm. "I mix my words up all the time. I melt down and flip out whenever I'm really stressed or losing control of the situation. I have to plan out what I'm going to say before I talk to people about important stuff, otherwise I turn into a blabbering mess. I have to bounce or fidget or do anything to stim because I can't sit still. I'm clumsy. I'm obsessed with fas – uh, my special interests. I can never seem to be where I should be because I just can't manage myself, even before I became Ladybug."
"Oh." Kagami tilts her head and ever so slowly reaches out to pat Ladybug on the shoulder stiffly. "You get it. I have to script my conversations as well. And…well, I don't have meltdowns and I'm very organised, but…mostly because Mother would be extremely disappointed in me."
"Yeah. Masking," Ladybug says. "It's kind of ironic, you know. I'm wearing a mask as Ladybug, but it's the one time when I'm not masking at all. Like, I have to be the saviour of Paris, the role model for everyone…but I can also just be freely autistic because, well, who can tell me to stop fidgeting? And my main responsibility is fighting the akumas, which I don't need to plan for in advance or work into a schedule."
"Wow…" Kagami's soft smile is genuine. "I can't believe it. You really get it."
"Yeah," Ladybug says. "So, trust me when I say that asking your friends for photos isn't a wrong move. And if you do mess up, you have to trust that they'll call you out for it. That's what friends do. But they won't leave you because of a mistake."
"Thank you, Ladybug," Kagami says. "Just…thank you." Then she squares her shoulders and slips back into business mode and says, "But why are you here? I doubt that you visited me just to give me advice."
"You're right," Ladybug says. She swipes open her yo-yo and pulls out a little box. Kagami's eyes widen and her mouth falls open. "We were hoping that you'd join the team and fight alongside us."
"M-Me? I mean, it's an honour to be offered the chance to fight alongside you, but why me?"
"Because you're strong and terrifying with a sword," Ladybug says. "But you also crave freedom, just like Chat. You're kind and loyal and helpful and always do your best to do the right thing, even if you struggle to properly interact with people. And those are the qualities that make a hero. So, Kagami Tsurugi, if you're willing, here is the Miraculous of the Dragon, which will grant you the power over the elements of the storm. You will use it for the greater good, to protect Paris and have your teammates' backs."
For a moment, Kagami just stares at the box. But before Ladybug can start to panic, Kagami nods and takes it and snaps it open, then gasps and shuts her eyes against the brilliant red light that pours out of it.
"Greetings, young lady, and good day to you!" says the little red dragon kwami that materialises in front of Kagami. "Fear not! I am Longg, the Dragon kwami."
"You're a what?" Kagami says after a moment.
"A kwa-mi," Longg says. "Allow me to tell you about the many feats a magic being like myself will help you accomplish once the magic words have been spoken!"
"She's more of a direct learner, Longg," Ladybug says as Kagami slips on the beaded choker.
"Ah," Longg says. "A woman of action. Very well, then. All you must say is, "Longg, bring the storm" and you will –"
"Longg, bring the storm!" Kagami says, and Longg is sucked into the choker in a blur as red light envelops her. Kagami's superhero outfit turns out to be a tight, scaly, dark red suit with black shoulders and upper arms, both of them made of black scaly armour with golden trim spiralling along and down to her elbow-length red gloves with golden trim. Two gold-accented black dragons coil around her legs, with their tails fading into boots and their heads meeting and intertwining around her stomach, and a gold and red dragon's tail flows out of the back of her suit. A circle divided into swirling thirds sits on her chest, with a little elemental symbol in each third, and she has short red dragon horns with gold and black accents sticking out of her windswept black hair, and a red mask with gold and black lightning bolts extending from the bottom. Her eyes, previously light brown, have turned to dark brown with gold sclerae.
Okay. Bad Ladybug. Stop staring. Stop it.
"I love the armour," Ladybug says, and Kagami runs a hand over the scales on her shoulder.
"I know that the suits are magic, but I always feel safer when I've at least got a little armour on," Kagami says.
"What should I call you?"
"Hmm…Ryuuko. My name is Ryuuko."
"Well, Ryuuko…" Ladybug crosses over to the open window and smiles back at Ryuuko. "Let's go for a little evening stroll."
[10:46 pm] Honeybee has joined miraculass.
catitude: welcome to hell
catitude: i mean
catitude: nice work today thanks for saving us
[10:47 pm] Ryuuko has joined miraculass.
Ryuuko: Hello
ladyBIrd: hey
catitude: sup
Honeybee: ew who named this chat
mess w turt u get hurt: rena
what does the fox say: hey
what does the fox say: it's a great name
ladyBIrd: …it grows on you
Honeybee: KNFLKDSMNZBXCKCLKSDHFOA;SLD
Honeybee: LADYBUG HI
what does the fox say: pfft
what does the fox say: gtfo with your keysmashing i was here first
Honeybee: fuck off
what does the fox say: wow rude
[10:49 pm] what does the fox say set Honeybee's name to honeybeetch.
honeybeetch: omg
honeybeetch: i hate you
ladyBIrd: I think it's kind of funny
honeybeetch: asdfghjkl of course
honeybeetch: it's perfect
what does the fox say: lol desperate
honeybeetch: the only reason i'm not gonna fuckin deck you
honeybeetch: is bc i'll lose my miraculous
honeybeetch: that and pollen will give me the look of disapproval
catitude: don't you mean
mess w turt u get hurt: nO DONT
catitude: beecause?
Ryuuko: I'd like to leave, thanks
honeybeetch: where are u
honeybeetch: i've got venom ready n everything
catitude: :)
ladyBIrd: Chat, you're grounded
catitude: :(
honeybeetch: wait
honeybeetch: laDYBUG IS BI
honeybeetch: AJSDHLDSKJ
what does the fox say: don't even think about it
what does the fox say: i was here first and i have dibs
honeybeetch: actually fite me
honeybeetch: you think your illusions will do shit when i sting you
ladyBIrd: I've got a boyfriend, so
ladyBIrd: and there's a girl above both of you on my list
what does the fox say: :(
honeybeetch: :(
catitude: :)
mess w turt u get hurt: istg i don't understand why chat reacts half the time
catitude: 0:)
[10:53 pm] catitude has set Ryuuko's name to airhead
airhead: Are you asking for death?
airhead: Because I have a sword and I'm intimately familiar with how to wield it
honeybeetch: omg i hate everyone here
honeybeetch: except lb of course
[10:56 pm] direct messages
Chat Noir: so
Chat Noir: ryuuko?
Ladybug: Kagami
Chat Noir: omg yes i love
Chat Noir: but i gotta ask
Chat Noir: why give Chloe another chance?
Chat Noir: not that i want her to fail
Ladybug: she's proven she really does want to change
Ladybug: she even apologised to Marinette and everything
Ladybug: granted, it was an illusion by Rena
Ladybug: but she still passed the test
Chat Noir: i mean
Chat Noir: i'm glad you gave her this chance
Chat Noir: i guess i just don't want her to let us down again
Chat Noir: especially with the miraculous
Ladybug: the Bee will be perfect for her
Ladybug: I know it
Chat Noir: true
Chat Noir: bee works best with someone with potential for growth
Chat Noir: sting for the greater good and remain warm without burning out of control and all that
Ladybug:ok, how do you remember that?
Ladybug: that was months ago
Chat Noir: i have a near-purrfect memory
Ladybug: does your autocorrect recognise all your puns?
Chat Noir: actually
Chat Noir: yeah
Chat Noir: don't me
Ladybug: :)
Chat Noir: :(
Chat Noir: wait does that mean rena knows honeybee
Ladybug: it was unavoidable
Ladybug: I needed her Mirage
Chat Noir: oof
Chat Noir: thank god she doesn't know our ids
Ladybug: haha, yeah
Ladybug: I'm gonna DM Honeybee before I sleep
Ladybug: night, kitty 3
Chat Noir: night bugaboo 3
[11:02 pm] direct messages
Ladybug: Hi, Honeybee
Honeybee: ASKJFDSL;KGLDKFG
Honeybee: HI LADYBUG
Ladybug: you don't have to freak out
Ladybug: it's just me
Honeybee: yeah but
Honeybee: i'm in a gc
Honeybee: with LADYBUG
Honeybee: and i'm a SUPERHERO
Honeybee: pollen's trying to take my phone help
Ladybug: lol
Honeybee: so like
Honeybee: not that i'm ungrateful
Honeybee: but why me
Honeybee: why not marinette
Honeybee: she was right there
Honeybee: and she didn't mess up and out herself to paris
Ladybug: for one, she told me she's got a pretty busy schedule
Ladybug: for another
Ladybug: I guess I just remembered our conversation about your mother
Ladybug: and I knew there was potential there if I just teased it out
Ladybug: because you really have been trying, even if you slip up
Honeybee: i just
Honeybee: it's easier to push ppl away
Honeybee: i have to tell my mother to fuck off tmrw and
Honeybee: i'm kinda losing my shit rn so
Ladybug: you can do it, Chloe
Ladybug: she's a toxic influence
Ladybug: and she's stunting your potential for growth
Honeybee: ik ik
Honeybee: pollen said it's like pruning the weeds to let the flowers bloom?
Ladybug: yep
Ladybug: kwamis are pretty wise
Ladybug: Pollen will help and support you
Ladybug: and you've got the group chat
Ladybug: you're not alone, Chloe
Honeybee: 3
Ladybug: 3
Honeybee: ASLKFHSDLK