Ch. 27
A few more days have passed but none of the heroes could find the new monster. At that time a couple more people went gone to nowhere to find. Both Cat Noire and Mister Bug were worried even more. After they found out about the new monster appearance they both talked a bit and agreed that it must be hidding somewhere during the days, because it kidnaps people only during the nights. But it was the only clue they managed to figure out.
After one more pointless patrol Louis decided to visit Alya. Though it was dangerous for his seceret identity, his mother agreed her friend might had some information. It was really strange to visit her in the hotel because usually Alya was the one visiting his family.
When he entered the room, he found the woman working in a huge mess. She was writing many scripts at the same time. Of course, it wasn't all her superhero search, because without the fights, she didn't have much to write. So insted she had to write about something else.
"Hey... I see I interupted you, didn't I?" Louis asked steping in.
"Oh, no. Not really. There isn't much I did anyway" Alya answered and tried to clean up a bit. "Don't pay attention to all that mess. I just tried to understand why Plunksna stopped attacking with her monsters. I honestly think this is somehow related to all those people disappearances."
"Reqlly?" Louis pretended surprised. "And what have you found out?"
"Not much. I tried to track the place where she could be located and tried to compare the location with missing people. But it makes only a huge nonsense."
"That's pretty sad" Louis nod. "But can I see from where those people were kidnapped?" the boy asked and scrached his head. "So... I wouldn't go near those places. You know, I don't want to be kidnapped too" he asked.
Alya stared at him a little. She tried to figure out if he was saying the truth. Oh shit. She'll figure out, the boy freaked out. But Alya giggled.
"Yeah, Marinette would probably kill me if I tried to hide the map from you. Or Adrien" Alya said and gave the paper to Louis. The boy looked at it and saw the map of the city. At first it was hard to understand all the places and what was writen there but soon he recignized where he was fightung as Mister Bug, where the amok feathers were seen and the places where the missing people were last seen.
Louis gasped of how much happened during only a few months.
"Wow... You basically have everything in there" Louis said. "Would you mind if I take a picture of it?"
Alya shook her head.
--
In the evening he met Cat Noire again. It was her night to patrol, therefore Louis knew he'd be able to find her. Mister Bug had just called her with his bug phone and informed her where he'd be waiting. Not a long time after the athletic girl in the black cat suit landed next to him.
"Wanted to talk about something, Bugaboy?" she asked playfully.
"Yeah" he sighed. "I got some information about all the disappearances, actually."
"About time. This meow-nster is out there taking perple to hell knows where for around a week already" Cat Noire crossed her arms on her chest. "So, what do you have?"
Mister Bug clicked his yo-yo and opened the net where he put the printed copy of the picture he took at Alya's and gave it to Cat Noire.
"Wow... Umm.. How do you understand what's there?" she glared at the picture.
"It took some time for me as well, but you clearly can recognize the teritories, if you know the city. Some of them are really recognizable."
Cat Noire blushed a little. Though she born in that city, she spent too much time in Paris to remember the places. Besides, Vilnius is a huge city. It's hard to remember every inch if it. But she said nothing. This wasn't arguable. She was Cat Noire for a while now. She should know the places from the battles or patrols.
"...So it's clearly seen the teritory from where it's hunting down the people" Mister Bug talked but Cat Noire didn't pay much attention. Her Orchestra performance was comming wery soon, she tried to go over with Noah, but he still left a goodbye gift called amok, she also had to deal with Louis, because he was crushing her so bad, she didn't even imagines he was. And she sometimes cought herself daydreaming while looking at him. He so much reminded of Mister Bug to her and the knowledge he was the legendary heroes son made her freak out even more. Sometimes it was getting a bit awkward even being near his mother, but at the same time exciting and giving some adrenalin, because she had to hide all of this from Louis. But at the same time she felt how wrong this was. She understood why she had to keep her own identity a seceret, but that she knows his mother was Ladybug? That was like all of her other secerets.
Besides, things between them got a little weird. She didn't understand if it was just her imagination, but something changed and she didn't like it. They barely talked to each other, Louis was avoiding her and she seemed to avoid him too. And this was bothering her as well. If it goes for some more time, their friendship and everything else will slowly break into the pieces. And Olivia didn' t want to lose him.
Cat Noire also had a hard time resisting being near her partner. Being close to him, flirting and joking wasn't sinful anymore and therefore it started to feel different. She understood she needed some time to fully get over with her ex. She had to rest and overthink everything, so she decided to keep her feelings from Mister Bug for a bit longer, though it was hard to resist it sometimes.
And above all of that was her mother. She was traveling to Sweeden in a few days and spend there the whole week. After that she had to go to Paris and she wanted to stay there for a few more days. The girl perfectly knew her mom missed Otilia even though she tried to hide it. But Olivia didn't blame her - they both were her doughters and it's natural to miss her. But Olivia was sad because of other reassons. If her mother stayed in Paris she wouldn't come to listen the performance. Even though it was a bit lame since it was for the mass, but still she wanted her mom to come to listen her playing. Besides, when she'll be gone, Olivia will have to stay at Cornellia's house. This wasn't that bad, but she had patrols every second day for the last week and if the monster wasn't found, she'd have to think of something to sneak out. Besides, she'd be really distracted by Cornellia when she'll have to do her homework or practice for the performance. But she tried to hope that she'll be able to go through this somehow.
"But it's not far from the city center. I check those places during every patrol" Cat Noire commented.
"So do I, but our patrol doesn't end during the sunrise. The creature might goes out in the middle of the night" Mister Bug thought loudly.
"But where it can be during days?"
The boy shook his head.
"It's possible Plunksna does something to it. Or it found the place to hide itself. Maybe to sleep. Because it has to have it's place to hide all those people" the boy said.
"Ugh... It doen't make me feel any better" the girl sighed heavily.
"Yeah... But we have to think where it cauld be hidden. It shouldn't be very far from the centre ir even in the center itself" Mister Bug looked at the map again. "Hey, what if... What if it hides somewhere in the dungeons?"
"That'd be realistic. But are there any dungeons?" the girl asked.
"Have you ever been in The Arch Cathedral dungeons?" he asked.
The girl thought a little.
"If I was then I don't remember it."
"It has plenty of space down there. Though it's available for turists, there're some space which aren't prepared for them. There isn't any lights and therefore nobody can go to that side" the boy explained.
"So, you think it might is there?" Cat Noire asked. She felt a little better and her hopes for at least finish the patrol marathon will be finished. Of course, she loved being Cat Noire, but she barely was able to do everything in her daily life and the stress of staying at Cornellia's house was making her feel even worse.
"Possible. We have to check it anyway. It's posible that it keeps all the people out there, even if it's not spending days in those dungeons."
The girl smiled. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
"No, not now. We'll go there during the day" Mister Bug stopped her. "If it's not staying in that place, we'll be able to rescue the people. But if it's there, then we'll catch it during it's nap. It will be still sleepy, so we'll be able to defeat it easier."
"Meow-be you're right" the girl said and put her claw on her lip like thinking.
"But we have a priblem" the boy said. "I can't see in the dark."
--
The heroes agreed to meet the next day after school. Though they didn't know which one they were attending or when it ends, they still managed to agree with the time.
Before the meet Olivia decided to come back home and sneak out from there, so her mother wouldn't worry she was home. Of course, the woman was at work at that time, but Olivia's grandmother would surely inform her.
Meanwhile Louis tried to figure out how to be able to see in the absolute dark. He tried to talk to his mom and dad, but there wasn't much they could say. They never had to fight in the dungeons. They had tried to hide in the sinkholes, but there still was some light from above. And when it happened that the place lost the light, Ladybug was usually blinded and the only way to defeat the akumas were Chat Noir or her Lucky Charm. So, their confess didn't help.
Eventually Louis had to transform without any plan for that. He just had to hope the light from other places will reach where he had to go or at least that he didn't have to fight the monster in there. Mister Bug sighed just before meeting his partner. She was his only hope to succeed. Everything was in her hands.
"Why so sad? You should be relived we eventually finish it" Cat Noire smiled. She was positive about all of it.
"Let's hope we'll finish it" he glanced at her and went closer the Cathedral.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. We can do this. You can do this" the girl put her palm on her partner's shoulder with a sweet smile on her face.
"You seem really optimistic about this."
"Because I am. OK, I know how to help you" Cat Noire put her both hands on Mister Bug's shoulders. "Breath in deeply."
The boy rolled his eyes but did what he was asked.
"Now breath out." she said and when he did this she shook his shoulders a little. He quickly relised himself and steped back confused.
"You are ridiculous. Haw can this help me fell any better?" he asked but couldn't handile but giggle from her stupid therapy.
"It's not, because you're relaxed right now. And that's what I tried to do" she smilled widely.
The boy thought a little and smiled back to her. "Thanks."
"OK, then let's go inside and see what we have out there" the superheroine said and went to the entrance leading to the dungeons.
The place was really dark. They turned on a few lights at the main places, but it wasn't fully lighty anyway. Cat Noire gasped while going to the every room. She had never bern in those places, so it was really breath taking to see that there was some rocks and bricks from the old chirch buildings. She couldn't believe there was standing other buildings before The Arch Cathedral was constructed.
But Mister Bug tried to make her more concentrated of the mision. Since thete was some light in the places, he could lead the way for a while, so he had to push his partner away from whatever she was staring at. Though the boy almost started an argument with Cat Noire, she managed so keep herself cool and don't argue with him.
When they found one if the absolutely empty space Mister Bug just nod to her partner showing that was the right place. Cat Noire looked around. The space wasn't that huge as she expected at first sight. But slowly she noticed the colons leading to an absolute darkness. Her abitities helped her to see that there was something else out there, but she couldn't say how far it went.
The girl wanted to gasp but kept quiet. They both had to be super quiet in case the monster was there.
Mister Bug put his hand on Cat Noire's shoulder and showed her to go inside. The girl did what she was asked for. She went inside the darkness as quetly as posible, not hurrying, so her partner could understand where she was going. The girl looked around all the time in case she saw something. And she saw.
The girl stepped backwards confusing her partner. But soon he understood the reason of her reaction. He quickly took his yo-yo, but didn't make a shield from it. It wasn't necessary. Yet. The boy waited for his partner's sighn.
But she didn't give the sighn to fight. She took her baton staring in front of her. There was a giant bat reminding creature with eight legs and four closed eyes. It was hanging upside down on the thick spider-web. Cat Noire almost immediately understood this wasn't natural spider-web, so it must have been one of the creature's abilities. Also, it could fly, because it wad wings. Bad news, the girl sighed almost unhearablly.
She quickly opened the screen on her baton and typed that he shouldn't do anything before she give him a sygnal. She gave a couple seconds for the boy to read the bright screen and soon there was absolute darkness again. The monster moved a little but didn't open it's eyes.
The girl slowly leaned closer the monster leaving Mister Bug alone. She carefully started to walk aroumd it looking where it could hide it's amok. The girl noticed that there was a column exaxtly behing it and a bit further many cocoons. Cat Noire fully walked around the creature without finding the main object keeping it alive.
Cat Noire came back to her partner and put her palm on his shoulder showing she was back. He gave her a questioning grin and the girl shoik her head.
"Nothing" she murmured as quiet as she could.
But something groaned behind her. She looked back at the monster and gasped. The creature was looking at her with all four red eyes. It spread its wings and opened its mounth. Superheroine gasped and managed to push away Mister Bug bofore it shoot its web.
"It woke up, didn't it?" the boy glared.
"Sorry" she smiled awkwardly and turned back to the spider-bat monster. It was already standing on the ground looking at the heroes.
"We have to get it out to the daylight" Mister Bug said. "It won't be able to see there, besides, I can't fight without being able to see it myself."
"But the sun is almost gone. It won't give much of an effect to it. But you're right, Bugaboy, it's better for you to see" Cat Noire agreed. "But how?"
The monster tried to attack the heroes again and the girl had to push her partner, so he wouldn't be caught.
"Have no idea, but we won't be able to win otherwise."
Cat Noire sighed. Now she was really freaked out. She was the only being able to fight and Mister Bug was making everything more complicated. But she needed him. She couldn't do it without him. He was more racional there, he was the one coming with the plan and she was the one trying to save him. To protect him. But at the time she had to do both works and this responsibility was freaking her out. Not the responsibility itself, but how sudden and complicated it all was.
Cat Noire sighed. She didn't know what to do. She had to figure out something and fast. She grabed Mister Bug's waist and using her baton quickly brought him away. She brought him near the cocoons. When he touched them, he immediately understood what that was.
"Hide there. You can't fight anyway, my love" she said and blushed. Did she really just said that? Yes, she did. Oh no.
"What!?" Mister Bug's eyes widened.
"Nothing" she squeaked. "Just stay here, OK?"
She sighed hoping he would forget it afterwards. This was so awkward confession. In definetely not the right time.
The girl turned around and ran back to the monster which was going her way as well. The last second she fell on the ground and rolled to the monster's back, though on her baton was some of the web the creature shoot bofore she fell.
Heroine tried not to pay attention to this and ran close one of the columns. She wasn't sure it was a good idea, because it was the worst one, but she had to do something. The creature turned around and flew her side when she just smiled to it. She clearly saw something shiny on its chest before she used her Cataclysm on the column.
The whole place started cracking. The monster stoped and looked at the ceiling. Cat Noire knew it was going to fell, so she ran away. And she was right. Slowly but heawy cellings of the Arch Cathedral dungeons fell reavealing the inside of the chirch itself. But that wasn't enough. The Cathedral itself cracked too.
The creature screammed out loud. The girl had to hide her feline ears from that noise. It made everything crack even more. The girl gasped as some more of a ceiling was about to fell on her but the last second something grabed her leg and pushed her aside. It was Mister Bug's yo-yo. The light coming from the Cathedral helped him to be able to see again. Not perfectly, but enough to notice his partner being in danger.
"Are you OK?" he asked. "You know, youre as headless as ever" he said to her and looked at still cracking and falling ceiling.
"I'm sorry. Couldn't think of anything else" her skin burned. "But it seems, I managed to defeat the monster without your help."
"I'm not sute about that. Look" he said and showed the side where on the spider-bat fell all the materials. It slowly started moving and soon the heroes saw the creature again. It was even more angry than before and its amok was brightly shining on its chest without any brush.
--
Cornellia sat at home staring at her floating kwami named Lucci. It was still strange to have the miraculous on her neck, to have the little creacure called kwami close to her all the time to know being a superheroine nobody knew about. Well, at least for that time. She still hadn't try to transform, to use her magic to try the costume. Nothing.
She was afraid. She knew she could make everything complocated. Those heroes didn't even know about that miraculous exhistance. Her appearance would confuse them, maybe they wouldn't even believe she was a real heroine. What if they won't accept her?
But Cornellia couldn't stop thinking about Mister Bug. Would he accept her? How would he react? Will he notice it was her? Of course, she was still mad he had another girl, but maybe she could steal his heart by being a heroine? That girl isn't a wall, she can move away.
"You know, It'd be good if you at least try to transform. You have to get used to that. Don't be afraid. That doesn't hurt" Lucci tried convinve Cornellia.
But she shook her head. She wasn't afraid of the pain. She was afraid she will not be accepted. She would have to be someone else. Get used to the new name, new friends, nobody will know she was the YouTube star. She was afraid of being heroine. She was scared of all those monsters already, she had nightmares about them and only the thought of them made thousands of sparks go through her whole body. She was afraid to fail, that eventually she'll become a heroine who will have to be saved.
Meanwhile Lucci was more than excited about that. When Cornellia told her about Mister Big and Cat Noire, she couldn't stop talking and trying to convince Cornellia to join those two heroes. Cornellia had no idea why she was like that but this was terting to anoy her.
Trying not to pay attention to her kwami, she started looking at some buss trips to other countries. That was a nice idea to meet the New Year in the other country. She could make a new video.
But after a few minutes she received a new message. She lazily opened it and saw a picture of Arch Cathedral's falling roof. On the picture was written What a battle. It was Lina, who sent it.
"Wow, they must need some help, don't you think?" Lucci said.
Cornellia looked at the picture for a long time. She understood the heroes must have a really hard time fighting. Maybe she really could help a little. She had to go over her fears and be the heroine Lucci is expecting her to be.
"Fine. I'll go" the girl sighed.
"Yey!" Lucci got excited she finally won. "Do you remember the words?"
"Lucci, Lights On!" Cornellia said and in seconds her daily chlothes we changed into a strange indistructable dark colored material meterial. Her costume was dark grey with with dark pink long sleeved gloves. Hair were in a double Dutch braid, her bangs falling necely on her forehead. The girl niticed having a boomerang on her back which reminded her of wings, but she didn't pay much attention. She had to hurry.
When the girl got there, at first she saw a bunch of curious people trying to see what was going on inside and other pert of them were journalists who couldn't wait to finally see the heroes and the battle.
Cornellia took a deep breath and landed in front of the people. They just had enought time to gasp before the new heroine got insede the building. She didn't want to waste anyone's time. She had to help the heroes. That was all she tried to care even when she felt her heart freezing. In front of her was flying a giant spider-bat monster. It was facing its back to heroine, so it didn't see the girl come.
The heroes stood in the dungeons, so she couldn't see neither of them. Mister Bug wraped his yo-yo around one of the monster's legs and tried not to let it fly. The monster horibly groaned and tried to push away them with it's wings. Though Cornellia was in the other side, she still felt how strong wind could cause those wings. That creature was extreamly poverful.
Cornellia sighed and took her whole courage. She didn't have much left after she saw the monster. This one was even more scary than in her nightmares. Cornellia was about to cry.
But she tried to stop herself. She wasn't Cornellia anymore. She was a superheroine. She had powers. She wore a costume which was protecting her. She had nothing to fear.
Cornellia took a deep breath and jumped on the flying creature. When it felt something on its back it tried to drop heroine, but she strongly held herself. She yelped for a second when she thought she will fall in the dungeons were the other heroes were, but controled her fear and climbed a little higher where was its head. She wraped her hands on its neck when she saw something shiny there. Could it be that object? she thought for a moment. But there wasn't much time to think. She didn't have much time to consider such things, to look at Mister Bug's reaction or anything else. She was about to be dropped and therefore she had to show her worth before it happened.
With one hand she reached her boomerang on her back. It was in the same place Cat Noire has her baton. But her boomerang was different. It was a quite big one, which normally reminded of a wings on her back.
"Flame!" the girl shouted holding her boomerang above her and then a bright light lightened the place.
The heroes stared above them confused as the mysterious girl tried to reach the amok. But couldn't. But then she changed her mind and put the ends of her boomerang on its face burning it.
It screamed horibly but Cat Noire tried to shout louder.
"Grab the amok from its chest!" she yelled holding her cat ears.
The new heroine wanted to stop that screaming. She started crying from how horible the scream was. She started to regret of what she did and all she could do was look at the monster and think that it was screaming because of pain she made. But that felt good. She finally could kick the momster's ass after all those terrifying days when they were chasing after her, kidnaped her, when she got in the wrong place in the wrong time. Now she could show them where they belong. They belonged to be burned into a dust.
The new miraculous holder noticed someone yelling. She looked at the main heroes and saw what they both tried to tell her. They tried to show at the jewel on its chest. That shiny thing? the memory came back and the girl grabed and threw it in the dudgeons. Mister Bug simply cought it and crashed it with his feet.
When the momster was gone a firefly girl fell into dudgeons too. Though she had wings illusion on her back, she couldn't fly. Sadly.
"Ow" she squeaked but quickly stood up.
When Mister Bug purified the feather Cat Noire came closer and closely looked at the new teemate.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Co- um... Firefly" the girl said.
"You're the miraculous holder aren't you?" Mister Bug asked, but he didn't need an answer. "So that's what my Lucky Charm tried to show me" he said and showed a little red box with black dots and a stange symbol. It wasn't a symbol of Marinette's Mirackle Box, just a little similar to it. "Is this a symnol of your box?"
Firefly shook her head. She didn't even know how it had to look. The box she got from her granny was an old red heart shaped one, which most of the people have. That one was completely different.
Mister Bug blinked completely confused and threw that box in the air repeating everything into normal. But when he wanted to give his fist to bump Cat Noire shook her head and run away.
"I'm sorry" she said before turning into the side the heroes came some time before and at the same second she was gone they saw a green light. One second, and she'd have been transformed in front of two other people. One second, and her identity would have been revealed.
"Damm it. I can't see again" Mister Bug mumbled and turned back to Firefly. "Wow, I didn't know your costume could shine in the dark."
The girl looked at her costume. It was glowing neon white, her gloves and shoes light pink, but also shining. It surprised the girl herself, besides, she noticed ahe was also able to see in the dark. The girl smiled.
"I guess, I'll be able to lead you out of there" she said and smiled. It was like her dreams come true. In some way. Because she was alone with Mister Bug in the dark and he had no other option but to fully trust her.
"Fine" the boy shook his shoulders. He definettely had no other choice but to trust the new teemate. "Can you come at 9? We were used to patrol and I guess we'll have some things to talk about anyway. But now Cat Noire is gone and we both will transform soon."
"Sure. I'd be honored."
~~~
I probably need to explain some things. 1. The idea of monster I got not from spider-man or batman. It was actually the other cartoon 'Star vs The Forces Of Evil' which made the influence. If anyone had seen this cartoon, you may know what I mean. 2. I named the kwami Lucci when I translated firefly into French which means luciole. I don't really know if the translation is right, but if it's not, I'm sorry.
I'm not sure if I finish the final chapter on time, but I'll try my best especially when I have no lessons for two weeks because of COVID-19 virus. But everything can happen since the last chapter will be quite long.
