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Chapter 40: Heartstringer
Alix watched the sunglass case collide with the akuma meant for her.
Her dad was being unfair, but part of Alix knew it was only because he cared. She had screwed up, and badly, and could have been hurt a lot worse. It wasn't worth an akuma - and definitely not her friend being akumatized.
The transformation cocooned Lacy, the dark purple completely surrounding her before dropping away.
She now wore a sleeveless knee-length pink dress, that was styled like a cheap Greek goddess Halloween costume. The dress fell barely past her knees, and seemed to fade instead of end. She had the stereotypical Greek sandals, and a rose gold arm cuff. Two gold ropes curled up both of her forearms. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and though she didn't have a butterfly mask she had dark purple eyeshadow.
The sunglasses case had morphed into a bronze sword. Lacy walked over, picked it up, and placed it on her back like Wonder Woman.
"Lacy," Alix said. "Don't do this."
Lacy turned to her. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." She reached out, and her hands glowed pink. Strings appeared in the air. "And the name is Heartstringer."
She touched Alix's ankle, and a pink glow crept up her body. Alix could feel her injuries heal.
Heartstringer smiled, grabbed a string, and vanished.
Alim Kubdel was not happy with himself.
He had been harsh on Alix, he knew. But he had been so worried, and somewhere along the line that had come off as anger. At the moment, he was having to deal with a business dinner - badly timed, but necessary - but once he got back, he knew he owed her an apology.
He had only been seated for a moment when an akuma appeared.
"Lacy," he recognized.
"It's Heartstringer now," the akuma replied. "You hurt my friend."
Alim didn't argue. "I know. I'm sorry."
Heartstringer faltered. "I - huh?"
She reached out, her hand glowing, and her eyes glazed over, as if she was in a trance. A second later, she retreated.
Akumas usually didn't change their mind, but Heartstringer no longer looked angry. In fact, she seemed like she didn't know what to do next.
They stared awkwardly at each other.
And then someone spoke up.
"What is this?"
Heartstringer snarled as she stepped off the table.
"Audrey Bourgeois."
The woman in question was at the entrance of the restaurant, scowling at a waiter. She looked up at the akuma, and scowled even harder.
Heartstringer raised a hand, which was now glowing a poisonous green, and approached Audrey Bourgeois.
"Who are you?"
"Your worst nightmare."
Heartstringer bent her wrist, and the ropes around her arms unwinded. One snapped forward like a whip, wrapping around Audrey's wrist.
"You can't do this!"
"No," Heartstringer replied. "I am tired of seeing my friends hurt by negligent parents!"
She pulled on the rope, sending Audrey flying into a table.
The patrons of the restaurant had all scattered, but Heartstringer didn't care. She wasn't after random strangers - only those who had hurt someone she cared about.
Heartstringer approached Audrey Bourgeois, who was standing up and brushing herself off. Her hair was off-kilter.
"I'll sue you!" Bourgeois screeched.
"You can't sue people for their actions as akumas," Heartstring replied, readying her whip.A yo-yo hit her in the head.
"Leave her alone."
Heartstringer turned, adjusting her grip on her ropes in preparation to attack. Chat Noir and Ladybug were at the entrance, ready to fight.
"I don't want to fight you," Heartstringer said. "Just surrender your Miraculous."
"No," Ladybug replied. "I'm not going down without a fight."
Ladybug watched Heartstringer carefully. It was hard to tell whether the plan was working or not - Heartstringer couldn't just blurt out the identity.
Rena Rouge landed behind Heartstringer. Ryuko stepped up next to Ladybug.
"You're surrounded," Ladybug said. "Who are you even going after?"
Carapace landed behind Rena Rouge.
"Every crappy parent in existence," Heartstringer answered. "Gabriel Agreste, Tristan McClean, Ms Tsurugi. Maybe pay a visit to Lila and Drew."
Behind Heartstringer, Carapace's expression changed, and he tightened his grip on his shield. Chat Noir shifted his stance. Ryuko looked touched.
"This isn't the right way to do this," Ladybug argued.
"I don't care."
Heartstringer lashed out with her whip, and Ladybug dodged. Carapace, Ryuko, and Rena Rouge all moved in together, but Heartstringer was fast. Her two whips moved in sync, blocking attacks coming her way and proving to be a scary offensive weapon.
Carapace smacked his shield into Heartstringer's shoulder, toppling her over. Ryuko moved in to attack, but Heartstringer reached out, a web of strings materializing in the air. She grabbed one and disappeared.
Heartstringer reappeared behind Ryuko, slashing with her whips. Rena Rouge stepped in to block, and Ladybug threw her yo-yo and wrapped it around Heartstringer's legs. Ryuko twisted and caught one of the whips and sliced it with her sword.
Heartstringer teleported via strings again, and used her remaining whip to knock Rena Rouge off her feet. Carapace threw his shield, and it whacked into her face, just as Rena Rouge kicked out and hit Heartstringer's knee. Heartstringer stumbled back, and Ryuko took the opportunity to slice threw the other whip.
Heartstringer scowled and reached out. Strings appeared in the air, and she grabbed one and vanished.
Ladybug scowled. "I hate teleporting akumas. We need to find her."
Heartstringer had ended up on the street in front of the bakery, and Ladybug hoped no one thought too hard about that.
Pegasus and Viperion joined the rest of the heroes on the rooftop.
"We need to ambush her and end the fight quickly," Ladybug decided. "So she can't teleport again."
Heartstringer's whips hadn't regrown, but now she wielded a bronze sword. Ladybug had already pinged it as the akuma - and probably unbreakable without a cataclysm.
Ladybug gestured for Viperion to activate his powers, and held up the signal to attack. The superheroes all pounced.
Heartstringer startled, but reacted quickly. She slashed, parried, and dodged, just barely keeping the heroes away.
Ryuko struck, and Heartstringer waved her free hand and several strings appeared, trapping Ryuko. Heartstringer jumped up onto a string, and used it as a launching pad to jump over the superheroes. She landed on the other side of the superheroes, falling into a fighting stance.
Carapace struck first, smacking Heartstringer in the face with his shield. She stumbled backwards, barely managing to block Rena Rouge as she lunged with her flute.
Heartstringer smacked Rena Rouge with the handle of her sword, and knocked away a horseshoe thrown by Pegasus. Chat Noir attacked with his baton, but she waved her hands again and the baton was deflected by a string.
"These strings are becoming a problem," Viperion said.
"I think they're supposed to be connections between people," Ladybug theorized. "But If we can cut them -"
"Got it! Shelter!" Carapace raised his shield, the shelter appearing overhead and effectively cutting through the strings.
Heartstringer ran her hand through the air, revealing only a few strings remaining. And then she cursed.
Ladybug fist bumped Carapace.
"No more cheating for you," Ryuko yelled, attacking with her sword.
Heartstringer was effectively cornered, but she was still a strong fighter, and they were on a timer - if Carapace's shelter went down, would the strings rematerialize?
She had noticed that Heartstringer seemed super reactive - like her peripheral vision had increased. If she could test it out-
"Lucky charm!"
A bag of marbles fell into Ladybug's hand. She stared at it for a moment, before looking back at Heartstringer.
Ladybug threw a marble, straight at the back of Heartstringer's head. Heartstringer whirled around, knocking the marble out of mid-air.
"She has 360 vision," Ladybug said. "Rena, it should be easy to overwhelm her senses."
"On it! Mirage!"
It was one of her most-used mirages, duplicating the heroes to overwhelm the akuma. Heartstringer's eyes went wide, and her movement became erratic as she tried to fend off the illusions. Ladybug shot another marble at her, and this time it smacked into Heartstringer's neck. Heartstringer startled, allowing the real Carapace to smack her in the face again.
Heartstringer fell backwards, landing roughly on the pavement. She pushed herself back up, and stabbed her sword at an illusion.
The mirage dissipated, revealing Viperion. Heartstringer's sword had gone through the strings of his lyre, and he easily disarmed her with a twist. The sword went sliding across the pavement. Chat Noir caught it.
"Cataclysm!"
The sword crumbled in Chat Noir's hand, and the butterfly flew out. Ladybug caught and purified the butterfly.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
It wasn't like blinking and being somewhere else- Lacy knew time had passed - but finding herself on the street with no idea what happened was seriously disorienting.
She had been akumatized, she knew that. Something of hers had hit the akuma that had slipped into Alix's room. But outside of that, Lacy had no idea what had happened.
Was Alix okay? Had Ladybug's plan worked?
Ladybug crouched in front Lacy. "Are you okay?"
"Shocked," Lacy said. "Where am I?"
"A random street," Ladybug lied. "I'd take you home, but my timer's about to run out."
"That's fine," Lacy said. "I think I know where I am - oh, there's the bakery! I know the owners, they'll make sure I get home safe."
"I'm sure they will. We'll talk tomorrow?"
Lacy nodded.
The miraculous cure came and went, and Alix was still healed.
Her father was home within seconds, making sure Alix was safe.
"I'm sorry for what happened earlier," he said, once Alix had reassured him multiple times she was safe. "I'm not actually going to keep you from skating. I was just worried."
"Don't worry, I know," Alix said. "I'm sorry for scaring you."
"You're my daughter, it's your job."
Alix's dad ruffled her hair, and Alix shook her head in response.
"So can I start skating again?" Alix asked.
"We should do another check up," her dad replied. "And replace your safety equipment, of course. And I'll give you another safety lecture. But then you can skate."
I had so much fun with this akuma design!