Forty-One: Old Acquaintance, New Nemesis

Author's Note: A connection to a past akuma attack becomes apparent as Chat and Ladybug confront the mysterious force Alya and Nino had been contending with.

(I am so sorry at the late posting! Life interfered with my schedule, but hopefully I've still caught the worst grammar errors. And yes, this is a cliffhanger. Sorry (not sorry). -ep)

The Musée Grévin.

Just the name raised the fur along my spine and added to the low burn of fury that had been simmering in my feline soul since discovering the true nature of Alya's actions. I had avoided the world-famous museum as much as was possible, given I was also one of the most popular wax figures on display there. They had recast my wax doppelgänger multiple times over the years, allowing it to keep up with my own physical changes; Chat Noir was still part of the Hero's Corridor, but he appeared to be frozen in time, alongside the ageless Ladybug.

I had tried over the years to forget the akuma attack we'd fought off at the museum, for while we'd been successful at turning back Hawkmoth that day, I'd played a prank on Marinette that quite nearly derailed our friendship. We'd obviously gotten beyond that, but seeing the building appear on the horizon conjured up a barrage of emotions that I didn't really want to deal with at that moment.

So, naturally, I tried to bury it beneath a veneer of pure Chat. It turned out to be harder than I thought when I let out a menacing growl as I closed in on my prey.

"It's okay, Kitty," Ladybug said as we landed side-by-side on an adjacent rooftop. Seeming to read my mind and emotions much as she always could, she put a gloved hand to my costumed shoulder. "What happened here was a long, long time ago now – and we're stronger now as a result. You know that deep down inside that feline heart of yours."

I nodded. "It doesn't mean I don't still feel terrible about it," I said softly. "Not one of my finer moments."

"Chat, we were kids at the time, barely a year into being superheroes. I think you can finally cut yourself some slack – you've more than made up for whatever you think you did back then."

Ladybug was right; both of us had grown as a result of our outing that day so long ago. Nodding my shagging mane, I tried to paper over my emotions with some humor and trained my half-sly Chat smile on her. "Of course, I'm far more handsome now."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get this over with."

I leapt up and helicoptered over to the ornate roof of the museum; Ladybug followed on her yo-yo, landing nearly silently beside me. "Normally I would suggest splitting up, but I'm a little concerned that might be part of their master plan."

"Agreed," she nodded. "Especially since there are copies of us down there - though come to think of it, they've not updated that exhibit, have they?"

"No," I smiled. "I was thinking about that when we arrived. It's us as teens." I looked up with a smile. "I wouldn't blame you if you can't tell me apart from younger me. But there is a more recent version of Adrien down there."

"There is, isn't there?" Ladybug said thoughtfully.

I saw that Ladybug had that look she got when her Lucky Vision was kicking in and arched an eyebrow. "This is going to be interesting," I said.

"Yeah," she murmured with a growing smile. "It is." She turned to me. "I need you to de-transform."

I blinked, and felt my ears go straight up in shock. "Say what?"

"How long ago did you get re-cast for your wax figure?" she asked instead.

"About a month, I guess," I replied. "It takes a bit for them to get it painted but I'd assume it's on the floor now."

"Good," she smiled. "Maybe that little stunt you pulled on me will prove to be useful now."

"Milady, I have a feline I'm not going to like this."

"You're not," she replied with a kiss. "Now, de-transform."

Despite my absolute faith in Ladybug, I was a little reluctant to leave her without the benefit of my support. Fixing her with my masked feline eyes, I said very quietly: "Plagg – claws in."

Plagg appeared as the glow faded, took one look at the intensity on Ladybug's face and had the good sense to bite his tongue and instead slip inside my shirt.

"Good," she said. "It would have been better if you'd somehow worn the same outfit they have on you down there, but this will work."

"Okay," I said as she led me over to a skylight; peering over the edge, I could see we were just above the statuary hall, a massive room of pillars where famous personalities were scattered across the marble tile. "I know you have a plan, or are creating one, but do you want to clue me in a bit here?" I asked. "I feel a bit naked without my costume."

Despite the situation, Ladybug giggled. "Do you now," she said as she tried and failed to stop smiling. "I'm reasonably certain we've lost the element of surprise," she explained as she carefully lifted open the skylight. "This might help me get some of it back."

"Okay," I said, trying and failing to give her my standard Chat skeptical glare.

"Time to go fishing…" she said as she unwound her yo-yo. "Stand back."

I took a step away from the skylight and watched with bemusement as she tossed her yo-yo into the space below. Hooking something, she slowly started to reel her catch back up, grunting slightly at the weight.

"I'd help, but you asked me to drop my transformation," I smiled as I folded my arms and leaned against the opening.

"Very… funny…" she said between heaves. "I could… use a… hand…"

Laughing more, I moved behind her and wrapped my hands around the cable. Muscles happened to be a side benefit of being Chat, muscles that lingered beyond the transformation. Together we managed to make quick work of the task, and in short order I was staring at my doppelgänger, albeit on his side.

"Grab that jacket and then memorize the pose. I'll lower you to that spot. And then the fun begins."

"If you say so," I muttered as I slid the leather jacket off the wax figure. Wrinkling my latent feline nose at the smell of paraffin, I let Ladybug wrap the yo-yo around me.

She snapped open her yo-yo and pulled out a pair of earwigs. "Here," she said, handing one to me and then taking the other for herself. "So we can stay in contact."

"I'm never far from your heart," I smiled as I slipped the device into my ear.

"That I know," she smiled. "Ready?"

"Yes," I said as I slid over the edge.

Very slowly, Ladybug lowered me down; the moment my feet hit the marble, the yo-yo retracted and sprung back through the skylight with its telltale zing. "I'm going move around to the main entrance," she said over my earwig. "Be ready."

"I'm always ready, Milady," I said quietly as I put myself into the pose my wax figure had. Fortunately, it was a fairly typical stance: slight smile, twisted torso and hands in pockets. Years of modeling meant I'd have little trouble holding the position for as long as Ladybug needed me to.

"Someone's feeling frisky," Ladybug chuckled.

"Can you blame me?" I purred – at least, as well as I could without being transformed. "Watching Milady in action always gets my engine running."

"Not really the best time to be flirting, Kitty," she admonished good naturedly. It sounded like she'd moved into a large space based on how her voice was echoing.

"You know you love it," I whispered.

"Chat! Focus."

"It's hard when I work with someone so—"

There was a loud crash several rooms away, and I heard Ladybug grunt slightly as she leapt away from something. "Ouch!" She cried out.

"Milady!" I said urgently as I started to move in her direction. "I'm on my way!"

"Belay that, Kitty!" she replied. "I'm fine, just knocked my head against a decorative planter. But the good news is I'm headed toward you. Be ready on my signal."

Reluctantly I returned to my position, nerves taught at the continuing cacophony that was, indeed, getting closer. I knew I was on the cusp of calling for my transformation despite whatever Ladybug was cooking up. "What signal?" I hissed through my frozen smile.

"You'll know it when you see it," she said. "No matter what, Kitty, don't reveal yourself until then."

"Milady, if you're in trouble—"

"No matter what," she said firmly. "Got it?"

Fuming, I managed to growl out: "As you wish."

The crashes grew louder and then louder still until Ladybug came careening around the arched entrance to the statuary hall I was posing in. She'd managed to hide from me over the open communications channel how out-of-breath she was, but one look told me it had taken everything and then some to stay ahead of whatever was chasing her. Crouched at the corner of the archway, she tossed her yo-yo and sailed up and over to the far side of the room, still in my line of sight but keeping a safe distance from me. There she crouched behind a version of our former mayor, the bulk of his form hiding her svelte figure.

I was facing the archway when her pursuer appeared, riding a translucent neon green cloud of some sort of energy. Much like the glimpse I'd gotten in the abandoned subway station, the figure was shrouded in some sort of brilliant beam of light, though now I knew the light source appeared to travel with her – it was quite literally part of this villain's appearance. I felt my eyes watering at the intense brightness of the light and hoped I wouldn't need to blink.

The cloud moved faster than I expected, zipping across the hall toward Ladybug. Halfway across the space, the figure raised an arm and shot a neon green burst of energy at poor Mayor Bourgeois. In a fraction of a second, he was reduced to a puddle of wax, but Ladybug was a fraction faster and had already vaulted to another position.

"You'd be more of a match if you'd brought your partner," the figure said, that voice irritatingly familiar. "But I am powerful enough to take both of you down."

"What happened to you, Manon?" Ladybug said from where she'd landed behind a statue of Jagged Stone.

Hello again, Puppeteer, I thought, keeping my expression fixed. You didn't come through for Hawkmoth the first two times; here's hoping being on your own the third time isn't the charm.

Of course, we didn't know for sure she was under the control of Hawkmoth; based on the evidence we had so far, and what Plagg himself had told me, it was a solid bet she had somehow come into possession of a Miraculous – and not one known to our kwamis. We were in uncharted waters, but given my untransformed state, I was acutely aware of how much personal danger I was in at the moment.

I leaned into my still-simmering anger at what she had done to my friends to keep my body still, willing Ladybug to release me so I could drop into Feral Chat mode and finish this once and for all. If I'd had my tail, I knew it would be twitching violently in anticipation at sinking my claws into a good fight.

"So… you do remember me, Ladybug," the figure said. "I can't tell you how touched I am. I, of course, remember you."

"How could I forget?" Ladybug replied and grinned a very Chat grin. "We've had some interesting adventures together. But the question remains: what happened to you?"

"Give me your earrings and we'll talk," Manon replied.

"You know what my answer—" Ladybug started before she was forced to leap away in order to avoid another blast of energy. Jagged's torso melted like a candle that had been left to burn all night.

I started to hope I'd not be in the line of fire.