The next week went by in the usual fashion, if only a little awkward on Adrien's part. The idea of Ella being Raven still floated around his mind, causing to look at the girl a little differently. He watched how she was around others and how she acted in general, beginning to see similarities between his girlfriend and the heroine.
Was it all because he wanted to be with both of them? As Adrien and Cat Noir? Was his brain just trying to combine Ella and Raven into the same person just to satisfy his want to be loved by someone?
Shutting his locker, Adrien sighed heavily. He ignored Plagg's comment about being 'love-stuck' and slid his fencing helmet down over his face. Maybe fencing practice and the new member tryout would take his mind off everything for a bit...
"I think this one would be best for the first round. It has such a wonderful message and I'm positive it will impact the judges."
Ella nodded, circling 'Let It Out' and labeling it number one. The teen was in the music room with Mrs. Archaumbalt, picking the order of songs for the music competition, while she waited for Adrien to finish fencing practice. The older woman was still so thrilled Ella had agreed and wanted to work with the teen every chance she got.
"Let's stay away from that beautiful 'It's Ladybug' for now. There's a chance people who have heard it from the blog won't believe it was written by you and try to call you out for plagiarism. And second round is musical theater, so we have to pick a song in your range- and it can be a classic or modern so that allows for a broad range for you to pick."
"If I make it, I think I wanna do something from either Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen- like 'Burn' or 'Requiem'."
"You'll make it, don't you doubt yourself. But those are good choices. A little slow but very powerful." The teen smiled, happy her choices were approved as she etched those two songs onto her list.
"Can you sing a few bars of this one? 'Rain' from last semester?"
Nodding, Ella took a sip of her water before clearing her throat.
"Will the rain falling down ever find an ending
All this time I've been waiting in the freezing cold
Will the rain ever leave me alone
I wonder why it chose-"
Metal clashing just outside the doors startled the noirette, making her jump out of her seat to the floor. Mrs. Archaumbalt didn't comment or acknowledge the girl's embarrassment, getting up and going to the class door.
"What on earth is going on out here?" The woman asked a passing fencing student.
"Adrien's fencing with some stranger!"
'Adrien?!' Ella reacted to the name, getting up and running out the door after the noise. Following the clashes, she scrambled up the stairs to the library doors, where Marinette was standing.
"Mari! What's going on?!"
"Well-"
"Who got the first hit!? Who!?" The fencer in red demanded, pulling Marinette's attention back into the library. Ella frowned, passing her friend and going over to the fencer in white.
"What are you doing? Since when does fencing practice happen in the library?" She asked, reaching out and raising Adrien's helmet to see his face. The blond gave her a sheepish smile as Armand the fencing coach finally made it up the stairs.
"Who touched first? Tell us now!"
"I don't know! I think..." Marinette looked stupid uncomfortable with having to choose, but decidedly picked her crush.
"...it was...Adrien?"
Armand sprung to his feet, cheering about the fight being a victory for his academy. But Ella kept her eyes on the red fencer, who sighed at Marinette's words before approaching the pair and offering their hand to Adrien. The teen shook it, a look of uncertainty settling on his face as the fencer left the room.
"Are you sure, Marinette?" Adrien turned to the blunette.
"Uh...um...well, I'm not entirely sure. I mean, it looked like it was you, but it went so fast!"
Adrien frowned, taking his helmet fully off as he turned to his instructor.
"I think he touched first." Ella bit her lip and kept her face smooth despite her mind diving nose first into the gutter.
"The referee has the last word." Armand said, drawing a put-out expression from Adrien.
"Come on, Ella. I'm gonna offer him a decisive match."
"I'll meet you at the doors- my bag's in the music room."
Adrien nodded and ran out after the mysterious fencer, Ella following.
Adrien ran all the way to the entrance of the school, grabbing the abandoned red-handled saber from its spot stuck in the ground.
"Hey! Wait! Your saber!" He yelled, catching them as they got to their waiting car. He watched them throw their gloves into the open door before... SHE took off her helmet and gave Adrien an expectant gaze.
The blond halted a moment, surprised that the mysterious fencer was a girl, but he recovered quick.
"Let's do a decisive match?" He asked, his eyes falling to the ring on her finger- the monogram vaguely familiar... as Ella came panting up behind him.
"What's the point? You won. There's no such thing as a second chance in my family. Goodbye." Turning away from the pair, the girl got into her car, leaving the blond confused and the noirette worried.
"H-Hey! What's your name?!" Adrien yelled after the car, grabbing Ella's hand and pulling her after him into their own vehicle.
"Follow that car!" Adrien pointed after the red car. Luckily, Gorilla listened and drove off.
"What's going on, Adrien?" Ella asked, straightening up after the blond's abrupt exit. Adrien didn't answer, skimming through logos on his phone, stopping when he sees the one from the ring.
"She's the only daughter belonging to a family of prestigious fencers. Her mother and grandfather were both world champions. I've read about them before! She and her mother just moved to Paris! How incredible!"
"And? Is this all about the decisive match?"
Adrien glanced up at the accusing tone, realizing what was going on.
"Elle- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drag you in!"
"So you were gonna leave me at the school while you chased after the scarlet fencer?"
"I didn't mean it like that!" Adrien's head whipped around, scared he offended Ella, but the girl had a knowing twinkle in her eye that made the blond smirk.
"You've been teasing me."
"Just a little bit, étoile~"
All of a sudden, a yell echoed from outside the car. Adrien looked up and saw something white falling from the sky. A blade flashed through the car, cutting it in half. The two teens were thrown forward, colliding with the street. Adrien tucked and rolled, coming up to see a villain in all white... with the logo of the famous fencing family on their forehead. He gasped, clutching the red saber in one hand while his other reached for Ella.
"I'm taking you up on your offer of a decisive match!" The villain yelled, pointing their own saber at him.
"I- I can't fight you like this! You're not... yourself." He said, worried about the situation. He couldn't transform into Cat Noir- not with Ella there and not really moving, making him panic a bit.
"Fight!" The villain moved to lunge at him, but that purple butterfly appeared over her eyes, making her stop. Adrien took that distraction to move to Ella's side.
"You okay, Elle?" He whispered, earning a nod from his girlfriend. He helped her stand, just in time for the villain to turn her attention back to them.
"Understood, Hawk Moth."
"Elle- run!" Adrien took Ella's hand and tried to flee but Riposte blocked them.
"Where do you think you're going? Stay there. Nice and patiently. And who is this girl?! You're mine!"
Adrien flinched back from her, standing between the villain and Ella. Suddenly, Ladybug's yo-yo appeared, wrapped around Riposte's blade.
"How'd you like to start a duel with me?" She tugged on her yo-yo to disarm Riposte, but her yo-yo slipped off the blade, surprising Ladybug and making her stumble back.
"It's merged with her hand..!"
Riposte struck at Adrien, Ella and Ladybug, cutting a poster display beneath the heroine apart.
"Give me a moment, Adrien. I must finish her off, first! But don't worry- I haven't forgotten about you! I won't be long. And when I get back, I'll deal with that other girl too!"
The villain lunged after Ladybug, giving Adrien a moment to turn to Ella.
"Ella- run and hide."
"No! I'm not leaving you here! Especially if she's after you!" The noirette countered, standing her ground. Adrien groaned, turning back to the fight. Ladybug was being beaten back, forced to defend with her yo-yo.
"Don't let her close in on you! Fight back!" He shouted, throwing the red saber to Ladybug.
"Thank you, but now get out of here." The heroine called, muttering something else under her breath as she moved in to attack Riposte... but got knocked flat on her back.
"Watch out Ladybug!" Adrien shouted, diving at her and rolling the pair out of danger right before Riposte could skewer Ladybug.
"Adrien!" Ella screeched.
"Ouch!" Adrien sat up, holding his hurt ankle.
"Ella! Go hide- now! Are you hurt?" Ladybug ordered the noirette before turning to the blond.
"I'm fine." Adrien answered through grit teeth. That really hurt.
"I need to get you as far away from that girl as possible." Ladybug eyed the villain, the blade stuck in the street, while she spotted Ella still there, hesitating.
"Ella! NOW! I'll get Adrien out of here!" Ladybug shouted again, helping the teen up. Adrien lifted his gaze to meet Ella's, shocked at the heartbroken expression in her eyes, before the noirette turned on her heels and ran around the corner out of sight.
Ella's back hit the brick as she suppressed the scream she wanted to let out. Kiismet flit out of her pocket, eyes worried.
"Beany..?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine." The girl grit her teeth, fists hitting the brick hard enough to bruise.
"No you're not. You're upset and jealous. You're bothered by Ladybug's actions- cause you know who Ladybug is and how much she loves Adrien. This kind of reaction is expected for a teen in love-"
"Kiisy not now! Adrien's in danger! Touch the sky!"
Ladybug threw her yo-yo around a chimney stack and pulled Adrien close to her. She smiled at the teen, while he awkwardly smiled back. Behind them, Riposte managed to get her bladed arm out of the road. She lunged at them, but Ladybug carried them away. She picked up Adrien to land and set him down out of sight behind the chimneys.
"What kind of fencing was that?" She asked, kneeling beside him.
"Nothing like I've ever seen before." Adrien answered, but his mind was on Ella... and how hurt she looked- but why?
"It's going to be hard for me to fight and protect you at the same time..." Ladybug spoke, pulling out her yo-yo and hit Cat Noir's icon, "Where are you, Cat Noir?"
That got Adrien's attention again.
"Maybe he's busy?" He shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly, the chimney behind them was sliced into pieces, revealing the villain.
"Allow me to explain the rules to you- you're not allowed to call it quits at any time! Adrien is mine! I will defeat you. Both of you! I am the best fencer!"
"Nobody's denying that. My friend Marinette made a bad call earlier." Adrien spoke up, the pair standing.
"He's right. Referee errors can happen in fencing. You don't have to get so bent out of shape about it."
"I'm sure Marinette wasn't trying to humiliate you."
"Of course not! I mean, I'm sure that was the case."
"It's too late! The damage has been done! This time, I shall be the referee!" Riposte lunged forward, but halted when a grappling hook collided with her saber and a feathered figure landed between the groups.
"Who said we could have a fight without me?" Raven smirked, lazily twirling her hook.
"Nice timing. Raven, can you get Adrien out of here?" Ladybug asked, lunging forward to engage Riposte in battle. The noirette nodded, turning to find the blond... but he was gone.
"Adrien?"
Adrien limped away, his twisted ankle acting up, while Raven and Ladybug conversed. He moved, hiding behind a second chimney stack.
"You're sure taking some risks today." Plagg commented, buzzing out of the teen's clothes.
"Don't really have a choice do I? Raven and Ladybug need me. Plagg-"
"Adrien, you okay?" Raven appeared around the corner, startling the teen.
"Uhh, yeah, and you?" He blushed, that gentle smile on her face always made his heart race... it was almost the same as Ella's smile...
"Ella!" Adrien panicked, stumbling a little in his haste to move closer to Raven. He missed the startled look on the heroine's face at the name, however, "I don't know if she's safe! I should have made sure!"
"I'm sure she's safe, but I need to get you away from here. You're injured, it looks like." Raven threw her hook across the rooftops and pulled Adrien close. A loud crash alerted them to a change in the fight, and a second later Ladybug was at their side.
"You've got him, Raven?"
"Yeah. Let's get out of here." The two females jumped away, the blond holding on tight to the feathered teen.
The trio land at the Louvre, sliding down the Pyramid-shape to the entrance.
"Akuma alert! You must leave now! Evacuate the premises calmly!" Ladybug shouted, catching Officer Roger's attention at the doors.
"This way ladies and gentlemen."
While the civilians evacuated, Ladybug led the way into the museum. Raven followed helping the blond teen down the stairs, one arm around Adrien's waist and her other intertwined with Adrien's hand over her shoulder.
"A safe place, a safe place... There! Raven, this way!" The girl followed her team leader... to the sarcophagus display.
"Really? We can't find a janitors closet bigger than this?"
"Then you can go find one! For now, he'll be safe in here!" Ladybug reached forward, pointedly holding her hand out for Adrien to take. The blond hesitated, not fond of the idea of hiding in such an enclosed space, but the tension in the air between Ladybug and Raven was making it hard to breathe.
"I-I'll just hide here for now, Raven... it's alright." He finally spoke, gently squeezing Raven's hand. The heroine turned her storm-grey gaze to meet his, the color bringing Ella's name to his mind and almost out his mouth. But he stopped as Raven's frown deepened but she nodded, stepping forward and helping him into the display.
"Stay in there then, promise me." Adrien mimicked her nod with a gentle smile. Once he was "comfortable", Raven stepped back and reluctantly turned her gaze to Ladybug.
"I'm going up top to meet Riposte. Come join when you get your head on straight." The feathered teen snatched the saber from her leader, running off.
"Hey!" But Raven was already gone. Ladybug groaned, running a hand through her hair.
"...I take it you two aren't getting along?" Adrien finally spoke, the awkward air making him twitch.
"...we had a disagreement, you could say..." Ladybug offered a vague answer. Adrien nodded, shifting again the lay back in the sarcophagus.
"Be careful, Ladybug." The blond offered the words in hope she would get herself together and head up to join Raven in the fight, so he could transform and get his kitty rear in gear.
"Oh... I'll be fine. Thank you, and you stay out of harm's way, okay?"
He nodded as Ladybug closed the lid.