"Aah, this is so much better!" Raven groaned happily as the wind rustled her feathers. Now sitting atop an apartment complex a little ways from the school, the girl could finally relax. But her blissful silence was broken only minutes later by screams and loud crashing.
"Now what?" The teen groaned, moving to stand. But her aggravation was cut short as she saw that same stone being and others just like it, surrounding...
"Cat Noir!" Raven cried out, unhooking her grappling hook from her belt and giving it a quick spin. The three clawed device carefully caught the cat boy underneath his arms and pulled him out of the squashing he was about to get.
"Well thanks for that, angel~" The teen winked, causing Raven to blush. But she shook her head and tried to focus on what she just did: put herself in the middle of being a superhero.
"What's going on...?" She finally asked, her eyes widening in slight panic.
Cat Noir noticed the change in posture and quickly moved.
"Hey it's okay. I know you said you don't wanna be a superhero- I get it. That's fine, trust me!" He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, giving them a light squeeze. Luckily, the touch seemed to work and calmed Raven down. At her nod, Cat Noir continued.
"Right now the stone beings from yesterday are attacking and sadly we can't do anything to de-akumatize them without Ladybug."
"Ladybug?"
"Yeah- the other superhero. I don't know where she is but she's the only one who can turn the akuma into something harmless."
"Harmless is preferred." Raven sighed, lightly spinning her grapple in a lazy circle. Her posture changed as well, cocking her hip out and resting the other hand on it above her feathers. Cat noticed the relaxed stance and smiled, preferring this to the scared eyes from earlier. Watching the largest of the stone beings walk away, Raven turned to her new 'partner'.
"So I guess while we wait- we should take out the smaller ones?"
Without really waiting for an answer, Raven jumped from the roof, landing in front of the stone giants, cutting them off from the retreating civilians.
"After you then, my angel~"
"Save the nickname for later- and no that wasn't meant to sound dirty!" Raven screamed, her face flushing red as Cat just smirked. With an embarrassed eye roll, the female spun her hook and got the fight started.
Cat Noir couldn't help but watch Raven as she fought. Very much like her miraculous counterpart: she as light on her feet, quick with her hooks and the wings on her back carried her as if she weighed nothing... it was all such a difference from their first encounter the previous night.
But even with the two of them, the stone giants weren't going down- and definitely weren't going to vanish without Ivan being de-akumatized.
"If you can hear me, Ladybug- we could use a little help!" Cat called out, dodging a car thrown his way. Raven landed beside him, pulling her hook loose and taking a chunk of stone giant with it.
But as with a black cat, the unluckiness caught up. Another car was thrown towards a teenage girl.
'Crap!' Cat threw his staff, effectively knocking the car on its side but consequently trapping the girl between the car and the building wall.
"Cat!" Raven's voice screamed but the male was too late to react and was grabbed from behind.
He couldn't see it, but he heard the wind whipping before feeling three claws trying to free him, but the grip was gone as Raven let out a cry and the hook hit the ground.
"Raven!" Cat Noir tried to find out what happened to her, his own voice muffled by the grip, but movement of the stone giant renewed his struggles.
"Let me go!"
"Let go, you rock head!"
'Breathe, breathe...'
Raven kept reminding herself, as she struggled against the iron grip around her arms and chest. The grab caused her injuries received as Ella to spike, eliciting a cry of pain. Ahead, she could see just Cat Noir's lower half kicking in protest, and that the giants were headed for the Eiffel Tower.
"Huh?"
A girl in a bright red suit with black polkadots- Ladybug, Raven assumed- used the stone giant carrying her as a spring board, launching up enough to fling Cat Noir's staff at him.
"Cat Noir- extend it!"
With a click, Raven saw the cat hero slip out of the fist holding him and tumble to the ground. He was still for a moment, rubbing his head before his green eyes found Raven.
"Raven- hold on!" He leapt up, staff extending once again and hitting the joint on the wrist. With their own cry, the giant dropped the feathered teen into the others arms, before a yo-yo wrapped around the pair and yanked them out of the way.
"Sorry I'm late. Who's this?" Ladybug asked, cocking her head at the girl in Cat Noir's arms.
Raven groaned, rubbing a particularly aching spot on her arm.
"Raven, meet Ladybug. Ladybug, Raven." Cat introduced, not hindered by the fact that he and Raven were still suspended upside-down. "Anyhow, have I ever told you you turn my world upside down?"
"Oh- quite the jokester, aren't you?"
"Must this happen while we're still at grabbing height?" Raven finally chimed in, alerting the pair to the stone beings coming back for round two.
"Yeah- your comedic timing needs work, Cat. For now, let's get out of here." Ladybug decided, leaping away, pulling Cat and Raven with her up and over the roof.
Luckily, she pulled her yo-yo back, allowing Raven and Cat Noir to detangle themselves and leap along after her.
"Here- I figured you'd want this."
Cat Noir spoke as he and Raven tailed Ladybug, holding out the feathered heroes grappling hook.
"Thanks, and thanks for earlier." Cat just nodded before realizing they were running away.
"Hey! Aren't we gonna take care of those guys?"
"No- if we wanna end this, we'll go to the source." Ladybug answered, landing on the Trocadéro, the other two joining her.
"That one."
"So we're just gonna go up there and do what?"
"We've gotta find the akuma and capture it this time."
"Great. Sound easy enough." Raven sighed, spreading her wings and taking off, the other two following her lead.
'I don't wanna fight or do any of this- that's Ella talking. But right now people are getting hurt and I won't stand for that!'
As the trio got closer, 'Stone Being #1' tossed whom Raven recognized as Chloe at the ground, but the feathered hero decided to let Ladybug handle that yellow disaster- even in this form, she couldn't stand that girl..
Landing between the police and the tower, Raven studied the creature. One hand now free, but the other still holding a girl tight.
"We're clear to attack!"
'Wait what?!'
"Wait- no! Don't attack him- you'll only make it worse!" Ladybug pleaded.
"I have a new plan, unlike you! Move aside and let the pros handle this! You've already failed once!"
Raven snarled; this cop was being way too arrogant for clearing having failed himself.
"You say that as if you and your entire police force haven't failed already!" She countered, stepping up beside Ladybug. Said girl's crestfallen face rose to stare at Raven.
"Not gonna lie- we're new to this. And not perfect- so we're gonna screw up. You can't tell me you haven't screwed up in your life- your broken arm can attest to that. So instead of harping on us for making a mistake, let the ones who were CHOSEN to be the Miraculous users handle the situation- cause we're the only ones who can!"
Taking a deep breath, Raven turned from the stuttering cop to face Ladybug.
"And hey. We may not know each other yet, but trust me," Raven rested a hand on Ladybug's shoulder, whispering "Light the way" and letting Kiismet's power of 'fate sight' wash over her. Eyes glowing, Raven saw the path of Ladybug- seeing her grow in her powers and so much more...
"You are going to do just fine as Ladybug- the best one in thousands of years of history. Tikki must be so proud of you." Raven whispered, Ladybug's eyes growing hilariously wide at her words.