Ella collected her books and followed Adrien out of the school- right into a sea of pigeons. Above them, flocks flew in off formations like perfect circles and... planes?
"Umm... are we supposed to walk through them or something?" Ella commented, her eyes wary of the creatures she called 'flying rats'.
"How about this- I can go grab some food, and you can wait here if you want-"
Across the street, the news screen lit up with an emergency broadcast.
"Pigeons have taken over Paris. This is just one of the many alarming situations giving authorities cause for concern. Yes, I've just been told that someone named "Mr. Pigeon" is making an announcement."
The screen changed views to show a man- clearly akumatized- standing on the bars of the Eiffel Tower.
"Oh, dreary day, poor Parisians. Sorry to ruffle your feathers, but Paris now belongs to the pigeons! Flap flap!"
Ella's eyebrows furrowed at the pigeon noises the man made, realizing Raven might be useful today.
"Y-yeah I'll wait here... I'm not very fond of pigeons..." Ella spoke finally, backing away from the street. Adrien nodded.
"I'll be back in a bit!"
Ella watched the teen make his way through the birds before she turned and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. The little raven kwami zipped out of the skirt pocket, its eyes glinting in amusement.
"Knock that look off your face, Kiisy. You know I hate pigeons..."
"Oh I know, I know~ I just can't wait to see if you can actually mimic the noise, like a real raven!"
"Oh gosh- I don't even wanna try that! But we've still gotta get out and help. Kiismet, touch the sky!"
"Okay, now this is weirder than weird."
Ladybug stood on the rooftops, watching pigeons fly in airplane shapes.
"Birds of a feather, flock together." Came Cat Noir's voice up to the left. She turned as her partner sneezed and rolled down to the ledge at her feet.
"Bless you." A third voice chimed in, Raven appearing.
"Sorry, I'm allergic to feathers. And good afternoon, my angel." Cat purred, wrapping an arm around Raven's waist and pulling her close, smirking at the blush coating her cheeks.
"If you're allergic to feathers, how come you never sneeze around Raven? She's covered in them."
"They're not actually feathers... more like darts, I guess? I can detach and throw them. They look and feel like feathers, though, so I like to keep them intact. I think they make me look cute." Raven cooed, smirking.
"Got that right, you're my cute feathered angel." Cat replied but sneezed again as more pigeons flew overhead.
"That sneezing's gonna be helpful." Ladybug commented.
"Tell me about it."
"Like our own little flying rat radar!" At the shared look of confusion, Raven elaborated.
"I don't like pigeons..." She said, shrugging. Holding a sneeze, Cat smirked but spoke to Ladybug.
"These birds are only part of the problem. The park keepers in Paris are vanishing without a trace."
"What?"
"Then we have to track down Mr. Pigeon ASAP!"
"Where are we gonna find him?"
"I don't know but I do know where he can find us." Ladybug motioned for the other two to follow, ignoring Raven's comment about 'what kind of villain name is Mr. Pigeon', leading the way to the Place des Vosges. Luckily, there was an abandoned park keeper cap on the ground, Ladybug scooping it up quick.
"Here Cat Noir- put this on and stand out there. If he thinks you're a park keeper then he should come for you."
...Clearly not the case, as the trio were still waiting twenty minutes later. Ladybug and Raven sat amongst the trees while Cat Noir stood in the open. The poor guy was getting so bored, pacing and standing. Eventually he started whistling and dancing about.
"Act natural or he'll never show up!"
"If he hasn't shown up by now, he's never gonna." Raven sighed, smirking at Cat Noir's comment that his dancing was him acting natural.
"If all this is natural, I'd hate to see what your unnatural acting looks like." She teased, standing and stretching. Cat smirked, pulling Raven to him.
"Maybe one day, my merle (blackbird)."
Raven raised her eyebrows at the new nickname, her lips twitching into a smile as Cat pulled her around as if the pair were slow-dancing. Ladybug smiled at the scene before returning her gaze to the sky.
"Where is he? He should've been here by now."
Almost as if that jinxed it, pigeons began flying overhead. Feathers drop all around them, triggering Cat's allergy. The teen sneezed as a bunch of pigeons form a big ball around him and Raven, and begin carrying the pair away.
Raven shivered at the slight enclosed space, moving closer to Cat, who continued to sneeze due to pigeon proximity.
"Don't worry, Raven- you're okay..." he whispered between sneezes, wrapping his arms around her.
A minute or so later, the pigeons released the pair on the roof of Mayor Bourgeois' hotel, much to Raven's delight. And she couldn't help but giggle as Cat sneezed again, looking rumpled. Ladybug landed beside them, giving a once-over glance to make sure they were okay.
"Where's that bird-brain Mr. Pigeon?" Cat Noir asked, feeling a bit miffed.
"He's got to be here somewhere..."
"Speak of the devil and he doth appear..." Raven muttered as said villain rose up on a swarm of pigeons behind them. The telltale purple butterfly appeared on his face like a mask, signaling Hawkmoth was telling him something. After a moment, Mr. Pigeon sounded his birdcall and pigeons began circling the trio.
"Call me crazy, but I feel like bird seed all of a sudden..."
"Another reason why I hate pigeons."
The birds flew closer, forming a shield to keep them in; Raven relocating closer to Cat Noir at the movement.
"Got any bright ideas, bug?" Cat asked, reaching his left hand back for Raven to take while shielding his face with his right.
"You're the cat, don't you eat these for breakfast?" The trio guarded their faces from their feathery attackers, until a loud thud alerted them to a new predicament: a gigantic metal cage.
"Turpy day! I'm so ruthless. Now, your miraculous: give them up or face the wrath of my feathered friends." Another birdcall and the pigeons move: the ones on top of the cage start jumping, banging the cage down while those on the ground turn and point their behinds at the heroes. The teens blanche at the realization.
"Dada-dee, on the count of three, my beloved pigeons with commence fire. You can still save your sorry skins by either handing over your two miraculous, or by giving me the Raven's Wing."
"Not gonna happen..!" Cat Noir growled, pulling Raven behind him. Said girl gave him a confused look, only to blush at the fact that he was being very protective.
"One, two..."
"Cat Noir, the bars!"
"Cataclysm!"
Swiping his free right hand around, the bars rust and disintegrate. The pigeons fly away at the loud crashing, their leader cowering to the edge of the building as the heroes advance on him.
"Well, well. Looks like the pigeon's really a chicken." Cat Noir taunted, staying between the villain and his feathered partner.
"Me? I'm not flying away. I'm just killing two birds with one stone." Sounding his birdcall, the villain jumped over the edge of the roof. The heroes rush to the edge, only to see Mr. Pigeon caught by some of his namesakes and flown away. But before he went too far, his bird noises decided to send a ball of pigeons straight at the teens. "Merry Christmas!"
Rather than get dive-bombed by pigeon missiles, the teens run for the hotel roof door, darting inside and holding the door shut. The pigeons outside slam into the metal, somehow hitting it hard enough to create a large bulge.
"I hate those things..." Raven groaned, sagging to the ground; the other two following her lead, taking a moment to rest.
"Let's get to the ground floor. Maybe we can see things better from street level." Ladybug spoke after a few moments, the other two nodding and following her down the steps.
A few floor levels down, a beeping noise stops Cat Noir. He looked down at his ring, seeing one paw pad vanish.
"I've gotta get out of here before my secret identity's revealed!"
"Yeah, you wouldn't wanna let the cat out of the bag." Ladybug teased, continuing down the steps with Raven laughing behind her. Cat frowned, but followed.
"Ha ha, very funny."
"I thought it was!"
They finally got to the first floor, making to exit the building. But before they could get very far, Chloe's father ran up to them.
"Ladybug, Cat Noir! I'm in great danger- of losing big bucks if my guests leave Paris!"
At not even being acknowledged, Raven zoned out, watching Cat fidget and bounce as his ring beeped again: another minute gone. She gently nudged him to say something.
"Of course we are but before we do I have an urgent need." Cat interjected, partly answering the Mayor's question. The man looked at the feline hero for a moment.
"An urgent need? I see, head to the royal suite. There's paper in there, but perhaps you would prefer... a litter tray?"
Raven burst out laughing as Cat ran to the elevator but turned around at the indication that he uses a litter box.
"Uh- no, no need for litter. But could I get some camembert?" He asked as the elevator doors closed, Mayor Bourgeois looking to Ladybug in confusion. She shrugs before moving to Raven.
"For his... miraculous." Raven supplemented, trying not to specifically use the word 'kwami' around normal citizens. Ladybug nodded, understanding. Looking out the windows to the streets, she sees a still present ocean of pigeons.
"Navigating through there would be hard... maybe we should try a room further up?"
"Probably a good idea. At least roof level to see if the flying rats are going anywhere specific." Raven followed Ladybug to the elevator. The pair entered before Ladybug turned to Raven, who looked a bit uneasy at the enclosed space. It made Ladybug realize she's never actually had a conversation with Raven... but had front row seats to the girl's and Cat Noir's bonding/flirty moments.
"How come you hate pigeons so much?" She finally asked, pulling Raven from her thoughts.
"So many people think pigeons are smarter than ravens, which they're not. They poop everywhere and that can transmit fungal diseases. But they also flock around a person and peck for food... I had that happen to me as a child- scared me half to death. They got tangled in my hair and scratched my arms up. People happened to be passing by and managed to get them away, but... I can't stand them." Raven frowned, unconsciously rubbing her hands over her arms, remembering those sharp beaks breaking skin.
Ladybug nodded, watching her partner. Before she could say anything else, the elevator beeped and opened the doors to a grand dining room, complete with floor to ceiling windows.
"You watch the action-see where they're going? I'm gonna go find Cat Noir."
"Gotcha. Meet me back here."
The two parted ways as the doors closed again and Raven rode up to the top floor. She exited the metal box with a huge breath of relief and her heart beating faster than normal.
"Breathe, breathe- in, hold, out..." Raven muttered, leaning against the wall.
"Mon merle? Are you okay?" That familiar voice spoke from down the hall, drawing Raven's eyes up to meet Cat Noir's.
"I'm okay. Are you good to go?" Cat approached, his eyes still scanning her frame against the wall and her breathing slightly erratic.
"In a minute, angel. Breathe. Did you take the elevator to find me?"
Raven nodded, breathing in and holding it. Cat frowned, already knowing her claustrophobia was a bit higher than the average human.
"I would have met you and Ladybug downstairs. You didn't have to put yourself in an uncomfortable environment for me."
Letting out the breath, Raven smiled at him.
"It's okay, Cat. Putting myself in those situations is allowing me to deal with them. Trust me- I used to have crazy panic attacks if a room was smaller in size than this hallway." Cat's frown didn't move but he nodded.
"Are you ready to go join Ladybug? She's in the dining room on the fourth floor, getting a birds-eye view." Raven winked at the pun, finally drawing a smile from Cat.
"Bird puns, angel? Really?"
"You're not the only one who gets to make bad puns!"
With reassurance that she was fine, Cat Noir and Raven re-entered the elevator to go get Ladybug. Though, the feline hero wasn't completely convinced, and held Raven's hand all the way down. At the fourth floor, the door opened to reveal Ladybug watching the pigeons outside the window.
"Ready when you are, LB." Cat Noir called, drawing the unspoken leader to join them.
"Let's go."