"Umm.. could you repeat that ma'am?"
Ella's brain didn't process the request the first time, still rebooting from the initial shock: currently at 67 percent.
"There is a city-wide music competition occurring next March, so it being end of November, you would have a good three months to prepare-"
"Ma'am?"
"Oh yes, Ella- I would like to make you my nomination for the competition. You show real talent with writing your own music and your voice is beautiful. This competition would be a wonderful chance for you to showcase your talent and maybe be able to pursue a further future within music." Mrs. Archambault smiled at the end of her request, unaware that Ella's brain had frozen on a 84 percent reloading screen. She didn't even process Chloé running out of the classroom to her right or Mrs. Archambault's comments to the blonde girl before she turned back to the noirette.
"Just let me know your decision by the end of the day, Ella- the nominations are due the day after tomorrow. Now, I've written a pass for you to work on some songs with me, so your other teachers know you won't be in classes for the rest of the day."
95 percent rebooted.
"Umm... okay, ma'am..."
"Great! Let's head to the music room then!"
100 percent restarted and the request fully sank in.
Once the music door shut, Ella excused herself to have a proper freak out in the recording studio. She pulled out her phone, sending frantic texts to Adrien asking what she should do. But after the fifth text, and no answer, Ella groaned.
"What do I do?!"
"Besides go through with the competition?"
"Not helping, Kiisy." The kwami ignored the comment, floating in front of Ella's face.
"You've got a beautiful voice and have this opportunity to share it. It's not for three months so you have time to prepare mentally. You can do this, Elly-bean. I know you can!"
The teen stared at her kwami for a few silent seconds before letting out a sigh and nodding.
"Worst case scenario: drop out if I panic and just disappoint you and Mrs. Archambault."
"Ella!"
The girl rejoined her teacher in the music room by the piano and shared some of the songs she was comfortable with sharing as well as some that weren't finished but were just 'puff pieces' for assignments. The older woman picked out a variety of songs, both from Ella's personal journal and from the ones the girl turned in. The afternoon moved quick, the bell ringing at the end of the day after what only seemed like a few minutes.
"Thank you so much for agreeing to participate, Ella! This is going to be a good step forward into your music future, I promise." Mrs. Archambault smiled gently at the girl; she really believed with the right push, this teen could take the music world by storm.
"I'll try not to let you down, ma'am..."
"There's no way you'll be able to. I am so proud of you already for agreeing to do this."
Ella sighed, heading over to the park; she needed a few minutes. Hiding her bag in the carousel hut, the girl ducked out of sight and nudged Kiismet from her pocket.
"Come on, Kiisy. Time for a little fresh air. Kiismet- touch the sky!"
It wasn't even a minute after Raven took off into the air, heading for the Trocadéro. As she oriented herself in the sky, her grappling hook rang.
"Bugaboo?"
"Finally! Cat Noir and I've been calling you for the last two hours! We had one akuma attack we resolved but Hawkmoth's released another- this time it's Chloé Bourgeois."
"Ew."
"She's calling herself Antibug-"
"Dark version of you?"
"Yes- now focus. Get over to the Grand Paris Hotel as quick as possible."
"Yes ma'am!"
Hanging up, Raven changed directions; the hotel only a few kilometers from her.
"We've got an emergency here. I'm about to change back." Ladybug frowned, her Miraculous beeping incessantly.
"Go ahead, I can take care of her. Angel should be here soon, too."
"Look at that. She's nothing without Cat Noir." Antibug taunted, earning a growl from Ladybug.
"We'll see each other again soon, trust me!" The spotted heroine ran off, her eyes catching sight of Raven approaching.
"Looks like it's just you and me now, Antibug."
"Don't forget about me!" Raven called, landing beside her partner. Cat smirked at her, winking before turning his attention back to the villain.
"I love a good catfight- but I hate birds!"
"Guess you didn't know that birds eat bugs like you!" Raven darted forward, flinging her hook at the approaching yo-yo. The weapons collided and deflected off each other, leaving an opening for Cat to pounce forward with his staff. Antibug managed to dodge.
The trio jumped and fought all the way up the building. Getting to the balcony of Chloé's room, it almost looked as if Raven and Cat could get Antibug under control...
"Buzz off, you mangy bird!" Antibug yelled, her yo-yo catching Raven around her right wing and flinging her into the wall. Cat froze at the sound the girl's head made against the cement, watching her crumple to the ground.
"RAVEN!"
Marinette, luckily finding a cookie for Tikki to eat, snuck into Chloé's room and out onto the balcony. The girl had to stifle her gasp at the sight.
On Chloé's balcony below her, Marinette sees Cat Noir had his arms, hands and feet tied up to his staff and dangling over the edge of the building, stopped by Antibug standing on top of the other end of the staff. Against the wall behind them, Raven laid in a heap- unconscious with a little trail of blood on her forehead.
"Hurry up Tikki!"
"I'm eating as fast as I can!"
"Aren't you tired of playing second fiddle to Ladybug?"
"And aren't you tired of copying Ladybug?!"
"Team up with me, Cat Noir!" Antibug continued, ignoring Hawkmoth's yell to grab the Raven Miraculous while the heroine was vulnerable.
"Never! Not with a fake like you. Ladybug, Raven and I are a team!"
Antibug growled, bouncing the staff, making it wobble dangerously over the edge.
"I know you can hear me Lady-brat, wherever you are. You're going to have to choose. If you want to keep Cat Noir alive or hold of the Raven's Wing Miraculous, you'll have to give me your Miraculous. And if you refuse, well then, take a good look at Cat Noir, because this will be the last you'll ever see of him. I'm going to count to ten! One!"
"Uh… could you make that 20?" The hero asked, not enjoying the bouncing or staring at the ground a hundred feet away.
"Two!"
"I need more time! Go save Cat Noir, Marinette!"
"But I can't transform!"
"You are Ladybug, with or without the costume!"
"I think I'd know if I was able to…"
"Three!"
"I'm giving you advice, now take it! Don't make the same mistake twice!" Tikki nearly screamed, resolving Marinette's determination. Looking around, nothing really stood out to the teen until she looked down at her phone.
"Got an idea!"
"Four!"
" 'Cat Noir and I, we're an unstoppable team.' "
"Ladybug…" Antibug secured Cat Noir's staff with a couch and went off to find Ladybug. Cat Noir sighed, relieved that Antibug was gone for the time being. He couldn't see Raven, worry racing through his chest. What he didn't see, was Marinette sneaking around. She pulled the staff back enough to start untying the ropes. Once the teen was free, Marinette vanished back inside, hiding just in time to avoid Antibug re-appearing.
"So, you think you're so smart, huh? Show yourself, bug-face!" The villain went back to where she had Cat Noir tied up and found that he escaped. The staff shrunk back from the edge and led Antibug's eyes to the hero.
"Ready for round two?"
"It worked!" Marinette smiled, moving over to Raven. The girl was coming around, groaning as she reached up to touch her head.
"I wouldn't do that- I think you hit your head pretty hard."
"...Marinette? What are you doing here?"
"Uh!" The blunette panicked, waving her hands in front of her.
"I uh- I was just... uh- passing through! Yeah!"
Raven watched her, unimpressed but stood with the girl's help.
"Go before you get hurt. Cat, Ladybug and I can handle this." Raven unfurled her wings, making the blunette drop her hand from her arm, and took off into the air. Marinette's eyes followed after her, worried.
"I'm good to go, Marinette!" Tikki flew up, her eyes wide.
"Think she'll be okay?" The girl asked her kwami, eyes moving from the sky.
"I'm sure she wouldn't be fighting if she couldn't handle herself."
"Yeah but she'd do anything to protect Cat and I..."
"Trust Raven, Marinette- she knows what she's doing. Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah- let's go! Tikki, spots on!"
"Bad kitty! Come here to get your leash back."
"Sorry, but I don't take any orders from a mere copycat."
"I'm sure the only ones he listens to are me and LB." Raven landed beside Cat, making the hero do a double take at her appearance. But he couldn't question her health as Antibug threw her yo-yo... but Ladybug's yo-yo deflected it.
"Nice yo-yo, mine's better!"
"What kept you?" Cat frowned, slightly annoyed she had taken so long when they needed her. Ladybug glanced at Raven, before she shot him a look; she decided to ignore the tone and frown.
"I'm thinking the akuma's in the yo-yo."
"I'm thinking it's in her earrings."
"Why?"
"She was already wearing them when she was akumatized, and her yo-yo was destroyed."
"Ah, pretty good advice, for a cat."
"Thanks. Now let's wrap this up."
Antibug throws her yo-yo at them, but the trio dodge. With her yo-yo, the villain pulled the pool cover out and ran at Ladybug, who dove at her legs. The pair both missed, yo-yos flying back and forth while Cat and Raven stand to the side.
"It's like a tennis match." Raven chuckled, just her eyes moving back and forth. Cat nodded, but then a thought struck him.
"How's your head? You shouldn't be fighting by the sound it made earlier."
"You sound like Marinette. I'm fine, trust me."
The feathered teen smiled at her feline partner as both Ladybug and Antibug called their Lucky Charms.
"A bag of marbles? What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Oh THAT is so not fair!" Raven yelled, pointing at the massive red and black double-bladed sword Antibug got.
"Hahahahaha! What? You're going to defeat me with marbles? Child's play."
Ignoring her, Ladybug looked around and saw Cat Noir, Raven and her bag of marbles. Figuring it out, Ladybug smirked.
"See that's your downfall, you're always so quick to judge!" She sprinted over to Cat Noir, Antibug charging at her with the sword.
"Over to you!" Ladybug slid and tossed the marbles up for him to hit.
"Got it!" He broke the bag, spilling the marbles and tripping Antibug, who dropped her sword. Not even needing a verbal due, Raven zoomed over and grabbed the sword.
"I'll take that." She quipped, waving the sword above the villain in a teasing manner.
"See? You're nothing without your Cat Noir and Raven's Wing!"
"Cat Noir, Raven and I are a team. If you take me on, you take Cat Noir and Raven on too. It's not my problem if you don't have any friends." Ladybug smiled at her partners, earning smiles in return.
"Thanks, bugaboo~"
"And there goes the moment..."
"Cat! The pool cover!"
"Cataclysm!" Cat quickly broke the pool cover, making Antibug fall in up to her waist. Ladybug leapt into the air, snagging the earrings. Stomping them flat, Ladybug smirked as the akuma appeared.
"No more evildoing for you little akuma. Time to de-evilize! Gotcha! Bye, bye little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!" The little ladybugs flew about, fixing the damage, and the trio watched Antibug turn back to Chloé.
"What am I doing here?"
"Pound it!"
"I'm gonna fly off. I'll see you two later!" Raven smiled, unfurling her wings. Cat wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her cheek a kiss.
"Call me if your head still hurts tonight okay?"
"I promise. Gotta dart!"
"Touch the ground."
The blue light flashed and returned Ella to the carousel hut. Collecting her bag, she exited the park- only getting a few feet back towards the school when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey Elle! Got your texts! You should totally go for it! I can help you pick music too!"
"Thanks, Adrien!" The girl smiled despite the teen not being able to see it, "I'm really glad I can rely on you for this!"
"Of course! You're gonna win the whole thing, too!"
"I think that's a little presumptuous."
"No way. Your songs are great and the sheet music you write is perfect!"
Ella laughed, taking a seat on the school steps. She placed her bag next to her, letting Kiismet sit atop the fabric to watch.
"You're being bias- I bet there are hundreds of more talented kids than me in Paris."
"No, I'm just telling the truth. Now when is the competition again?"
The pair talked long into the night, only saying goodbyes when they were both yawning and falling asleep. The next day, they met on the steps with smiles and a hug. Ella showed him the list Mrs. Archambault made of songs she thought would be perfect for the various rounds with her own input she added last night when the pair were on the phone, and Adrien added his two cents and little notes himself.
"I'm gonna go drop off the list with Mrs. Archambault. I'll see you in class!" Ella smiled and waved, running off to the music room. Adrien smiled and entered Ms. Bustier's class, his heart singing at the thoughts of love coursing through his veins.
He sat in his seat, pulling out his tablet and absentmindedly writing out some of the lyrics Ella had shown him, his ears tuning halfway into Marinette and Alya's conversation behind him about Chloé and Sabrina making up.
"Have you seen Ella yet today?" Alya asked after a minute, drawing Adrien's full attention.
"She stopped by the music room- she should be back any minute." He spoke, turning to the redhead.
"Ooh someone's keeping track~" Nino teased, nudging his friend. Adrien turned back to his tablet, blushing pink. After another minute, Ella entered the room with Ms. Bustier right behind her. The girl smiled at the blond before moving to her seat. Adrien smiled wide, his cheeks and ears getting warm. He decided he could say he was in love... now when to confess was the second problem.