Surprise!

For several reasons, I have decided to double the weekly schedule! I will now be posting twice a week: on Wednesdays and on Saturdays!

This one is a shorter chapter, but Wailer deserved the chapter to herself.


Chapter 14: Wailer

Water roared in Marinette's ear.

She kicked upwards, desperately trying to surface. Her head broke through, and she treaded water as tried to fight the current.

Around her, the school had turned into a whirlpool. In the center, an Akuma rose above the water - no, the water was coming from her.

The Akuma turned, and Marinette recognized her. Lila.

Lila's dress was made from water, pouring down from her neck and down into the school. It was a sleeveless, form-fitting dress. Her right arm was completely bare, and her left arm had a bracelet that looked like it was made of moving water. Her hair hung wet and close to her skin, completely out of its usual hair style, and she had makeup that looked like running mascara and blue lipstick.

Lila's eyes met Marinette's, and she sent a blast of water towards Marinette.

Marinette went under again, but she pushed herself back up. The current was sweeping against her, sending her towards the whirlpool, no matter how much she fought.

A wave crashed into her, and she felt herself go under again.

Someone grabbed her, and she felt herself being pulled to the side. She surfaced a few feet from the roof, and with the help of the other person, managed to crawl onto it.

Lacy collapsed next to her.

"You shouldn't... fight the current..." Lacy gasped. "Always swim... perpe- perpendicular."

"Thanks," Marinette replied.

"No... no problem."

Marinette wrung the water out of her hair and checked her purse for damage. Her phone was no doubt ruined, but Tikki and the transformation macaroons were fine.

Someone yelled for help, and Lacy propped herself up onto her elbows. "I'm going to see if I can help someone else."

"Me too," Marinette agreed.

Lacy was the first to stand, and she helped Marinette stand up.

"Be careful," Marinette warned.

"You too," Lacy replied, before darting towards the source of the yelp.

Marinette dig into her purse, pulling out the water macaroon.

"Tikki, power up," she whispered.

As Tikki ate the macaroon and transformed, Marinette moved towards the other side of the roof. The school's surroundings were also engulfed in fast-moving water, but it was the closest thing to privacy she'd get.

She stood at the edge of the roof, and then, checking to make sure no one was watching, let herself fall.

"Aqua-Tikki, spots on!"


Chat Noir and Ladybug met up underwater, near the entrance of the school.

"I checked the Ladyblog," Chat Noir said. "The akuma went into a bracelet around her wrist."

Ladybug nodded. "I saw a bracelet on her wrist - but it looked like it was made out of water. We can't just break this - we have to disturb the water somehow. And we'll need help."

"I'm assuming Ryoku would be a good choice," Chat Noir started.

"Agreed," Ladybug replied. "We also need someone to get all the students to safety."

"Pegasus?" Chat Noir suggested.

Ladybug nodded. "You make sure Max and Kagami are safe. I'll grab the miraculous."

Chat Noir nodded, and the two split off.

The whirlpool had expanded, and Ladybug had to swim at least half the distance to Fu's before she reached dry land and could detransform. She quickly grabbed the miraculous, knowing that her plan didn't require either Pegasus or Ryuko to power up, and headed towards the meet up point Chat Noir sent her.

She arrived transformed and powered up, and quickly handed first Kagami then Max their miraculous, explaining their part in the plan as quick as she could.

Both nodded that they understood.

"If Wailer's powers end up flooding Paris like Syren's did, then the Eiffel Tower might be the best place to send civilians," Pegasus suggested.

"Do that," Ladybug said. "Chat Noir will distract Wailer long enough to get everyone in the area of the whirlpool out."

Pegasus nodded, and the three of them headed towards the whirlpool.


Ladybug swam up to the roof and began evacuating civilians as Chat Noir distracted Wailer.

Pegasus had set up a portal on a roof across the street and was helping civilians across. Ladybug yo-yoed students and faculty across the street to the portal.

She was glad to see most of her classmates had made it to the roof. She found Ivan and Alya holding on to a piece of roof that had come loose, while Kim helped pull up a student who was in its path.

"Good job you three," Ladybug said. Alya, Kim, and Ivan all beamed at her.

She found ChloƩ helping with first aid of all things, though when she saw Ladybug she demanded reassurance that the miracle cure would reset her hair.

She also smiled when Ladybug gave her a good job.

Ladybug also bumped into Lacy, who was helping Mendeleev swim to safety. When they made it to the roof, Lacy asked if she got extra credit for helping her teacher.
Mendeleev was not impressed.

Eventually, everyone at the school who could be saved was safe.

"Alright, time for stage two," Ladybug said into the comm device. "Ryuko, are you ready?"

"Yes," Ryuko replied.

Chat Noir landed next to Ladybug. "Ready whenever you are."

Ladybug and Chat Noir launched themselves off of the rooftop. Ladybug swung her yo-yo, but was knocked down by a blast of water.

She fell into the whirlpool, but powered up she could easily swim against the current. She surfaced again, this time behind Wailer.

Chat Noir had landed a hit, but was knocked into the water just as Ladybug surfaced.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo, this time catching Wailer off guard. The yo-yo wrapped around her torso, and Ladybug pulled.

Wailer stayed upright as Ladybug flew towards her. Ladybug collided with her, wrapping her arms around her chest and legs around her waste.

"Get off of me!" Wailer yelled. Ladybug felt a surge of water hit her in her stomach, forcing her to let go.

The fight continued like this. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir landed hit after hit, but Wailer always managed to push them off.

"We need to attack her at the same time," Ladybug decided.

"Agreed," Chat Noir replied.

"And I think we could use a little luck. Lucky charm!"

A still-packaged polkadot weighted blanket fell in Ladybug's hands.

"That's pretty straightforward," she commented. "Let's go."

Ladybug attacked first, wrapping her yo-yo around Wailer's torso and pulling herself up onto her.

"You've already tried-" Wailer yelped as the added weight had its intended affect, slowly making her drift down. "Get off of me!"

"Sure."

Ladybug draped the blanket around Wailer's shoulders, before launching herself upwards - pushing Wailer down in the process.

As soon as Ladybug was off, Chat Noir struck. He rammed his staff into Wailer's shoulder, finally making her fall into the water.

The two hit the water at the same time just as a swirl of water came upwards, disturbing the water bracelet on Lila's wrist and letting the butterfly loose.

"Not so fast," Ladybug said, capturing the Akuma.

Ryuko reformed, grabbing Lila's arms and pushing her towards the surface.

The weighted blanket had fallen off her shoulders, so Ladybug grabbed it and - with a lot of effort - tossed it upwards.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The cure swarmed the area, making the water disappear. Lila, Ryuko, Ladybug, and Chat Noir reappeared on dry ground, and the rest of the students reappeared as well.

Pegasus landed on the ground next to them.

"Good job you two," Ladybug said.

"Pound it!"

"Ladybug?" Lila asked weakly. She gasped. "Was I akumatized?"

"Save it," Pegasus snapped. "The Ladyblogger has video of you purposely grabbing the Akuma."

"Me? No, it must have been edited-"

"Edited in that short of a period?" Chat Noir questioned.

"Listen, Lila," Ladybug interfered. "You can't keep this up. You're reign of lies has ended, but that doesn't mean it's too late for you. If you're honest - if you just apologize, admit what you've done, and maybe get some help for this lying problem of yours, you can still turn this around."

Lila snarled. "Never. I'll turn this around, you'll see." She stood up and walked right up to Ladybug. "Watch your back."

Then she stormed off.


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