"Two whole weeks!" Wei Ying cried, like this was the longest stretch of time he could conceive of. "That's so long."
"It's not too long," Wangji said gently as Xichen threw over a quiet down look that went totally ignored.
"It is so! I don't get it, why was he so mad? You did something really cool! He took your phone too? How am I supposed to talk to you?"
"You will have to make due with the time we're together at school," Wangji said, fighting back a smile. Wei Ying had taken to texting him twenty times a day at least, blowing up his phone with random memes and nonsensical strings of emojis. "It's not so bad." Truthfully he wouldn't even notice his phone was gone if not for his gnawing anxiety that there was an akuma active somewhere and he didn't know it.
"Yeah, not everyone is addicted to their phone like you are," Jiang Wanyin said.
"I am not!"
"What is your average screen time per day?" He asked snidely.
"That's none of your business!" Wei Ying snapped, which probably meant the truth would incriminate him.
"Lan Wangji, what's your average screen time per day?"
"Fifteen minutes."
Wei Ying screeched in horror, but he cut across Lan Xichen's warning to remain quiet and respectful while they were waiting in the lobby of the Grand Paris hotel, "Headmaster Lan, Headmaster Lan, what's your average screentime?"
"I don't know," he said, looking amused.
"Well check!" Huaisang prodded, looking amused.
"...How would I check?"
"Scroll all the way back to the first homescreen where all your widgets are."
Obligingly, Xichen pulled out his phone with a tolerant smile. "It says I averaged two hours a day last week." He smiled when he caught sight of Wangji's disapproving look.
"At least one of you has a respectable amount of screentime under your belt," Wei Ying said. "Can you even check instagram in fifteen minutes?"
"I don't have an instagram."
"YOU DON'T HAVE AN INSTAGRAM?" Huaisang and Wei Ying cried out at once.
Xichen chuckled. "Wangji's phone doesn't have any apps on it besides the ones that came on the phone."
"Not even Neko Atsume?" Huaisang asked in a hollowed out voice.
"Not even Neko Atsume," Xichen confirmed solemnly.
All three boys looked horrified.
"Lan Zhan, when you get your phone back I'm downloading Neko Atsume."
"What is Neko Atsume?"
"It's a cat collector app! You put toys out in your yard and cats come and play with them and give you fish in return."
"Why am I charging the cats fish in exchange for play time?" Lan Zhan asked seriously, eliciting a giggle from Xichen who tried (and failed) to play it off like a cough.
"You're not charging them," Huaisang elaborated. "They bring them as like, thanks or whatever. They're the currency in the game."
Xichen looked away from them and out across the lobby of Le Grande Paris hotel, surreptitiously checking his watch. Mayor Jin was infamously late to everything, but he had hoped that Jin Guangshan's own son being in this class would inspire him to put in a little extra effort. Guess not.
"Father!" Jin Zixuan exclaimed suddenly, eyes locked on the second floor landing. Xichen and all the other students looked up to see Jin Guangshan enter dramatically, descending the grand staircase like he was a king.
Xichen closes his eyes against the headache he can feel starting to throb behind his eyes.
"Mayor Jin Guangshan," Xichen greeted, striding forward to exchange a friendly handshake, leaving the three boys on their own off to the side.
"Hello everyone," Jin Guangshan said, with all the boundless confidence of a man who knew he owned the roof over their heads. "We were so happy to have you all here for your work experience day at Le Grande Paris hotel!"
"Mayor Jin was kind enough to let us host here, and he even made your assignments for the day," Xichen said, smiling warmly at his assembled students.
Jin Zixun and Jin Zixuan both took on very smug demeanors and Nie Huaisang stifled a groan behind his hand.
"Guess who helped their daddy make the assignments," he said.
"Neither of us are going to come out of this well," Jiang Cheng hissed, fists clenching as his jaw worked. He wasn't quite regretting his rivalry with the Jin at the moment, but also not not regretting it right now.
"That's for sure," Huaisang said, "the only question is if Lan Wangji and I are going to get caught in the crossfire."
"I've never done anything to Jin Zixuan," Wangji put in.
"Neither have I, but you're one of us now. Associating with Wei Wuxian is like assigning yourself an enemy of the Jin."
"How petty."
"Ah, Jiang Wanyin, you are on cleaning service."
"Knew it," he hissed.
"Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang, you two will be sorting trash at the main dumpster."
"HUH?" Huaisang cried out, horrified. "You want me to touch garbage?"
"You're already hanging off your best friend all the time, what's the difference?" Jin Zixun drawled, shooting a nasty look at Wei Ying, who scowled.
Before he knew what he was doing Lan Wangji took half a step forward and Xichen tensed like he thought that he was going to have to drag Wangji off him, but a hand on his wrist drew his attention back to Wei Wuxian, who had fell into an arrogant and unbothered stance.
"Ah, yeah, and to prepare himself for the smell he can just stand next to you and your B.O."
Luo Qingyang barked out a laugh before clapping a hand over her mouth.
"Boys, that's enough or you'll both get detention," Xichen said, though he looked relieved as Wangji's stance relaxed. "You haven't assigned Wangji a job yet," he said to Jin Guangshan, smile taking on a stiff edge.
"Is it just me or is Headmaster Lan looking sort of scary," Wei Ying hissed. It could have been his imagination, but it seemed like there was a hint of warning in his voice when he spoke to Jin Guangshan this time.
"Xichen is not scary," Wangji defended.
"No, he's definitely smiling in a 'I hope the fuck you do' sort of way. Good for him," Nie Huaisang agreed. "Maybe you should ask him to teach you that trick."
Jin Guangshan was just about to reply when the door slid open and a man in a black sequin blazer with gold epaulets and a crocodile on a leash strutted into the lobby, catching everyone's attention.
"Jagged Stone!" Wei Ying squeaked, grabbing onto his brother's shoulder and shaking him in excitement. "Dude! Jagged Stone just walked into the hotel oh my God! He's here in the flesh!"
Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang, and Wei Ying all gaped open mouthed at the man, flanked by a crocodile, a woman with a pink pixie cut, and a luggage cart positively piled high. Jin Guangshan strode forward, chest swelling with indignation, and Wei Ying made a strangled sound.
"He isn't about to kick out Jagged Stone is he?"
"Who is Jagged Stone?" Wangji asked, earning a look from everyone, even his brother.
"He's a rock star," Xichen supplied.
"He's only the coolest guy ever! I've been obsessed with him my whole life! He's my favorite singer ever!"
"He's everyone's favorite!" Jiang Cheng hissed.
Both boys were still gazing, wonderstruck, as Jin Zixuan rushed forward and whispered frantically into his father's ear.
"This is what they call 'fangirling' in case you were wondering, Wangji," Xichen said, smirking at the two of them.
"Oh, sick burn," Huaisang said, like he hadn't also just been fangirling.
"Hello, Mister Stone, it's an honor to have you here."
"Is it bad I kinda want him to throw out Jagged Stone to see if he'll throw a diva fit and punch the mayor?" Wei Ying asked.
"Yes," Xichen hissed emphatically even as Nie Huaisang said no.
"I'd like a room, please, and it had better have a real bathtub for Fang and not some pathetic watering hole like that place across the street!" Jagged demanded, like a man who was used to getting what he wanted.
"Of course, we'll have everything you need, Mrs. Fang."
Wei Ying snorted.
"He did not just make that assumption," Nie Huaisang uttered.
"Who is Fang?" Wangji asked.
"Fang is the crocodile," Xichen supplied. "I follow it on Instagram," he admitted in response to Wangji's questioning look.
The pink haired woman, however, appeared to have taken no offense to being confused with a reptile and giggled.
"Not Penny, Fang! My crocodile!"
"Oh, of course," Jin Guangshan said, keeping his composure remarkably well for a man who had just mistaken a woman for a crocodile.
While Jin Guangshan was overselling the luxuriousness of the bathtubs in this hotel the front doors slid open again and in walked a man wearing a Jagged Stone T Shirt and wielding a camera, snapping pictures like crazy. The sounds of incessant camera shuttering distracted Jagged Stone from his conversation and he spun around, glaring at the young man with the camera.
"Not you again!"
"Hello there Jagged, it's me, Vincint Aza, I'm your biggest fan!"
"I know," Jagged snapped, "You've been to my last thirty seven shows."
"How about a picture together, just one, please? To show everyone that we're best buds?"
"No! No photos!"
"Oh, come on, please!"
"You heard the man," Penny snapped, voice far harsher then Wangji would have imagined from a woman of her size. She grabbed Vincent Aza by the back of his shirt and dragged him, one handed, out of the hotel, tossing him into the street like garbage. His camera came flying from her other hand and he reached out and caught it before it hit the ground. "Nice reflexes," she complemented, even as she towered over him with a stern expression. "Now get out of here and don't let me see your face again!"
She marched back into the lobby, totally oblivious to the adoring gazes Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian were now sending her. Lan Wangji ignored the irrational flash of jealousy he felt as Wei Wuxian stared at her, raising his hand for what must have been the first time in his life.
"Hi, Miss Penny, can I ask you a question?"
All eyes turned to him in surprise, but Wei Ying was so fixated on Miss Penny that he didn't even notice his idol, who he'd apparently been obsessed with for his entire life, was now looking right at him.
"Uh, sure?"
"How does it feel to just have done the second most badass thing I've ever seen?" A chorus of laughter echoed throughout the hall. Penny giggled.
"I guess that depends, what was the first?"
"Last week Lan Zhan over here took on an akuma all by himself," Wei Wuxian answered easily. Wangji's ears flamed.
"Hey, wait a minute, I heard about that," Jagged Stone said, eyes now on Wangji. "I watched that video, you looked super cool! If I had done something like that imagine what it would have done for my career!"
"Dude, Jagged Stone just called you super cool," Wei Wuxian hissed, grabbing his upper arm and shaking him back and forth.
"Super dangerous," Xichen interjected, a little harshly. "Let's not encourage him, he could have been seriously hurt."
"Yeah, but in a really badass way!" Jagged said, giving Lan Zhan an approving look.
"My little brother was incredibly reckless and we would do well not to encourage him to risk his life again," Xichen snapped, borderline growling.
He quelled, actually quelled Jagged Stone with a single look.
"Uh, yeah, of course," Jagged replied, shrinking back.
Privately he thought he might have to reorganize his list of most badass things ever, because his headmaster had just effectively asserted his dominance over a rock star holding a live crocodile on a leash while wearing a mint green cashmere sweater.
"Don't fight akumas, kids," Jagged Stone said nervously. Xichen shot Wangji a dark look and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but prickle a bit, he had been the one to bring it up, not Lan Zhan, so why was Lan Zhan the one getting a mean look?
Either way he held up under Headmaster Lan's steely gaze far better than Jagged Stone had.
"...anyway, Miss Penny, I think you're awesome and I'm your biggest fan now."
"No way, kiddo! I'm Penny's biggest fan!" Jagged said, jabbing his own thumb into his chest. Penny flushed.
"Second biggest," Wei Ying amended at once.
"You should sign an autograph for him Penny," Jagged Stone said, grinning.
"You should!" Wei Ying said enthusiastically even as Penny started to shake her head in embarrassment. Jagged Stone elbowed her a few times, wiggling his eyebrows up and down for a moment before she gave in, signing a blank piece of paper from her notebook and handing it to a glowing Wei Ying.
"Hell yeah!" He cheered.
"Language," Xichen chided.
"Heck yeah!"
Having finished placating her number two fan Penny turned to face Jin Guangshan, all business. "Jagged will be needing a pair of shades for tonight's gig, red white and blue with Eiffel Towers on them, can you do that?" Penny asked Jin Guangshan, who obviously remembered how she manhandled Vincent Aza out of his hotel.
"Of course, of course, we'll send out our gopher for them at once."
"Good. Jagged," she gestured toward him and he followed her faithfully toward the elevator.
"That was so cool!"
"Frame it! Lan Zhan, will you look after it for me? I don't want to mess it up while I'm sorting trash!"
"Sure," Lan Zhan said, carefully taking the paper and sliding it into his binder for safe keeping.
"Ah, I know exactly what job will be perfect for the responsible Lan Wangji," Mayor Jin said, looking around at him suddenly. "Gopher."
"Gopher?"
"A gopher is someone who goes for anything a guest wants or needs. You heard Miss Rollings, Mister Stone would like red, white, and blue shades with Eiffel Towers on them, so goph."
Xichen looked like he disapproved of this task, perhaps he thought it violated the terms of his grounding, but he made no complaints as Wangji waved goodbye to the boys and set out into Paris to search for Jagged Stone's shades.
He had thought that this task would be an easy one, the Eiffel Tower was a national monument and red, white, and blue were the colors of the flag, surely these glasses would be an easy find.
He was mistaken.
After circling all the shops he could think of to check for an hour and a half Wangji finally settled on a pair bought from a vendor set up in the street in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
"Wangji, these aren't at all what Jagged Stone wanted," Tikki said, peeking her head out of his shirt. He sighed in agreement. Indeed, he had only managed to find a pair of white sunglasses with small yellow Eiffel Towers on them.
"I know, Tikki, but I don't think the glasses Mister Stone want's exist. I'll have to take these back and ask Miss Penny for further instruction."
"If you say so…" she said, unsure.
"Where are the Eiffel Towers?"
"They're here, sir."
"They're miniscule, are you trying to ruin my career?"
"If your career can be ruined by a pair of sunglasses perhaps you should pursue more stable employment," Wangji advised solemnly.
Jagged Stone's offense was cut across by Penny's giggle.
"I like your attitude, kid," she said, "but these simply won't work. Jagged is a rock star, not some average tourist."
"Do you have any further instructions on where such glasses might be located?" She shook her head, ducking away to accept a phone call on her bluetooth headset.
"I don't know, kid, just get it done!" Jagged Stone snapped, slamming the door in his face.
Rude, Wangji thought.
"I told you," Tikki said, making an appearance once more.
"I had hoped they would be more helpful in providing leads."
"From what I hear Jagged Stone has been very famous for a very long time. He's probably used to getting what he wants when he wants it without having to lift a finger for it. You may have to get creative on this one."
"Creative, huh?" Wangji repeated, quietly, thinking back to the many drawings and paper people Wei Ying had passed him.
Making a decision, he turned on his heel and strode down the hall toward the elevators, hitting the down button. When he boarded he pressed the button for the basement and was unsurprised when a minute later the door opened to reveal Huaisang reclining several feet away from the dumpster, doing nothing while Wei Ying sorted trash alone.
"I told you, I can't ruin my manicure!"
"You put on one layer of clear coat while we were in the lobby with the specific purpose of using that excuse! Now get off your ass and help me!"
"I don't think I will."
"You-"
"Wei Ying."
Both heads snapped up, Nie Huaisang looking up from his phone and Wei Ying's head popping up from inside the dumpster.
"Lan Zhan, what brings you to our smelly neck of the woods?"
"I require your assistance with my work project."
"My help?"
"Mn."
Wei Ying climbed gracelessy over the edge of the dumpster and hopped to the ground. He used some nearby cleaning supplies to wash his hands before approaching.
"What do you need help with?"
"Jagged Stone requested a unique pair of sunglasses that I cannot locate anywhere in the city. I was hoping you could make them."
"Make them? Well, you've come to the right place! We'll have to go to my place, though, that's where all my art supplies are."
Wangji heard his uncle telling him he wasn't to go anywhere except school and home. "That is fine."
"Come on, my room's just upstairs," Wei Ying said, holding the front door open for Lan Zhan. He stepped over the threshold, eyes travelling around the grand entryway of Wei Ying's home. Wangji could easily imagine him running through it, chased by his brother, mouth hanging open in laughter.
"A-Xian, A-Cheng, is that you?" Wei Wuxian froze momentarily, before turning with a smile to see an older man stepping into the foyer from the left.
"Uncle Jiang, I didn't know you'd be home?"
"They're painting my office, remember? I'm working from home for the next few days."
"Oh yeah, I forgot!"
"Why aren't you in school, did you get in trouble again? Another fight with Jin Zixuan?"
"No, no, nothing like that! We had our work experience day today, but Lan Zhan here needed my expertise on his assignment!" He threw an arm around Wangji's shoulders and pointed to himself proudly with his other hand.
"Mn, Wei Ying has many useful skills." Wei Ying spluttered at his sincerity and withdrew, face slightly red. Wangji saw Mister Jiang soften.
"I see. You must be Lan Wangji, I've heard a lot about you. My name is Jiang Fengiman. I'm A-Xian, A-Cheng, and A-Li's dad."
"It's nice to meet you."
"What project are you working on?" He asked, not like he was trying to poke holes in their stories but like he was genuinely interested in his adopted son's life. Wangji warmed to him at once.
"A guest at the hotel asked for a pair of sunglasses that I could not locate after an extensive search. I had hoped that Wei Ying would be able to make them." Jiang Fengiman nodded.
"Our A-Xian is very good at things like that, no doubt he'll make a fine pair of sunglasses."
"Uncle Jiang," Wei Ying moaned, rubbing his nose and looking away. Still, Wangji thought he saw the hints of a poorly hidden smile behind his hand.
"Alright, alright, all three of us have work to be doing, so I'll leave you to it. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you're hungry, and of course you're welcome over any time, Lan Wangji."
"Thank you, sir," Wangji said.
They ascended the stairs together as Jiang Fengiman disappeared down the hallway.
Wei Wuxian's bedroom was, predictably, a disaster.
"Sorry about the mess," he said, a little embarrassed. "You can sit on the couch and watch tv or something if you want."
"I'm grounded."
Wei Ying snorted, then looked shocked and a little bit horrified when he realized that Wangji was being serious. "Okay… so tell me about these sunglasses you want me to make."
"Jagged Stone would like a pair of red, white, and blue shades with Eiffel Towers on them. Initially I thought this would be an easy find, but I was mistaken."
"Hm, alright, all I need is a base pair to start with."
Wangji pulled out the rejected pair. "Will these work?"
"Hmm, I think I need wire rims. Yanli cracked the lens of a set last week, I think she still has them. I'll be right back."
Wangji was left alone in Wei Ying's room, and despite his best effort, he couldn't help but look around, trying to absorb all he could of Wei Ying while he was here. There was a pile of dirty clothes atop what might have been a hamper and art supplies were strewn across every surface. Hung up above his desk was a lovely watercolor signed by his sister, and on the wall beside his bed was a mural of a lotus pond. Wangji turned to admire the mural more fully, admiring the depth and detail of it when Wei Ying returned.
"No! Don't look at that, it's terrible!" He cried, hopping into Wangji's line of sight and waving his arms like he was trying to obstruct the entire wall.
"It is not."
"It is so! It's so bad! I did it years ago, god it's so bad I hate it. I've been wanting to paint over it but Yanli won't let me."
"Jiang Yanli is right, it is beautiful."
Wei Ying looked both pleased and embarrassed. "Well, whatever, you're entitled to your wrong opinion."
Lan Zhan frowned. "Have you started on your pieces for the art show?"
"Uh, some sketches of ideas, nothing solid yet."
Lan Zhan privately thought that if his pieces were half as lovely as his mural he would win by a wide margin.
"How do you plan on making the glasses?"
"I have some thick plastic sheets left over from a failed mixed media project that should be perfect. I just need to print out a template and cut it out, then file down the edges so they aren't sharp and then glue them on the frames and paint them."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Um, you can spray primer onto the wire rims, if you want. Have you ever used spray paint before?"
"No."
"Don't worry, it's really easy, you just point and shoot. The tarp is still out there from the last thing I was working on, so just take the rims out there and lay them on that tarp and spray them down with the spray primer right there," he absentmindedly gestured to a can of spray paint clearly labeled primer then pointed up to the skylight. "The trapdoor is unlocked."
Wangji carefully picked up both the can of spray paint and the wire rims and climbed up the ladder to his skylight as Wei Ying pulled up his laptop and started Googling 'Eiffel tower outline'. The glasses were done and left out to dry quickly and Wangji descended the ladder again to sit and watch Wei Ying work.
As he sat, Wei Ying was busy chopping off one leg of each Eiffel Tower. "To make room for his nose!" He explained as he began filling down the edges. "I can't believe I'm making shades for my favorite singer! And he might actually wear them on stage! This is too cool! Thank you, Lan Zhan!"
"I'm the one who should be thanking you, you're helping me with my assignment."
"By doing something for my idol!"
"I thought your idol was now Miss Penny."
"Her too! Oh, by the way, do you still have her autograph? I can go ahead and put it somewhere safe till I can frame it, since we're here."
"You really meant that?"
"Yeah!"
The total process of making the sunglasses took about forty five minutes, utilizing Wei Ying's heat gun to help the glue dry faster, and the shades were tucked delicately into Lan Wangji's bag. They walked together down the stairs and out the door, Wei Ying calling goodbye to his Uncle goodbye over his shoulder.
"Could you give them to him now?" Wei Ying asks, bouncing on his toes, excitedly.
"Um, Jagged is a little busy, but I'll be sure to let you know later how he feels about them."
"Okay," Wei Ying said, doing his best not to visibly wilt. "I hope he likes them!"
"You did a good job," Miss Penny said kindly before closing the door.
Wei Ying flashed a grin to Wangji before turning toward the elevator. "I can't wait to see if he wears them to the performance tonight! Oh, I wish I could go! Me and Jiang Cheng tired to get tickets but the concert sold out in seconds!"
"Maybe next time," Wangji said.
"Ah, well, I had better get back to the dumpster, I'm certain that Huaisang hasn't done any trash sorting and we're being graded on effort."
"Mn. I should return to the lobby, that's where the guests will call if they need something."
"Ah, your job is so much cooler than mine! No garbage involved at all!"
"I'm sorry that Jin Zixuan is treating you unfairly."
"Oh, I wouldn't say it's unfair," Wei Ying said as they approached the elevator. He hit the button for down and tucked his arms behind his head. "I probably earned it from the time I punched him in the face."
"You punched him in the face?"
"And I'd do it again."
"Why?"
"He insulted Yanli," Wei Ying said in a dark voice.
A knocking sound behind them caused Wei Ying to glance over his shoulder, then gape at what he saw. His attention drew Lan Wangji's attention and he looked over just in time to see a man with neon hair and a strange headpiece in neon spandex STanding at Jagged Stone's door.
Miss Penny answered.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"Look into the lens~" The man crooned. He pressed a button on his glasses and there was a bright flash of light and the sound of a camera shuttering, and Miss Penny disappeared. Both boys started right as the elevator dinged open and they jumped in.
Lan Zhan wanted to run forward and try to protect Jagged Stone, but his brother's anger from this morning was still fresh in his mind and led him to jump back with Wei Ying as he slammed the close door button. Wangji wordlessly hit the button for the next floor while Wei Ying texted furiously and looked up at the sound of a camera shuttering.
"Sorry, proof of life, for your brother." He held his phone out to show Wangji the text conversation.
Hey headmaster lan just though you should know theres an akuma on the loose 3
Don't worry though ive got your brother hes safe [attached image :(.png]
Master of Heads: Miss Luo sent me a screenshot of your message to her. I appreciate the update on Wangji, thank you. Please find somewhere safe to hide.
Will do :3
"Your brother says hi and that we should take matters into our own hands."
"He did not."
"How would you know? Maybe he's just sent another message that you haven't seen."
"Because he was very angry at me for doing that last time."
"Maybe he was just jealous of how cool you looked!" Wei Ying said, obviously trying for a joke, but Wangji didn't find it particularly funny. He simply shook his head as the door dinged open.
"Find someplace to hide, Wei Ying," he said, running off in the direction opposite of Wei Ying.
"Hey, you!" Chat Noir said, leaping into the room with Mister Bug by his side, "don't you know it's impolite not to ask before you take a celebrity's picture?"
"Who are you?" Mister Bug asked, yoyo drawn, already a pink blur by his side.
"I am Pixelator, now look into the lens and surrender your Miraculouses!"
"No Way," Chat Noir said, bouncing out of the way of Pixelator's beam attacks.
Mister Bug glanced around to watch the effect of the attacks and was disconcerted to see the objects hit by it disappeared entirely, just as Miss Penny had.
Chat Noir leaped forward, stick lifted above his head and Mister Bug swung his yoyo out to try and bind the villain's arms to his chest. Pixelator dodged Mister Bug's attacks and shifted to block the attack from Chat Noir with his forearm.
Jagged Stone, who had been standing with his back pressed against the wall, sidled off the bed and ran for the door. No crocodile in sight, presumably Fang had already been made a victim of Pixelator.
"Mister Bug, get Jagged to safety, I'll hold off Pixelator!"
As much as Mister Bug did not want to leave Chat noir alone, it would be better to get the akuma's target somewhere safe so they didn't have to worry about protecting him.
He ran out the door and caught Jagged Stone around the waist and jumped out of a nearby open window without much ceremony.
"Wha- what do you think you're doing?"
"The akuma is after you. I am taking you to a secure location."
"Oh, okay. A little warning next time though, would ya?"
"My apologies," Mister Bug said.
He threw his yoyo out and swung in the direction of his chosen hiding place. Less than a minute later the two of them touched down in the Francoise Dupont High School, Jagged Stone looking around in confusion.
"Why would you bring me to an elementary school?"
"High School. Pixelator won't think to look for you here." The real reason was that Xichen had handled Jagged Stone this morning, and he was hoping that his brother would be able to keep him in check while Mister Bug dealt with this problem.
"Where are we going?"
"To the headmaster's office. Visitors must sign in."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
Mister Bug speed walked to his brother's office, anxious to get back to his partner. While Chat Noir was a capable fighter, he still didn't want to leave him alone for too long. Still, he didn't forgo knocking. While it may have been childish, Wangji still wanted his brother to have a good opinion of his superhero persona, so he knocked and waited patiently to be told to enter. When he did he watched his brother's eyes widen in shock.
"Mister Bug? Jagged Stone? I'm sorry, what's going on?"
"There's been an akuma attack at the hotel where Mister Stone was staying."
"I know, several of my students are there, I've been monitoring the situation," he indicated the live news feed playing on his monitor. Mister Bug rounded the desk to watch the feed, his eyes flicking down to where Xichen's phone laid, unlocked. Xichen had been texting his Uncle. Wangji could see his own name mentioned several times before he flicked guilty eyes back to the news feed.
Now it was playing bystander footage of Pixelator zapping away innocent civilians on the Champs Elysees. Apparently he had been running rampant while Lan Zhan had been cooped up with Wei Ying, making shades for Jagged Stone. He cursed his confiscated phone again.
"May I ask why you brought Mister Stone to me?"
"Visitors are required to sign in," Mister Bug said, furrowing his brow.
Xichen smiled, a look so familiar it put Mister Bug at ease at once. "My apologies, I meant why have you thought to conceal him at my school?"
"Pixelator would not think to look for a rock star in a high school."
"So you picked here… because it's random?"
No, I picked here because you're the person I trust the most, and maybe Wei Ying was right and you can be scary when you want to be.
"It seemed like the safest place."
"Well, alright then. I suppose there is no harm in him staying until you've dealt with the akuma."
"Thank you, Headmaster. I apologize for the imposition." He turned to leave.
"It's no problem, Mister Bug. Oh, but, can I ask-" Mister Bug turned back from the open window.
"Yes?"
"My brother, his name is Lan Wangji, he was at the hotel today," there was an unmistakable hint of panic in his voice. Mister Bug softened.
"What does he look like?" He asked.
Much to his chagrin, Xichen pulled up the photo of him that Wei Ying had taken in the elevator earlier.
"I apologize, I haven't seen him, but that's a good thing," he added when Xichen wilted. "He is probably hiding safely." This seemed to reassure his brother.
"Good. That's good."
"Is that all, Headmaster?"
"Yes, thank you Mister Bug."
Mister Bug leaped out the window and swung away, analyzing every second of that interaction, trying to determine if Lan Xichen had liked him. He supposed he could ask one the fight was over.
Back in the Headmaster's office Lan Xichen reached into his desk and pulled out the visitors log, sliding it pointedly across the desk at Jagged Stone.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Jagged Stone asked.
"Visitors must sign in," Lan Xichen said solemnly.
Mister Bug slid open his yoyo's interface and clicked on Chat Noir's icon, pulling up his tracking information. It seemed during their fight Pixelator and Chat Noir had somehow made it back to the Champs Elysees and were fighting in the shadow of the Arc De Triomphe. Mister Bug changed directions and swung towards the fight, dropping silently into the street behind Pixelator, watching the fight appraisingly.
Chat Noir's face was set in determination, his feet apart in a broad stance, his stick extended like a sword. He didn't react to Mister Bug's arrival, but he was sure he'd been seen, so he did nothing to catch his attention.
"Give up, Pixelator, I know your akuma is in your glasses!" He said, eyes never straying to Mister Bug. Mister Bug nodded once to signal message received before stalking up behind him, reaching out to snatch the akuma.
"Yeah, go Mister Bug!" Came a shout from his right.
Mister Bug shot the man a nasty look, thinking idiot, before Pixelator spun around and swept Mister Bug's legs out from under him at the same time he shot a beam at his chest.
"Look out!" Chat Noir cried out, reacting faster than Mister Bug.
Mister Bug watched in horror, time seeming to slow, as Chat noir flung his body between Mister Bug and the oncoming attack. He felt himself reaching out, too late, to grab Chat Noir and grasping instead at the empty air where he used to be. Chat Noir had taken the hit meant for Mister Bug in the center of his back and disappeared before his very eyes.
Rage and panic nearly bowled him over. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" He heard himself shout. "WHERE IS HE?"
"He flung his yoyo with all his might at Pixelator's head, neither surprised nor deterred when the attack missed.
"Oh don't worry, I'll be adding you to my portfolio alongside him soon."
Mister Bug forced himself to think past his rage and analyze those words and the situation. Losing his head would do Chat Noir no good. It seemed unlikely that Pixelator had unmade Chat Noir in some way, Hawkmoth still wanted his miraculous, and the phrasing seemed to suggest that Chat Noir had simply been transported somewhere. Held hostage?
Mister Bug could work with a hostage negotiation.
"Return him to me!" Mister Bug snapped, still seeing red despite his resolution to calm down.
"Give me Jagged Stone!"
Mister Bug's anger was making him sloppy, and one of Pixelator's attacks hit his foot. There was a heartstopping moment where he thought he'd been defeated, followed by his stomach dropping as his foot fell out from underneath him. His knee hit the street with a strange and unpleasant jerk. He looked down and found his brain having trouble processing what he was seeing. His leg, from knee down, was gone, his knee butting directly up against the road. He shifted and received yet another shock when his leg appeared again but was… pixelated.
Well. He had said his name was Pixelator.
He looked at his limb in fascination as it appeared through the pavement, completely intangible, partially see through, and pixelated like old video games.
Another sound of a camera lens shuttering made his body dodge before his brain caught up and he tumbled clumsily away from the akuma, unused to having only one leg. He crawled with one arm and one leg as he twirled his yoyo out in front of himself like a shield, unable to get back to his feet under the constant onslaught of attacks. Still, a perfectly timed attack slipped past his yoyo as he was reaching out to scrabble back and his left arm clipped through the pavement, pixelated and partially transparent from the elbow down.
Mister Bug crashed to the ground, scooting back with one leg until his back was pressed up against a car and he was glaring up at Pixelator, who clearly thought he had won.
A purple glowing butterfly outline appeared before Pixelators face, which Mister Bug had come to understand meant that Hawkmoth was communicating with the akuma.
"There will be time for that later, Hawkmoth, first I must get Mister Bug to tell me where he's hidden Jagged Stone. No I don't have time for that- aH!" Pixelator cried out in pain, his whole body tensing and shaking as he dug his fingers into his scalp, teeth clenching tightly. "Alright, alright, yes, Hawkmoth, I understand."
Mister Bug watched in fascination. Did Hawkmoth retain some sort of control over his akuma's once they were made? Could he remotely inflict pain?
"Give me your miraculous and tell me where Jagged Stone is."
"Release the hostages or I'll never give you Jagged," Mister Bug countered.
"Miraculous first."
"No."
"Yes."
"I'll never tell you where Jagged is, no matter what, if you take the miraculous before releasing the hostages."
"How about I release half now, then you hand over Jagged, and I release the second half once you hand over the miraculous."
Hawkmoth evidently had something to say about that, because the butterfly outline appeared again, but Pixelator said nothing aloud to him.
"Deal," Mister Bug said.
Pixelator touched his glasses and several people appeared out of nowhere on the street around them. Chat Noir was not among them, Mister Bug noticed. Evidently Pixelator wasn't stupid enough to hand over his partner before he had what he wanted.
"Now, where's Jagged?"
Mister Bug opened his mouth to tell him to give it up, but a familiar voice caught their attention.
"Here I am!"
"No, Mister Stone!" I really thought Xichen would be able to keep him in line. "Get out of here!"
"No way, think of what this will do for my career! I'm right here, Pixelator! Come take your best shot at me!"
"Alright," Pixelator crooned, smiling like a predator, "look into the lens~"
"No, wait, this isn't my best angle, like this!" Jagged Struck another dynamic pose. "No, wait, does this one make my nose look longer? Why don't we try this one?"
"Ugh, enough already, look into the lens!"
Mister Bug staggered gracelessly to his feet, throwing his yoyo into the air while Jagged Stone fretted over lighting. He couldn't be sure if the man was genuinely this vapid or if this was a clever stall tactic.
"Lucky Charm!"
A powder compact fell from the sky into his open hand.
I don't wear makeup, was the only thought he could summon.
"Ugh, how do I get out of here?" Chat Noir roared, kicking the ground.
He looked around at the vast white nothing around him. He couldn't help but feel like Squidward when he was alone.
I wonder what would happen if I cataclymed this place with myself inside it? He thought.
It would either free him or end really badly, but it was his only option at this point, and no matter what Mister Bug's Miraculous Ladybug would restore him, so he might as well try it.
"CATACLYSM!" He cried out, punching the ground between his feet.
Black fractures cracked and expanded in all directions from the point where his fist had struck. The white ground beneath him exploded and he tumbled down into an infinite black nothingness before he appeared back on the Champs Elysees, blinking in the sudden harsh light. He blinked twice before cheering in triumph. Chat Noir had enough time to register the relief, then understanding as it flashed through Mister Bug's eyes before he flung something directly at him.
"Batter Up," Mister Bug said simply.
Never one to disobey a command like that, Chat Noir drew his stick and swung it like a bat in one fluid motion, flinging whatever it was, back toward the akuma.
Jagged Stone opened his eyes at last just as Pixelator clicked the button on his helmet the thing- a mirror- passed between the two of them and reflected the beam back at him. Pixelator disappeared and his helmet clattered to the ground, useless.
Mister Bug flicked out his yoyo, face stormy, and shattered the glasses, capturing the akuma with a similar look of… something, before releasing the butterfly without even saying it's trademark phrase.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
Mister Bug felt the momentary relief at his limbs being repaired as he walked across the street toward Chat Noir, resisting the urge to wrap him in his arms and reassure himself that he was fine. He had been far more shaken by Chat Noir sacrificing himself than he'd thought he would be, and seeing Chat Noir there, safe and sound, had sent another wave of emotions crashing through him.
He didn't know exactly how to express this, so rather than using words he held his fist out at Chat Noir, lifting an eyebrow expectantly, watching as Chat Noir's face went from confusion to delight.
"Pound it?" He asked, holding back his fist like he hardly dared to believe it.
"Pound it," Mister Bug confirmed, allowing himself the ghost of a smile as Chat Noir bumped their knuckles together.
The students of Wangji's class all lined up in the lobby of Le Grande Paris hotel to receive their grades for today's work experience assignment.
Jagged Stone has generously offered up four tickets to tonight's for today's students who put forth the most effort," Jin Guangshan announced, standing proudly next to Miss Penny, who was smiling kindly at the kids.
Xichen looked surprised, but pleased at this information.
Penny walked down the line and held out a ticket to Luo Qingyang, Wi Ying, Jiang Cheng, and himself. He blinked in surprise, but accepted the ticket nonetheless.
"Thank you," he said.
"Jagged loved the glasses you two made for him," Penny said, winking conspiratorially at them. "He can't wait to wear them tonight."
Wei Ying lit up like she'd told him Christmas was coming early this year, which made Wangji's head fill with sand.
"Aw, no fair," Nie Huaisang whined.
Wangji glanced over at him and caught eyes with Xichen, whose gaze was fixed on the ticket in Wangji's hand, looking conflicted. Wangji suddenly remembered that he was grounded, and that a rock concert sounded like the worst place on earth to him. He nodded once with his decision and folded his hands carefully in front of him.
They thanked Jin Guangshan and Miss Penny again and exited the hotel as a big group, the other students all lamenting over not getting a ticket as they walked down the street.
"Wangji…" Xichen started.
"It's alright, Xichen, I know I can't go."
Xichen opened his mouth, still looking conflicted, but Wangji turned around and held his ticket out to Nie Huaisang.
"What?"
"I can't go, I'm grounded. It would be ungrateful to let it go to waste. Why don't you go instead."
"Seriously?"
"Mn."
"Okay!" Nie Huaisang said, snatching the ticket away and turning to squeal excitedly at Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng.
"Are you like, super sure? You earned it, you know?" Wei Ying asked, brow furrowed.
"I don't enjoy big crowds, or exceedingly loud environments, anyway."
"...fair enough." Seeming reassured that Lan Zhan didn't regret his decision, he returned to fangirling with Nie Huaisang and Jiang Wanyin.
Lan Wangji left them to it, striding ahead to walk alongside his brother.
"That was nice of you."
"It would have been pointless to let it go to waste."
"Still, I probably could have convinced Uncle if you'd really wanted to go, since you earned it for hard work. You could have accompanied Wei Wuxian."
Wangji shot him a sharp look that Xichen pretended not to see. "I would not have enjoyed myself in such an environment." Xichen nodded once, patting him on the shoulder genially.
"I'll be sure to tell Uncle that you did well today."
"Thank you, Xichen."
Wangji sat alone in his room. Considering the blank pages of the journal that Xichen had given him. He'd tried to ask after Wangji's need for it, but Wangji had evaded the questions. Considering how much trouble he was in for fighting the akuma he didn't think Xichen would appreciate him keeping a comprehensive list of theories and facts about Hawkmoth in an attempt to ferret out who he might be.
Solemnly he started writing down everything he knew, consulting Luo Qingyang's blog for verification, starting with the apparent fact that Hawkmoth could cause pain to akumatized victims who misbehaved. Later he would pull out a map of Paris and mark down every location of an akuma attack and try to triangulate a location, and he would continue his efforts until he had enough to capture Hawkmoth.