"They've had me setting up the bells all morning." Djau huffed as he accompanied Heba to the throne room. "The one in the courtyard is huge."
"At least we'll know if someone is attacked now?" The scribe tried to pacify the irritated guard, "The one by the war rooms was loud. There's no way anyone can miss it."
Djau nodded and shrugged, "I'm just glad I've got the afternoon off. The commander's getting the others out of storage and getting them set up across the city. I get to luck out of having to help move them."
Heba paused at his adoptive brother's words. "Wait, I thought you said you were walking with me because you were on court duty today?"
"I, uhh…" Djau mentally winced as he trailed off. Heba had always been good at picking up on body language and his scribe training had given him a decent memory. He should have known Heba would pick out the lie sooner or later, especially considering Djau was bad at remembering to watch his words.
"Did grandfather ask you to guard me?" Heba asked with a slightly exasperated sigh.
"He might have mentioned that he was worried during lunch." Djau admitted sheepishly, "And since I have this afternoon free, I thought I'd keep you company."
Heba let out a huff. On the one hand it was nice of his brother to want to protect him. On the other it was more proof that he needed to become stronger. If he was going to keep the Ladybug earrings, he could not be so weak that he needed a constant guard.
That and it would make it harder to sneak away if the bells went off.
"If it helps?" Djau asked, noting Heba's irritation and not wanting his brother angry at him, "I also want a chance to see Kheper and Kem Mau if they have to show up. I didn't get to see them last night."
"Oh?" Heba's mind raced as he tried to remember if he had been able to see his brother.
"Gate duties. I missed all the good stuff." At the grumble, Heba let out a laugh, mostly of relief. "No, seriously, by the time anyone told me and Mido anything, it was all over. I didn't even get a glimpse."
"I'm sure they'll make it last longer next time so you can get front row seats." Heba teased with a grin, "If there's even a next…"
Heba yelped as Djau pulled him back with one hand and drew his sword with the other, using its bronze blade to block an incoming golden arm.
"Heba! Run!" Djau demanded as he planted himself between the scribe and the metal skinned humanoid.
"Don't you dare, you lying little brat!" The gold man snarled in response, "You're coming with me or else!"
Heba froze, trying to remember where he had heard that voice before and why someone would be mad enough at him to get akumatised.
"I won't let you lay a hand on him!" Djau snarled out, watching the creature's movements carefully, "Heba, nearest bell is just outside the throne room! Go!"
There was no time to work it out and Heba turned and bolted, flinching as the sounds of fighting erupted behind him.
Djau was right. He needed to alert the palace, but that was not all. If he got caught, he could not transform into Kheper and purify the akuma. Any damage the creature did would remain and anyone hurt would stay that way.
As much as he hated fleeing, the best way to help Djau right now was to alert the palace and get somewhere he could shift forms.
The sound of metal footsteps racing after him forced him to duck into a side room before he could get to the bell. He ducked behind the nearest piece of furniture and curled up as small as possible, holding his breath as the footsteps paused in the doorway.
Heba cringed as the metallic sound clanked closer, wishing he had been just a little faster.
"HEY!" Heba straightened slightly and the footsteps hesitated at the yell from down the hall, "Ugly!"
"Heba!" The creature's bellow echoed off the walls as it turned around.
"You want me, come and get me!"
The scribe paled as he realised who was yelling. There was only one person in the palace who could be mistaken for him.
Before Heba could rise to his feet and protect Atem, the akuma had bolted after the prince.
"Tikki!" Heba yelped as he opened his pouch, needing to stop the prince from getting hurt.
"I know. Ready when you are." The Kwami of Creation looked as determined as Heba felt.
"Tikki, Spots On!"
Atem half cursed himself as he bolted down the hallway.
He had wanted to catch Heba before court to confirm some details, but when he had spotted the akuma, it had seemed like a good idea to stop it from attacking whoever it had cornered. When it had bellowed his cousin's name, luring it away had become a necessity.
But it was much faster than Atem had anticipated.
He had expected the heavy metallic body would slow it down. Instead, it was gaining on him.
He was millimetres away from the war bell set up by the currently empty throne room when something slammed into his back, sending him crashing into it. His body weight set it clanging, alerting everyone in the palace that there was an attack as he crashed to the floor on the other side.
Dazed from the impact and deafened by the noise, Atem forced himself to his hands and knees and opened his mouth to call for his own transformation, only for the akuma to kick him in the stomach, winding him.
"Got you." The akuma snorted as it wrapped its cold metallic fingers around the prince's throat and dragged him off the ground. Atem kicked out and tried to pry the hands away from his neck, trying to get free as the creature turned away from the bell and headed down the corridor, but all he managed to do was send pain spiking through his feet and make the creature's grasp tighten.
"Let… go!" Atem forced out, his vision blurring as he struggled to draw breath past the metallic vise, pain shooting through his neck and limbs.
"You're coming with me, brat." Deben shook his captive, sending Atem's world spinning. "Farasha wants a word and I want you to fix what you've done."
"I d…" Atem trailed off when he was shaken again, closed his eyes and went limp. He knew what going unconscious felt like and his head was swimming enough that he knew he did not have much time. The akuma's skin was as tough as solid bronze, lashing out would do nothing and struggling would only shorten the time he had before he passed out. Even if he drew his sword, he was likely to get nowhere and lose his weapon.
By pretending to pass out now, he could extend the length of time he had before he truely lost the fight and take full advantage of any opening to get free.
Closing his eyes actually helped him focus on the sounds of the world around him and as the peals of the bell trailed off, he could hear a lot of footsteps. Relief hit hard as he realised that slamming into the bell had summoned backup.
"Let him go!" Kheper was first on scene and planted himself between the akuma and the nearest exit, yoyo in hand.
"Heba has to pay for what he did." The akuma snarled as the Pharaoh, Mahad and several guards came out of the other exits, leaving the throne room as Deben's only available exit, "And Farasha…"
There was a pause as a glowing purple butterfly appeared over the akuma's face.
'Bring me the boy. They won't stop you. He looks enough like Atem that you have leverage even over the Pharaoh right now.' Farasha purred into Deben's mind, 'I'll be waiting in the nobels' courtyard.'
"Get out of my way or I'll kill him." Deben growled out, his glare shifting between Kheper and the Pharaoh.
Akhenemkhanon was both furious and terrified as he beheld the scene. The akuma had either his nephew or his son hanging in his grasp…
And they were not moving.
He wanted to tear the creature limb from limb and get the teen to safety, but a wrong move could make the brute crush his captive's throat and then there would be no chance of them surviving long enough for the Ladybugs to make a difference.
He raised his hand and was about to gesture for the guards to back off when a voice interrupted him.
"Take me instead." At Kheper's call, both the Pharaoh and Deben stared at the Miraculous Holder. "I'll follow you to Farasha if you give your hostage to the Pharaoh now."
"Kheper…" At the Pharaoh's shocked call, Atem's heart skipped a beat. If Kheper was captured then the palace, and Egypt, would be in deep trouble.
"I don't want…" Deben, who had been about to turn down the deal, winced as pain spiked through him.
'Kheper is worth more than the brat you hold.' Farasha hissed out.
"I want Heba to pay, I don't care about Kheper." Deben snarled out, shaking his captive slightly, causing a slight whimper and making the Pharaoh take a step forward. "He's your prob…"
"My magic can fix problems." Kheper interrupted, "Let him go and I promise I'll try and help you, but you NEED to release him now."
'He doesn't want to help you.' Farasha could feel the situation slipping out of his grasp and pushed on his akuma's mind, 'He has no reason to do anything but hand you over to the Pharaoh!'
"Let me help you." Kheper dared to take a step forward, offering his empty hand.
"You can't help me. This brat got me arrested for something I didn't do." He shook his victim again and, when no sound came forth, the Pharaoh lost it.
The Millennium Pendant glowed with a bright, golden light as tendrils of darkness erupted from the floor.
The butterfly disappeared as they wrapped around Deben's arms and tried to pull them away from his victim's throat but could not break his grip.
It gave Kheper the opening he was looking for though. Distracted by the darkness trying to entwine him, Deben did not see him throw the yoyo into the air.
"Lucky Charm!"
In a burst of black and red light, a red clay pot with black spots appeared. Kheper caught it from midair before lashing out with his yoyo. It wrapped around the creature's left arm and then around the nearest statue.
"What the…" Deben had enough time to protest before the leverage allowed Kheper to drag the arm in question away from the prince's throat.
Atem dropped like a stone, but Mahad caught him before he could hit the floor. The prince coughed and gasped violently as his closest friend and bodyguard backed off quickly. The guards closed in around them, shielding them from Deben's view.
"GIVE HIM BACK!" The akuma surged forward but Kheper was ready and launched the pot, which shattered spreading oil all over the floor. The metal of the creature's skin had no resistance and slid, sending the creature tumbling to the floor, allowing Mahad time to get Atem to safety.
More shadowy tendrils tried to hold the akuma down but the creature born of older magic just pushed his way through them and started to rise to his feet. Kheper's eyes danced over the creature as it moved, wishing for some clue, but he had no idea where the butterfly he needed to release was hiding.
"Blades bounce off his skin and I can't fix him yet. I need more information." Kheper looked back at the Pharaoh. "We need to pull back."
The Pharaoh did not hesitate to give the order, more concerned with the wellbeing of his family for the moment. Though he hated to leave a threat roaming the palace, if they could not harm the man and Kheper could not fix him, they needed to pull back.
As the guards pulled back, Kheper remained between the akuma and the Pharaoh, protecting his uncle. His earring beeped for the first time, causing panic to bloom in his chest as he glanced at Akhenemkhanon.
The Pharaoh's eyes widened as he realised what that meant. Kheper's earrings had been beeping when he had needed to retreat before. The beetle hero did not have much longer before he would change back.
"What is your name?" The Pharaoh asked the akuma as he twisted the magic he was using into the forms of two silver furred wolves with sharp teeth. The magic could not harm the creature directly, but Akhenemkhanon remembered being told that a summon had harmed the Guardian so hopefully they could help cover them now, "And what do you want?"
"You can call me Deben." The creature snarled out, trying to work out if he could take down both opponents and not liking his chances when he took the wolves into account. "And I want my arrest fixed!"
"Arrest?" Kheper asked, still confused as to what he had done to deserve an akuma coming after him. Especially one that was clearly willing to kill him.
"Heba wrote the taxes from my lands down wrongly." Deben took a step forward and paused as he had to adjust his footing to avoid slipping again, "I was arrested for something I did not do!"
Kheper's eyes widened as the Pharaoh frowned. He remembered the tax office coming to him last year about missing funds, but he had asked his brother to look into it.
Deben went to speak again, only to pause when the butterfly appeared before his eyes again.
'Grab Kheper and I can still fix this.' Farasha promised, 'His magic CAN fix things and unlike him, I have no interest in supporting the crown.'
At a second beep, Farasha cackled in Deben's mind.
'Three more minutes and he'll be helpless against you. You just need to grab him now.'
Deben lunged forward, trying to seize the beetle hero. Kheper practically danced out of his grasp and twisted his yoyo around the akuma's feet. The oil already upon them allowed Kheper to drag Deben off of his feet and dart forward. He was just about to seize Deben's sword, hoping that it would match the last akuma's butterfly location, when the golden man rolled, drew the weapon and swung. The blade dragged against something surrounding the teen, but pain did blossom where it went, and it forced Kheper to back off as blood trickled down his side.
"Kheper!" The Pharaoh called as his wolves circled Deben, forcing him to focus on them rather than the teen in retreat.
"I'm fine." The Ladybug Bearer lied to the Pharaoh, just glad that it had only scratched him, before silently sending up an apology to Horus and leaping up so he could brace himself between the wall and the head of a great hawk statue. "Move!"
The Pharaoh, realising what he was going to do, did, in fact, move, as did his wolves, as Kheper used his Miraculous infused strength to topple the statue onto the akuma, trapping it firmly underneath it.
"Kheper, get out of here." The Pharaoh ordered as the earrings beeped for the third time and he darted the way his men had gone.
Kheper did not need to be told twice and shot up the corridor where he had left Djau, planning to meet up with Akhenemkhanon later but needing to recharge and wanting to ensure his brother was alive.
He made it to the second corner before his transformation fell and he had to catch Tikki out of the air.
"We can't do anything until we know where the butterfly is." She grumbled as he quickly slipped her into the pouch where a few chunks of honey cake rested.
"I know but we don't know who he is or what…" Heba trailed off, "He said he was arrested. We need to find out who was arrested today."
"I'll be ready in a minute then let's go." Tikki promised, tucking into her snack as he closed the top.
Djau was already heading towards where the fighting was taking place, a dark bruise coming up on the side of his face. The guard's eyes widened when he saw the blood trickling down his friend's side and he pulled Heba into a side room.
"You're hurt." Djau worried at him as he cleaned up the wound with the nearest cloth he could find.
"So are you." Heba countered, staring directly at his brother's face, "Does that hurt?"
"I'm a guard, I'm meant to be hurt." The warrior huffed, relaxing slightly as he realised that the wound was only skin deep. Heba grimaced as he looked down, realising that if it had not been for the protective nature of the transformation, he would be in a LOT worse state right now.
"I'm still allowed to worry." He tried to distract his brother, unconcerned when he knew he would heal once the akuma was dealt with. "But I need to get back out there."
"No. Not when it's hunting you specifically." The shake of Djau's head was firm, making Heba realise just how worried his brother had been. "Where is it now?"
"Kheper managed to drop a statue on it, but I think…" A loud crash made him wince.
"Ra accused Set spawn." Djau snarled out, realising in the same moment as Heba that crash was probably the akuma freeing himself. "Stay here. Understand?"
"I…"
"Please, Heba." Djau pleaded, "It could kill you."
The scribe stared at the guard, emotions swirling. He knew Djau meant well but he did not want to promise something he could not follow through on.
"Ok." Heba hated lying to his brother, but knew that Djau would not leave until he had said he would stay. "But be careful?"
"I don't need to, I'm tough." Djau pounded his chest, just over his heart and smirked, putting on a bravado he did not entirely feel. "I'll have that akuma rounded up in no time."
"The Pharaoh's got men with him, they're trying to find out more information for Kheper. He can't purify it without knowing where the butterfly Deben got infected with, is hiding." Heba shared, "Maybe help there first?"
"I will." Djau nodded, pleased for the information as he headed for the door. "Stay. Here."
Heba just nodded, waiting for the door to swing closed before reopening his pouch. "Ready Tikki?"
"We'll be back before he is." She promised him as she floated out and smiled.
"I hope so. I'm not…"
"You're doing fine." The Kwami of Creation promised, "Hopefully Kem Mau will be here soon and we can have backup that can do something."
"The Pharaoh tried."
"Yes but…" She trailed off when her Bearer shuddered. "Sorry."
"No… no, I just…" Heba swallowed hard, "I'm just hoping Atem is okay."
"Let's get out there and find out."
"Right. Tikki, Spots On."