Chapter 9
"Ladybug is calling for patrol."
Nino shoved his homework out of the way. "Dude, you better not be joking."
From her perch on the fern, Duusu gave him a smile. There were more of them lately— despite her episodes— and they filled the air with a pleasant hum of magic. Even the Grimoire on his bookshelf gave off a steady thrum of power that served as his own white noise machine when he went to sleep.
She tapped her head. "Kwami magic never fails. Hurry up and transform."
Nino glanced back at his Chemistry report about their latest lab. Half a page stared back while the other two floated as disconnected thoughts in his mind. He was getting better about committing those two spells for Ladybug and Chat Noir to memory, and the impromptu dancing rehearsals during passing periods weren't that embarrassing anymore, but his schoolwork had definitely taken a backseat. Duusu wanted every spare moment to be about studying the Grimoire and his technique, not what happened when they changed the PH levels of fruit juice.
Duusu floated down and waited in the middle of the room.
"I'll do it before bed," he said to himself, taking a moment to chicken scratch his brainstorming on the margins of his notebook. Nino turned off the desk lamp to stop the accusing stares of his words. "Duusu, Wings Up!"
Now transformed, the Grimoire called him more than ever. Duusu had said he wasn't quite ready yet to take the book out with him, even if it could shrink down in size for easy travel. There were only two spells he was currently learning, and the Grimoire would update his pages on Ladybug and Chat Noir without him present. No need to risk it getting lost.
Yet just leaving it there felt wrong.
It's natural to feel its loss now that it is back in our possession. Duusu's presence swelled, and Régalien had the distinct impression of receiving a gentle head pat for his trouble. You'll be back before you know it. Now, don't keep your team waiting!
Régalien flew through Paris, nerves unraveled to launch him from roof to roof with ease. Ladybug and Chat Noir's emotional strings twined and emitted a beacon of music to guide him: a general sense of unease with a bite of curiosity. Régalien readied a brief summary of all he had accomplished the past two days. He could pull his own weight, even alone with only his Kwami for help.
Régalien did a double take when the insistent tug around his fingers led him to the Eiffel Tower. Light spilled over the metal structure and blanketed the nearby roofs, turning them gold. Perched on the roof of the École Militaire in front of the monument, a moment was spared to marvel at the height towering over him. His parents had their own set of pictures with the Eiffel Tower in the background and a young Nino in their arms, some of their first memories after immigrating. After years of living in the city, Nino hadn't spared the tower more than a cursory glance.
Tonight, knowing he could climb to its heights where no civilian was allowed, it brought back the magic of those faded pictures.
With his enhanced vision, he saw two figures at the top. They weaved in and out of the shadows, pacing. Waiting.
Régalien used the trees bordering the Champ de Mars to get close and ignored the straggling tourists still roaming the green lawns. Once at the tower's base, he climbed by using his daggers as steps. Innate instinct propelled his steps upwards with the appropriate amount of weight. A flick of his wrist kept his daggers flying to his hand, ready to be thrown higher in a repetitive pattern of throw hit step.
Régalien made it up with the brightest, proudest smile of the week. He stared down at the five daggers in his hands, a part of him still below on the ground. The evening breeze blew, tugging his tail feathers so that he could feel the empty space at his back. The fall would be immense, but the bird in him loved it.
"Glad you could make it." Ladybug came up with an outstretched hand. Régalien hastily replaced his weapons into his fan and took her hand in a firm handshake. He could feel the string they shared strengthen, the flutes singing with confidence louder than ever before. Here was the Leader Master Fu had mentioned.
A frown from Chat Noir behind him was enough for Régalien to realize he'd never let go. "Oh, wouldn't miss it," he said, pulling away before it got even weirder.
Chat Noir caught the glance his way. He smoothed his expression into a half-hearted smile. At Ladybug's nod, he walked out of the shadow of the roof with his own hand out. Régalien took it, still keeping his distance. Nothing remarkable happened to their connection, the trumpets playing just as confidently as before.
"I'm paw-sitively excited that you could make it." Chat Noir's hand lingered. His claws pricked Régalien's gloves as he wrestled with what to say. Régalien wondered whether that was intentional. "Look, if Master Fu says you're good, then you're good with us. It's going to take some getting used to, and you have to pull your weight."
Chat Noir let go, but his eyes strayed to the Parisian view. Régalien felt the stirrings of unease and trepidation in his stomach, and mentally calculated how long it would take him to stop his fall if Chat Noir decided to take care of his bird problem right then and there.
Chat Noir waited for some kind of answer, luminescent eyes back on him. Régalien puffed himself up and said, "Hey, dude, I'm here to do my best. Actually, I've been practicing two spells for Seeing Eye, one for each of ya. Or rather, both spells combined make one Seeing Eye." Régalien mimicked by slowly clapping his hands to together, hoping to get his point across. He was sure Duusu didn't feel this awkward when she explained peacock stuff to him.
Ladybug brightened. "That's great! Do they look different, or do you say different things?"
"So, umm," Régalien began, balancing on the balls of his feet as he recalled the routine for Ladybug's spell, "yours starts off like this." He took a hesitant step forward, getting out a dagger in one hand and displaying his fan with the other. "And then it goes like this."
Régalien swept his fan over his head in a smooth arc. After that, muscle memory took over and led him into the rest. The fan and dagger moved independently of each other, close but never touching. He couldn't actually throw the daggers that needed to be thrown, but after practicing during school so much he just mimed the movements with flicks of the wrist. He automatically began to hum the track mix he'd been practicing to keep his rhythm.
It wasn't until he settled both feet flat on the ground and saw both heroes ogling that a hot flush crept up his neck. Duusu glowed in approval near his heart.
Ladybug raised her eyebrows, impressed. "That looks complicated."
Régalien shrugged, blush lingering on his cheeks. "It's a lot easier with some sick beats in the background." He glanced at Chat Noir, wondering if he had recognized the humming, but his expression had stayed on mildly impressed. A stirring in his mind reminded him of the improvements he made on other fronts. "Oh yeah, I was also working on reading those emotional strings I have on you guys and—"
"Strings?" Chat Noir asked.
Régalien blinked. Right, they didn't know about those.
"So I can sense people with Miraculous with like, strings attached to them. I can even do that with akumas if I concentrate because they're connected to Hawkmoth, though I can't actually use that to find Hawkmoth because I would need to work with him first and form that connection." Oh God, he was rambling. He'd better get to the good stuff before their eyes glazed over. "I've been working on sensing them better, so I can detect your emotions better for Seeing Eye and—"
"That's weird," Chat Noir blurted out.
"Chat," Ladybug scolded with a sidelong glare.
Chat Noir used his arms to encompass Régalien and his violating, emotion-based powers. "Come on, don't you think that's a little bit weird. He knows what we're feeling 24/7."
Ladybug crossed her arms. Her own mask furrowed in thought. "I mean, that's his power, Chat, and it's specifically to help us. It's not our place to tell him what he can and can't use." She threw a stern glance over at Régalien. "Does it work out of costume?"
"No," he lied, wishing he had never brought it up in the first place. Duusu pushed at his lie, but Régalien pushed back. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.
"Still," Chat Noir grumbled. He radiated displeasure, even as he amended, "The detecting akuma thing is pretty cool, though."
"I think we should start patrolling," Ladybug cut in, smiling at them even as her string vibrated with unease.
"That would be great." Régalien fiddled with his fan.
Whatever pride he had going on puddled around his feet. Why were they upset? This was his job as the Peacock. Knowing their emotions was part of the job. It wasn't like that moving truck had a whole array of Miraculous to choose from.
Duusu soothed his wounded ego with a sense of warmth. There was no use worrying about it, she told him. He knew how to do it, and that was the important part.
He straightened with a mental slap to the face. Time to stop feeling sorry for himself. He was here to patrol, to show Ladybug and Chat Noir he was just as capable as them.
"How do we do this?" he pressed, eager.
Ladybug unhooked her yo-yo, twining the string around her fingers to keep her focused. She began to pace, bringing up an image on her compact yo-yo. "What we do is split up the arrondissements between us. We usually do four and four each night, but since you're here now we can do three, three, and three."
"Alone?" The word burst from his lips before he could stop himself.
"You're in the big leagues now," Chat Noir piped up. The upbeat change strained against his lingering irritation. Régalien guessed he didn't get a chance to tease new recruits often. "We're all responsible for our arrondissements."
Ladybug continued to adjust the on-screen map with her finger. "We don't go through all of them. We mostly stick to arrondissements with tourist attractions. That's where most of the akumas pop up."
"Okay, sounds cool, cool." Régalien caught the wide expanse of Paris from the corner of his eye. That was a lot of ground to cover.
"Which arrondissement are you most familiar with?" she asked, finally looking up.
"Seventh." Régalien didn't miss the identical curiosity spikes in their emotions. Chat Noir narrowed his eyes, no doubt trying to work out if they lived nearby. Régalien tried to keep his face as impassive as possible.
Ladybug hummed in thought, eyes roaming the map on her compact. "How about you take the seventh, eight, and first, then? Just use the landmarks to guide yourself. So you can start here, then go to the Musée d'Orsay. Then after a quick patrol around that area, you can jump to the Louvre in the first arrondissement."
"Gotcha." He smiled wide to stamp down on his nerves.
Ladybug made the appropriate adjustments on her map. "I'll take the sixth, fifth, and fourth. Chat, you okay with the second, third, and tenth?"
"I'm okay with anything you say, My Lady," he purred, sliding up closer.
Régalien's eyebrows shot up. Ladybug gently pushed him back, eyes still on her map. "Whatever you say, kitty." She flicked her eyes up, and Régalien tried not stare. "Everybody good?"
Chat Noir was the first to leave but not without an elaborate bow to Ladybug. It could have been Adrien the gentleman, yet the flirtatious wink at the end was new. Chat Noir the flirt was a favorite topic to discuss on the Ladyblog. It looked like it was more than a show for the camera.
He did shoot Régalien one last, warning look before vaulting off into the night.
Then there were two. Ladybug juggled her yo-yo from hand to hand, her nervousness ticking up steadily until Régalien heard it as a low note in his ears. Finally, she turned to him and sighed, her yo-yo falling still in her palms. "I'm sorry about yesterday," she began, not quite meeting his eye. "About you not staying around during the fight with Iron Lung."
This was unexpected. Régalien started to say hurriedly, afraid he was already stepping on toes, "It's alright, I should have—"
"No, no, let me explain." Ladybug glanced down at her yo-yo. "When I first got my Miraculous and Stoneheart attacked, I didn't want to be Ladybug and tried to give my Miraculous to someone else."
She… what?
Missing the shock on his face, Ladybug continued, almost babbling, "I didn't think I could do it, even when my Kwami begged me to change my mind. I didn't accept my Miraculous until I saw my friends getting hurt. I know I shouldn't have waited so long, but…" She shrugged and finally looked up. "Guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay that you ran from your first battle. I kinda did, too."
Régalien found himself smiling, even as Ladybug blushed. The great Ladybug, savior of Paris, had tried to get rid of her Miraculous. He didn't know who she was under the mask, but he couldn't think of anyone else fit for the job.
"Well, I'm glad I sucked it up and helped you guys out with Diamantte."
"Me, too, and sorry for getting sappy. I've just never told anyone this before." She looked ready to bolt to the nearest rooftop.
"Not even Chat Noir?" At the shake of her head and the blip of guilt, he told her with all the honesty he could muster, "I think he would think it was very brave of you."
Ladybug studied him with her own smile. "You know, I would say you're too much of a newbie to know, but you can tell what we feel, so, I'll think about it. Be back here at eleven," she called out, then dropped down from the platform without a care in the world, even as Régalien's heart jumped to his throat. Ladybug's yo-yo shot out to one of the buildings lining the edge of the Champ de Mars, and she zoomed away with a final wave back.
Without the chatter the wind whistled around him. Régalien fisted his hands and took his turn to pace. Ladybug's admission eased some of the tension pressing down on his chest. Even Ladybug, chosen by the Guardian himself, had doubts. So it was okay if he still felt that nervousness buzzing in his bones.
"Okay," he began to himself. Régalien glanced around him and switched to Arabic in case either Ladybug or Chat Noir lingered out of sight. "You got this, Lahiffe. First job, and you're just looking around, making sure everything is safe."
He wandered to the edge of the platform. Paris was bigger than ever. Vast and expansive, the city hummed, calling out to him. The Peacock in him sung back. Perched so high up calmed the what-if's bouncing around his mind. Ladybug and Chat Noir had their own patrol to worry about. They left him to his own devices.
Régalien unlatched a dagger from his fan in case he needed a quick stop, crouched on the rail, and dropped down to the steel infrastructure of the Eiffel Tower to slide down its side by the tread of his boots. Once the individual signs of the shops came into focus, Régalien kicked off the monument and used the street lamps and trees to leap to the nearest roof. With a quick glance back at the Eiffel Tower, Régalien started his patrol of the area.
With the initial meeting out of the way, he could start to appreciate how calm Paris became at night. The few stragglers along the paths were lost in their own worlds. Shops began to blink out as the hour turned to ten, the streets and sidewalks bathed only with the pale light of the lampposts and passing cars.
"I could get used to this," he said because the streets were empty, prying eyes locked behind homes.
As the Musée d'Orsay came into view, Régalien tested the lengthened strings of Ladybug and Chat Noir. A general sense of peace trickled back to him. He smiled back. After a year of being superheroes, it was nice to know they still appreciated the nights.
A string of nervousness vibrated Ladybug's string. Régalien sighed, knowing he was the cause.
Ladybugs were Leaders, according to Master Fu and the Grimoire. Ladybug took her role seriously, and he guessed her yo-yo held more than a map of their patrol routes. She had to account for him now, and she was probably working it all out in her head while she patrolled. What were his strengths? Weaknesses?
She had a right to be nervous.
He sure was.
Régalien touched on the roof of the Musée d'Orsay. He did a quick turnaround, double checking the Seine was indeed behind him, and chose a route to finish patrolling the seventh arrondissement .
As time passed, he swerved and turned. Alleyways were checked and streets perused. Through it all, Régalien clutched the set of strings in his hand. Ladybug's string steadily lengthened as she moved on from the sixth arrondissement to the fifth. Chat Noir's string weaved in and out, and Régalien guessed he was taking his time patrolling the second arrondissement.
Despite all the mental checking, Régalien wound back on the roof of the Musée d'Orsay.
Good job.
"It's just patrolling," Régalien argued despite the growing grin on his face.
He leaped down from the roof and onto the bridge leading across the Seine. The strange sense of being too close to the ground prickled his arms. That was the peacock in him trying to keep him out of danger. Yet another piece of magic that wavered just under his skin. Régalien couldn't entirely shrug it away, just like he couldn't shrug away the constant buzz of magic that came with his emotion-based powers, but it wasn't as bad as before.
He was getting used to it, he realized as he tipped his head to look at his reflection on the surface of the water. That was him, mask and all.
After crossing the bridge's length, Régalien used the lampposts lining the bridge as stepping stones. He was back on the roof and towards the Louvre before the unnerving sensation of being on the ground got the best of him.
He circled the plaza using the rooftops of the connecting museums. Régalien tested the set of strings more closely. With Ladybug, the nervousness had waned, and she was farther away, no longer on the edges of her arrondissement. Chat Noir continued to patrol with a sense of peace.
Adrien wasn't too far. Régalien wallowed in the sense of security it brought him. If something happened to Chat Noir he would know. He'd be there.
A sharp blow to the shoulder swept him off his feet. Régalien tumbled across the shingles, hands scrambling for purchase as his reality went head over heels in mess of dark blurs and lights. He grabbed onto the edge of the roof, the sudden stop snapping the world back into focus. The shingles crunched above his head, louder, closer.
Adrenaline pulled him up back onto the roof. A hooded figure stopped feet away, their cloak flapping in the breeze and snapping at the heels of their boots. They were tall, blocking most of the light from the streets below, but any other defining features were shadowed by their bulky cloak and loose fitting trousers and vest. When Régalien automatically slipped into a fighting stance, the stranger crouched and moved their gloved hand to something hidden under their cloak.
"You look awfully young," they— a man— said, hand still at his waist. His voice failed to express how he exactly felt about that observation.
Régalien stilled, mind scrambling for words. His hands twitched at his waist, brushing over his closed fan. "You're up pretty late for an akuma," he eventually said.
"I'm not an akuma, if it makes you feel any better." The man remained unmoving. "And I'm not here to hurt you."
Régalien would have scoffed if his mouth wasn't so dry. He narrowed his eyes, bending at the knees. "Then what are you here for?"
"Your Miraculous."
Régalien grabbed his fan and slashed the air, sending one of his daggers flying. The moment the man moved to dodge, Régalien fled the roof. He landed in the next rooftop over just as shingles screeched to alert him of the fast-moving enemy. Régalien fumbled for the nearly-invisible button on the fan's guard to turn his weapon into a communicator. Call Ladybug. Call Chat Noir. His thumb fumbled on the switch while his other hand went to pluck a second dagger. Where was the damn button?!
A hit to the small of his back sent him stumbling to the roof's edge. Régalien jumped back, twisted around with the help of his tail feathers, and swiped at the incoming man with his second dagger. The stranger dodged the attack. When they both landed on the roof, Régalien rushed forward with another slash.
The man swept his cloak back, and Régalien backed up the moment he saw whatever weapon he had on him unleashed with a hair-rising crack. He tried to twist away, only to have his right hand whacked, fingers flying open with the onset of stinging pain. His fan was knocked up in the air and snatched by the man before he even landed.
Régalien landed roughly on the balls of his feet. He pushed past the pain in his hand to try and recall the fan back to him. If it worked for his daggers, it had to work for the whole thing, right?
Though the first dagger he'd thrown returned to his hand, the man held on to the fan easily. "Don't be stupid, kid. It doesn't look good on you."
Régalien's eyes dropped down to the weapon in the man's hand. Whatever he expected, it wasn't a whip. Its metal hilt caught the light of the street lamps and reflected back the blue and red of Régalien's suit. The whip itself was at least ten feet long, tightly braided in what could have been leather.
Régalien balanced at the edge of the roof, eyes flicking to the fan to the whip coiled at the man's feet. How much would being choked to death hurt? Could Miraculous Ladybug fix a collapsed trachea?
Régalien grabbed a dagger in each hand— his only two. He reached out to the man with a mental prodding, but there was nothing to feel. His mind wavered at the impossibility. There was a person in front of him, and yet there wasn't.
"Guess you're not an akuma," he joked past his fear. Why couldn't he feel anything?
"Look," the man started. He stopped in front of him, the whip pooling on the ground and buzzing with a strange magic he hadn't noticed before. "What you're doing is dangerous. You know what happened to the last Peacock? He failed. This path broke him, so he disappeared."
Régalien straightened. Duusu clamored in protest, her anger mixing with his adrenaline. Régalien opened his mouth, raised his dagger… and took off behind him with a leap of faith. Anybody could spin their own tall tale about heroes that may or may not have existed. Even before he became Régalien, he'd heard enough monologues from akumas to know a villain would say anything if it meant getting their hands on a Miraculous.
The roof came up faster than he thought. Régalien stumbled but kept on running, calling on his missing fan all the while. His magic tugged and tugged, but his hands remained empty.
The whip cracked somewhere behind him, and shingles were blasted into the air. Régalien leaped off a chimney for height and— biting through the pain in his hand— threw a dagger at the shadow he saw over his shoulder. The man cursed but continued running. Régalien made a sharp left and sped past the man as he called for his dagger. It zipped up, hit the man in the arm, and returned to Régalien's palm.
The Eiffel Tower shone in the distance. Was it midnight? Régalien reached out to Ladybug and Chat Noir's strings. They were floating above his head, free and just out of reach. He grabbed hold and tugged with all that he had. Ladybug was farther away. Chat Noir lingered closer but still an arrondissement away. Maybe Régalien could swing by?
He tugged again, trailing his senses farther and farther to pinpoint an exact location. There was no room for guessing.
The whip wrapped around his right bicep and pulled. Hoping to hit something, Régalien twisted with a wide sweep of his dagger. The man jerked him forward and released the whip to crack it again, catching Régalien's bandaged wrist like a vice. Old pain coalesced with the new. This time, he couldn't swallow the hoarse yell that tore from his throat.
The man tugged him forward, the whip rubbing against the bandages with each pull Régalien dug his heels into the shingles and raised the dagger in his left hand, blade poised. The man's silhouette wavered in and out of focus.
"You love getting distracted, don't you? That's exactly what's going to get you killed." The man waved the fan in one hand. Régalien's heart picked up speed and jostled the adrenaline in his veins; he was so close. "Good luck making it out here."
"Oh shut up," Régalien snapped and pulled back with his trapped arm. With the whip slack, he used his left hand to grab the cord and pull the man to the ground.
The man had no choice but to release his whip from his wrist. Free, Régalien wobbled and glanced at the next roof, then back at the man.
He was trapped. Stuck on a roof without his communicator, the Eiffel Tower looming but still too far to reach. Running did him no good.
A blur streaked past and tackled the man. Ladybug rolled onto her feet and shot her yo-yo with a snap of her arm. Chat Noir barreled roll onto the roof. The whip slapped the yo-yo out of the air, but Chat Noir jabbed with his staff, knocking Régalien's fan free. The man went for it, but Chat Noir kicked him back.
"You foolish child!"
Chat Noir dodged the whip to the head, and aimed for the knees.
The man jumped back to the neighboring building. Ladybug and Chat Noir approached the edge of the roof, weapons drawn.
"My quarrel is not with you," the man snapped. With a final snap of his whip, he turned on his heel and ran into the encroaching darkness of Paris.
"Who the Hell was that?" Chat Noir growled, still crouched, tail snapping against the shingles. He leaned forward to give chase, but Ladybug pulled him back by the shoulder.
"I don't know," Régalien admitted. Goosebumps ran along his spine, rooting him in place. He crouched down in an attempt to keep the world from spinning.
Ladybug was the first to move. She picked up his fan and came up to him. Régalien shut his eyes against the pain in his wrist, and when he blinked back the world, Ladybug was crouched before him. She tilted her head to meet his eyes. "You okay?"
Régalien hesitated, taken aback by the absolute sincerity radiating off her. He took his fan and fiddled with the edges of the black guard, somehow managing to slide in his two daggers without stabbing himself in the foot. Ladybug patiently waited for him to find his words.
"Yeah, I'm good." Ladybug's gaze turned searching, so he amended, "My right hand hurts, and that injury on my wrist from the Diamantte battle is back, but I'll just use some of Master Fu's salve again." He shrugged, aware he ended up babbling.
Ladybug glanced at her yo-yo. "You sure?"
Régalien nodded. "Let's save Miraculous Ladybug in case he decides to show up again tonight."
Chat Noir continued to pace the perimeter of the roof. "Looks like he's gone," he said over his shoulder.
"Do you know what he wanted?" Ladybug asked gently. She placed a hand on Régalien's shoulder, and it was like a live wire. Her kindness and sincerity plummeted into his pores and dashed away the remaining shivers along his arms. It was the complete opposite of Seeing Eye. Instead of the negative, it was all positive, and it felt good.
With a clearer head, Régalien stood up with Ladybug's help. "He wanted my Miraculous. I don't think he was an akuma. I couldn't feel anything from him. It was like being in front of a brick wall."
"So he was just a regular civilian?" Chat Noir asked.
Régalien bit back his frustration. He'd only had his powers for a short time, but running into someone that wasn't affected by them was like running into a door with no doorknob. "No, it's like… with regular civilians, I can feel their emotions if I focus on just them. Him, though, nothing. Not even ager."
Apparently, that tidbit was interesting enough for Chat Noir to leave his post to join them. He twirled his baton idly in one hand, the other pulling at his bangs in frustration. It was such an Adrien thing to do that Régalien couldn't help his smile. "So not an akuma, not a regular human, but he wanted your Miraculous." Chat Noir groaned. "Why just yours, though? We were all separated during patrol."
"Cause I'm the weakest one?" he offered.
"Hey," Ladybug snapped, not unkindly, "this was your first patrol, and he took you by surprise. It's not your fault."
"You held your own until we got here," Chat Noir added with a smile.
Régalien smiled back because for the first time both Ladybug and Chat Noir were on his side, including him into the team. Their strings created a pleasant buzz in his heart.
But the shame went to his face and soured his mood. This wasn't how he wanted their support. Régalien crossed his arms. "Pure luck. I couldn't even contact you guys 'cause he stole my fan."
Chat Noir's eyebrows rose. "So you didn't mean to call us through those, uhh," he wiggled his clawed-fingers in front of him, "strings you talked about?"
Régalien blinked. "That's how you guys found me?"
"Whatever you did worked. It was like I was being pulled towards you." Ladybug's smile waned. "We shouldn't have left you alone to patrol for the first time. Next time, either Chat or I will go with you."
The retort built up in his throat, only for Duusu to shut it down with a quick spark of emotion. Ladybug was the Leader. Keeping the team safe was her job, and she was just trying to help him do his.
This is what he signed up for.
Régalien gave an enthusiastic nod. "That sounds like a great idea. We have to look out for each other and all."
"Yeah, you're right." Chat Noir rubbed his thumb along his baton, shooting a quick glance at Ladybug, then back at Régalien. "You could go with me next time."
This time Régalien grinned. He could see where this was going. "That's fine. I'm sure my girlfriend won't mind me gallivanting around with the famous Chat Noir, as long as I get an autograph."
Chat Noir spluttered and fumbled with his baton.
"I think it's time we call it a night," Ladybug suggested, hiding her own smile behind her yo-yo. "You think you're okay by yourself, Régalien? I would accompany you, but I don't think you would want me to know where you live."
Feeling like a child going on his first playdate, Régalien sighed. "I'll keep my thumb on the communicator the entire time."
Ladybug smiled. "Be safe, okay?"
Even Chat Noir joined in. "Call us if something happens."
They were actually concerned about him. Despite the rough start to his induction to the team, they cared. Régalien nodded and tried not to smile too much.
Ladybug and Chat Noir took their leave. Régalien watched them go, then turned towards the Eiffel Tower. He couldn't exactly go straight home and lead someone— either friend or foe— back to his parents. He'd go to the Eiffel Tower, pick a random direction, then eventually head home.
"Roof. Lamppost. Roof," he chanted as he landed on each one. Ladybug and Chat Noir's strings twined and thinned. Régalien ignored them and focused on each perch. No distractions.
His thumb hovered over his communicator until he let his transformation go.
Nino closed the window to his bedroom, shutting away the Paris night for another time. In the reflection, he saw Duusu fly up behind him. She floated closer but hovered just out of reach.
"There are carrots on my desk," Nino muttered, still staring into the darkness of the city through the window.
Eventually he sat down at his bed. Drawn by the familiar magic, Nino fished the Grimoire from under his mattress and dove into the pages. His eyelids grew heavy, and there was a tremor in both his hands. Nino hunched over to clear some of the drowsiness.
He jumped when his wrist flared in irritation. Nino looked down and saw Duusu unraveling the old bandages, then applying more of Master Fu's salve on his cuts. It stung enough for him to use his words.
"You didn't have to do that."
Duusu wrapped and clipped the bandage with such ease that he wondered if he wasn't the first Peacock she'd patched up. She gave the bandages a loving pat and remarked to his shocked expression, "Can't have my Wielder mess up his spells because of a bad wrist, can I?"
"And that's the real reason you decided to play nurse?"
Duusu answered by going for some carrots. Nino returned to the book, lost about what he was searching for. Comfort? The exact spell that could defeat someone who apparently had no emotions— or could hide them better than the Guardian himself?
"You should sleep," Duusu said in a small voice. She sat on his shoulder with a carrot slice in her paws.
"He said he knew the past Peacock failed."
Duusu put the carrot down. "Peacocks don't have any pages in the book. You won't find anything there."
"Well you haven't told me anything, so this is the next best thing," Nino snapped with a violent turn of a page.
"Our past Wielders have a right to their privacy. It is not my right to disclose any information to someone else." Duusu took a massive bite of her carrot, telling him just how much she wouldn't say about the subject.
Nino sighed. "Okay, last Peacock is off limits. Can you just tell me if that guy that attacked us was one of the past Peacocks?"
"Of course he wasn't!" Duusu soared up, tail feathers flaring up behind her. "We Kwamis can sense our past Wielders. Whatever that man was, he was not one of my Peacocks."
Nino bowed his head until his forehead touched the pages of the Grimoire. What a stupid question. He was grasping at straws. "Sorry, okay?" he muttered, raising his head. The rush of light made him flinch. Every muscle clamored for sleep, but his mind refused to settle. "Something's going on, and you've been so secretive."
When he didn't say anything more, she seemed to deflate. Duusu leaned against his neck to comfort him. "Each Peacock is different. I cannot say whether my last Peacock's career ended in failure or success because it's all about how the Wielder sees it. All I can do is guide." She patted his cheek. "There will always be people after the Miraculous. There are still people who remember the last generation of Wielders and the potential of their items. It is entirely possible this cloaked man is an enemy of the past."
Enemies who could do magic. If Miraculous existed, Nino couldn't begin to imagine what other types of magic lurked around him.
"Are you having second thoughts?" Duusu said at length, drifting to one of the bedposts.
"No." He sighed. "Yes?" Nino tilted his head to meet her eyes. "You care if I get hurt, right?"
Duusu's expression softened. "Of course."
Nino placed the Grimoire on his nightstand, kicked off his shoes, and laid back on his bed. His body was shutting down fast.
"You can't give up after one little setback." Duusu nuzzled his cheek. Her feathers were soft and warm. It was the first time she comforted him so intimately. "You'll get better, stronger. If that man comes back, you'll be ready."
Nino raised his hand and petted down the feathers of her head. Duusu leaned into the touch.
When he woke up, he automatically looked for her in the potted fern, only to find Duusu bundled up against his neck.
Short but interesting chapter for now. We finally have that mysterious figure mentioned in the summary. What could their goal ultimately be?
Next chapter in the weekend! I'm still in the midst of moving in and getting settled. =)