Chapter 58: In Which the Fox Hero Meets a Cat Hero(Zoe's POV)
Zoe jumps around on the rooftops, trying to scan for the other heroes. She looks on the streets of Paris from the rooftop she stopped on. Nothing, and no sign of that…
"You will obey my command! Help me find my daughter Chloe Bourgeois!"
She looks in the direction the shout came from which is left. The akuma has a whole police task force at his command and by his side is her mother, Audrey. So he managed to snag her two. Great. Her power of illusion would come in handy, but she doesn't know how to use it. Well she does, it's just she doesn't want to try it. As it could fail or the power would fade if she has to transform back.
But she has to try.
"Mirage." she whispers. A flute appears in her hands and she puts her mouth to it. Playing a tune. Zoe is surprised to hear it sounds great. Despite it her being her first time playing such an instrument, or any instrument really.
Focusing on what she wants to show in her illusion, she continues to play the flute. When she opens her eyes, her illusion is coming to life. Chat Noir, Marmora and Honeybee are walking up to Maledikteur. She focuses on them, playing every step and move they'll make.
"Ah. I was wondering when you heroes would show up. Too bad I'm the superior one here. I can command anyone of you with just a point of my finger and saying what I want you to do."
Illusion Marmora yells, "So what? We outclass your army you've got there. And I bet we can dodge your fingers that you point at us."
Chat Noir nods, "Yeah. We can easily take down your little army and defeat you, three on one."
Although the army is dispersing, going to find Chloe.
Maledikteur smirks, "I never intended to fight you with an army. Stupid heroes."
"We're not the stupid ones. You're taking us on three to one! With no backup!" Honeybee snarls. Zoe winces, she didn't want to make it seem like a snarl. More like shouting.
The akuma just unsheathes his sword, unafraid. "Then come at me."
Zoe hopes that her mirages are real as she envisions them fighting against Maledikteur. They dodge Makedikteurs sword as it tries to stab and slash them whenever they come too close. Damn it, maybe she should have studied Paris's heroes after watching some of them face off Style Queen.
As she heard of a Noirblog which supposedly is the place for superhero news in Paris.
But she has to remain focused in order for the mirage to work. And hopefully it will hold if Maledikteur touches them. She remembers vaguely something Trixx had said about that.
As a slash touches illusion Honeybee, the illusion wavers, but Zoe manages to hold it together by playing her flute again. It's getting tiring to keep this up. Much more of this, and the illusion will probably fade and then she only has five minutes to detransform.
Then out of the corner of her eye she notices something black move on the opposite rooftop. That must be Chat Noir. She sighs a little in relief, but doesn't take her eyes off her illusion.
Just more slashing, stabbing, punching, and dodging. Not much entertainment coming from the fight. At least when her illusions touch something the illusion doesn't waver or just fade away. Which is good.
Although one of Maledikteur's slashes ends up hitting Marmora causing her grip on the illusion to slip, until eventually she loses hold and the illusion fades away. Zoe sighs, great, just great.
Maledikteur looks around, "What just happened dear?" He turns to look at Audrey who shrugs, "I don't know Andrekins. They were just there and then poof, faded into tiny sparkles of light."
Then out of nowhere Chat Noir jumps down and rushes towards the turned back Maledikteur. The feline hero pounces on him, pinning the akumatized mayor. Her mother just shrugs, not really bothering to help.
"Andrekins, get rid of that kitty please."
Maledikteur mutters, his face on the gravel road. "He's sort of on me."
"That's no reason to…"
Rrrriiiiippppppp. Chat Noir just broke the mayor's sash, revealing a purple butterfly. Which she assumes are the akumas true form.
"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir yells catching the purple butterfly. Its ashes fall out of his hands and Maledikteur turns back into the mayor. Still, Chat Noir broke the mayor's sash. The mayor's sash. That's a huge risk, but the akuma had to be revealed in order for Chat Noir to do what he just did.
She hides on the roof, noticing that the other side of the roof is facing an alley. Which is good luck as she just detransforms right now. Trixx looks at her and paws at his belly, signaling that he is hungry.
Sighing, she pulls out a package of jerky from her sweater pocket. Zoe opens it and pulls a strip of jerky out which Trixx takes and eats.
"Delicious."
"Alright. I'll go meet Chat Noir now."
Trixx grins, "Then just say the magic words."
She does and it transforms her into Rouge Renarde. And then she jumps off the roof to greet Chat Noir.
"Thank you, Chat Noir."
Chat Noir's green eyes notice her. "Well I couldn;'t have done it without the most recent member of Team Miraculous."
Her step father looks at her, his blue eyes yielding gratitude. "Then I must thank you as well Mademoiselle."
"Rouge Renarde is my name, Mayor."
"Ah. Well anyways I thank you two. Where's Marmora and Honeybee?"
Chat Noir shrugs, "Their civilian life is probably keeping them busy. Which is why I asked for Rouge Renarde's help."
Zoe nods, even though that's not what really happened. A girl on a bike comes riding up to them. "OMG! A new hero! Mind if I get your pic and your interview about today's battle! You two Chat Noir! Oh this will be so good for my blog."
"Perhaps later today Mademoiselle Cessiare. Meet us both at the Le Grand Hotel. I'll book us a room where we can talk later as I have some special connections."
Alya enthusiastically nods and Zoe kind of dreads having to go to an interview done by her. But she is a superhero, and can't let any of her personal life into it.
"Sure. What time Noir?"
"I was thinking around eight p.m."
She nods, "Good for me. Take care you two."
Chat takes off and she follows him. Assuming he wants to talk. His green eyes find her when he turns around.
"Okay, we'll chat, just give me a few minutes as I detransform soon."
Nodding she steps back out of the alleyway and waits for him. Touring around she tunes out whatever Chat Noir might say in his civilian form. As she doesn't know the rules yet. And that's if Chat Noir let's her keep the miraculous.
Soon she gets a tap on her shoulder. Turning her neck she sees Chat. They both head into the alleyway.
"Thank God you have the fox miraculous . I thought I lost it forever yesterday and that someone bad might have found it. I'm so glad that I can tell Master Fu that I recovered the miraculous tonight after our interview. Though that illusion type stuff was great on your first day…Perhaps you should keep it. Your illusion magic could come in handy in other battles." He pauses, thinking about it.
Honestly, it went by so fast as Chat Noir rambled. So she didn't catch anything. Also his hair is a little disheveled from putting his hair up early from expressing something. Excitement probably if she had to guess.
"Alright. I've decided to let you keep it. Whenever you're ready I'll reveal my identity to you when you reveal yours. Now after our interview you'll go on patrol with the whole team. I'll tell Master Fu about the decision. So Rouge Renarde, welcome to Team Miraculous."
Zoe sighs in relief. He isn't mad at her and isn't going to make her give it back. This will be the perfect time to get some real time acting done to practice for when she ends up being an actress.
"Thank you! I won't let you down."
Chat Noir smiles a toothy grin. " I know you won't Rouge."
Her heart flutters. Becoming a hero wasn't what she imagined happening when coming to New York. However, she's beginning to like the idea more and more after what happened today.