Chapter 13: Setting the Internet on Fire
When Forest Doe and Grizzly Bear went to find the Akuma that had interrupted their date was, they were expecting this one to be hard to handle. But in the end, it proved to be one of the easiest Akumas they had ever faced. Truth, they also had the help of three other heroes, Queen Bee, Carapace and Arachnid, who showed up to deal with the Akuma, whose name was Mechanizer.
Being one of the easiest Akumas they had ever dealt with, Mechanizer was defeated in a matter of minutes, through the combined efforts of the five heroes, who also dealt with Reptile, who after the Akuma was defeated, disappeared into the crowd, by using his powers to change appearance. Using the Ampulla Amulet to reverse time and put what little Mechanizer has destroyed, the way it was before, the heroes were applauded by the people that happened to be there.
"Well, this one was quite easy." -Arachnid said.
"I agree. Reptile was harder to take down, than the Akuma was." -Grizzly Bear said. –"It's just too bad that he managed to get away, before we could pin him down and take the
"Indeed. Though, don't you think it's strange? Usually, Hawk Moth teleports him and his other minions, and this time, he didn't teleport him, just as he were about to beat him." -Carapace pointed out.
"Now that you mention it, it's a little strange." -Arachnid agreed. –"Maybe Hawk Moth decided that he needed to be punished for his failure, by not teleporting him this time?" -he asked, in a joking voice.
"Well, whatever the reason was, he got away." -Grizzly said.
As the boys talked amongst themselves, the girls also talked with one another, with Doe telling Bee that she was surprised she arrived a minute after her and Grizzly.
"You were quick to get here." -Forest Doe told Queen Bee.
"I happened to be flying over the action." -Queen Bee told her. –"And for the first time today, I'm feeling great. Who would ever think that bashing an Akuma could be as relaxing as a few hours in the spa?" -she thought to herself. –"But you seemed to be just as close as I was. You and Grizzly were the first ones to arrive."
"Let's just say, we were nearby."-Forest Doe told her. –"It's what people call "Being on the right place, at the right time.", you know?" -she said.
"Absolutely. But let me tell you this. I'm a little surprised the Akuma was this easy to defeat." -Queen Bee told her. –"Either we're getting too strong, or this Akuma was weaker than usual." -she said.
"It's not that I don't want to say that we're getting stronger, but I think this one was just weaker than usual." -Forest Doe said, as she noticed the news crew arriving. –"Oh, look, the media have arrived." -she said.
"They arrived a little late to get a good shoot of us taking care of the Akuma." -Queen Bee said.
"Don't you mean, a good shot of you taking care of the Akuma?" -Forest Doe playfully asked her.
"That too." -Queen Bee smirked at her, as several reporters ran towards their direction. –"And who can blame them? After all, I always look good on pictures." -she joked, as she ran her fingers over her forehead, brushing some hairs from it.
It did not take long for the reporters to surround the heroes and start bombarding them with questions. As always, the first questions were if the Akuma had been hard to deal with, and if they could reveal who the victim had been. The first one they all answered, but when it came to the second one, they kept their mouth shut. They did not have the habit of revealing the identities of the people that were akumatized, unless they were turned back to normal in front of a huge crowd, which had not been the case this time. They believed that they were entitled to their privacy. The reporters continued to insist on finding out who was the person that had been akumatized, but none of them said it. The only thing they said was that it had been someone who had had a bad day at work.
"Regarding the latest comments from Ambroise Delay, about you and the rest of the members of the Miraculous Team, what do you have to say about them?"
They were already expecting one of the reporters to ask them that question. Which was why they had all rehearsed a speech to give them. At first, they asked themselves if they ought to even bother in refuting such accusations, or if they ought to just keep ignoring them. But after talking Master Fu, who listened to their dilemma and advised them to proceed as they best saw fit, they decided that they were not just going to sit back and listen to all those insults and nonsense. Not when they had a word to say about it.
"What do we have to say about them? Nothing." -Arachnid said. –"We're not doing this to be liked or disliked. We're doing it because it's the right thing to do. And if he has a problem with it, that's his problem not ours." -he declared.
"I make his words, mine." –"Carapace said. –"Also, people are free to believe what they want. If they want to believe that we have nothing to do with Hawk Moth, it's okay. But if they want to believe we're in cohorts with him, so be it. But my friends and teammates can promise you this. No matter what you believe, we'll be there to save you and anyone else, from Hawk Moth's Akumas, because that's what we do." -he concluded.
"Indeed. As long as Hawk Moth and his minions are out there, we won't stop fighting them, because that's our duty." -Queen Bee said. –"And it doesn't matter if one, or more political or social commentators, decide to say that we're dangerous or a menace towards others. It won't matter, because we're not going to be bullied by bullies, who only see their side of the facts." -she declared.
"That's right. We won't be bullied. We're here to do a job, and it's not someone who clearly cares more about saying whatever he feels like, just for the sake of it, who's going to stop us from doing it, with his nasty comments." -Forest Doe said. –"For the record, we all believe that everyone should be allowed to express their opinion, regarding any subject, but that that doesn't grant them a pass to start insulting and offending others." -she added.
The parts spoken by Queen Bee and Forest Doe were not on the rehearsed speech, but they did not mind, as it summarized their collective point of view. Obviously, such comments went viral online, in a matter of minutes, with people quickly taking sides. And it did not take long for Ambroise Delay himself, to find out about what they had said, and for him to react to it, the only way he knew. By recording a video, with his opinion on what had happened, and what had been said.
As soon as he found out about it, he stopped the work he was doing and wasted no time in recording the video, after reading all he could find regarding the Akuma attack, and hearing what the heroes had said about him. Writing the video's script, he made sure to choose the words he believed would emphasize his displeasure, regarding the heroes' words that were directed at him. But it was not easy, due to the intense hatred that was coursing through his mind. If Hawk Moth, or one of his lieutenants were near him, they would see him as the perfect person to be akumatized into a powerful Akuma.
"How dare they speak about me that way?! How dare they?!" -Ambroise raged on. –"Well, if they want a fight, they are going to get one. I'm not going to just stand and pretend that I didn't listen to those words!" -he said, as he continued to write. –"Yes…Yes, this is it… no, no, no, no, no! It's not good enough! It's not strong enough! My speech must reflect the audacity, with which they accused me. And this won't do. I have to
Ripping the paper sheet where he was writing on, he crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the trash can next to his desk, only to grab another sheet and begin to write on it. The first draft was too weak for his taste, and so he decided to start from scratch. Minutes went by, and his anger continued to grow. He was not a man who was used to be defied that way, and he certainly was not a man who liked when someone else dared to tell him he was wrong. Finally, he finished writing what he felt was the perfect speech for that new video of his. Re-reading it, he believed that every word he had chosen for it, was in its proper place. With that taken care of, he readied himself to record the video, when he was interrupted by his secretaty, Aline.
"Sir?" -Aline asked, after opening the door.
"What?!" -Ambroise yelled at his secretary. –"What did I tell you about interrupting me, when I'm about to record one of my videos?!" -he went on yelling. –"Are you so dumb that you can't even remember one of my most basic rules?!"
"S-Sorry, sir, but your wife, she's on the phone and she…" -Aline told him, realizing her mistake.
"Tell her that I'm busy! And don't you dare to interrupt me, while I'm recording!" -Ambroise yelled at her, before she closed the door behind her. –"Honestly! It is that hard to understand that when I'm recording, no one is supposed to interrupt me?!" -he sighed. –"Now, where was I… oh, great, I can't remember where I was. I better start from the beginning, along with the video."
Reviewing things one last time, Ambroise readied himself to begin recording, hoping to not be disturbed again. Facing the camera, he began.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining me, once more. I am Ambroise Delay, and this is the "Delay Report". Once again, these so called "heroes" have saved the day. But have they truly saved the day? Because I don't think so." -Ambroise said, while talking to the camera. –"Today, another one of those creatures created by Hawk Moth appeared out of nowhere, in the 12th arrondissement, and minutes later, two members of the Miraculous Team showed up to fight it, followed shortly by another three members. Coincidence? I think not! Ladies and gentlemen, if this fact doesn't spell "They are all working in cohorts.", I don't know what it does. You can't convince me that they just happened to be nearby, when the Akuma showed up! Neither me, nor anyone else with half a brain! No doubt this was one more trick from Hawk Moth and the Miraculous Team, to make us believe that they are fighting each other, instead of working together, as I and so many of you believe they are!" -he snarled at the camera. –"And let me tell you this. This time, they did not even put a decent effort in pretending that they are not on the same side! The Akuma that they fought, hardly put up a fight! In a matter of minutes, it was over! And then, they attacked me! Me! Maybe not physically, but through words! A person like me, who only wishes to warn people of the danger these so-called heroes represent to the city of Paris, and its inhabitants! One of these days, one of them, or even all of them, accompanied by Hawk Moth might try to take me out of the picture, just for saying the truth! But believe me, when I tell you that I will not be discouraged from continue to make these videos, to expose the truth of what's truly happening in Paris! One day the truth will come out, and I will be there, along with you all, who have seen that things are not as they seem, to tell people who did not want to believe in my warnings, that I kept warning them, and they did not listen."
Once Ambroise's video was uploaded, it took less than 30 seconds to amass more than 50000 views. And in just 10 minutes, the video had more than one million views. And as expected, the comment section was polarized, with half the viewers agreeing with what Ambroise was saying about the heroes, and the other half disagreeing with what he was saying. If online wars were just like the real deal, the whole thing would have been a blood bath. With his words, Ambroise Delay had managed to ignite the latest Internet discussion, regarding the Parisian heroes, and everyone wanted to share with the rest of the world, what they thought about Ambroise's speech, and more importantly, about the heroes they loved or hated.
Alya had not been able to take part of the action that afternoon, because her grandparents on her mother's side of the family had come to visit. It was only when her grandparents decided to take the twins to the park, before dinner, that she was able to find out what happened. Scrolling down the news on her cell phone's screen, she quickly watched the whole thing, and had to stop herself from screaming about what she had seen. Sitting at her desk, she turned on her laptop and called Nino by Skype. After watching what she did, she needed to talk to someone about it, even if it was to just share with someone, the hatred she was feeling for a man, who seemed more than determined, to make the whole world look at the entire Miraculous Team as a target that needed to be eliminated, at all costs.
And because she knew Marinette would be busy that afternoon, she knew that her boyfriend would be the right person to talk to, especially, because he had been one of the heroes that had been slandered by Ambroise.
"This guy… I can't believe that he's saying those things, Nino! As a future journalist and reporter, I can't understand how can someone like this guy say all these lies, and have so many people believing in him!" -Alya sighed, as she continued to read the video's transcript. –"This guy is a slime ball, Nino. He's basically standing for everything that the media are against! And people are basically applauding him for saying these lies." -she said in disgust.
"They really are. It's like they prefer to see everyone else being wrong about something, instead of admitting that they are the ones who are wrong." -Trixx agreed with Alya.
"I know, foxy fox, I know. He really is a slime ball." -Nino said, with his face on the screen smiling at Alya. –"And believe me. Max and I may have said those things to that reporter, claiming that we're here to help and that we don't care about what that douche says, but trust me, I do care about what that guy is saying. I hate to say it, but I'm only human, and that means that I wouldn't mind teaching that guy a lesson." -he admitted.
"You and I. I wish I could slap him, right about now… no, make that, beat him up, for saying all those lies." -Alya sighed, as she closed the window displaying Ambroise's website, leaving only the window with Nino's skype chat. –"I know I shouldn't say these things, but this guy is hurting me in different ways. First, as a future reporter and journalist, I can't condone what he's doing, which is spreading lies, without a single shred of evidence to back up what he's saying. And second, as one of the heroes that he's slandering and accusing, he's offending me, and the rest of us, when we didn't do anything to him." -she said, with a clearly upset voice.
"You know there are people who just don't care, who they step on, as long as they get what they want. And, of course, there are people who just love to be the centre of attention, whether it's for the right kind of reasons, or the wrong kind." –Nino said. –"And this guy is both someone who loves to be the centre of attention, and someone who doesn't' care about anything, except his own ego, and he takes pride on being like that." -he added.
"I know. Still, I wish I could do something to put that slime ball in his proper place. It's not fair for him to say those things, and not have anyone telling him to shut up… maybe I could use the Miraculous Blog to do something. I could film a video of each of us saying a message, in which we show he's wrong about us." -Alya said. –"It would take a little work, but maybe if people saw it, they would begin to change their mind, and stop listening to what that guy is saying." -she said.
"It's a good idea, I'll give you that. But maybe you shouldn't do it." -Nino said. –"Don't take this wrong way, Alya. You know that I love your ideas, especially when they're good. But until now, our blog hasn't been the target of that guy's commentaries and criticisms, and honestly, I don't like the idea of having it under heavy fire by haters. The blog is a place where people who love and support us, come and share their opinions and views on what's happening. The last thing we need is a group of haters targeting it, led by a guy who clearly loves the sound of his own voice, and spends his time badmouthing us." -he declared.
"I agree with him, girl. Nothing good can come out of that idea, even if it's a good one." -Trixx told her. –"You would be inviting trouble, to where they don't exist right now." -she said.
"Also, in the words of Confucius, "There are three means we may learn wisdom from. First, by reflection, which is the noblest. Second, by imitation, which is the easiest. And third by experience, which is the bitterest."." -Wayzz said. –"I don't think I have to tell you what do these words mean, or do I?" -he asked them in a solemn voice.
And indeed, he did not have to. Alya understood what he meant, when he quoted Confucius. If she attempted to do what she felt was the right thing, she would likely be starting a problem, she would later repent.
"I guess you're all right about it. Maybe it's best if we leave the blog out of this." -Alya agreed with him. –"The last thing we need is for the blog we created to become a battlefield, between our fans and Ambroise's nutjob followers." -she said. –"Plus, it's pointless to try and think that something that I might do, will change people's minds, regarding the subject. People believe in what they want to believe, and that's that."
"I know it's not easy for you to let this one slip by, but look at it this way. The blog will continue to be a Miraculous Team hater-free zone."-Nino smiled at her. –"And, it's not pointless to think that no matter what we do, we can't make the difference. You, of all people should know that that's a thing, no matter how many people think it otherwise. Remember, you do that every time you act like a reporter, trying to get to the bottom of things, or whenever you put on a mask and fight a criminal or an Akuma." -he told her.
"You're right… it's times like this that you manage to remind me that it's not pointless to do things, when you believe in them." -Alya declared. –"I wish you were here, right now, so I could give you a kiss, turtle boy." -she smirked at him.
"That's the problem with these video-chats. You can see, but you can't touch." -Nino joked, earning a chuckle from Alya.
"You know that if someone else heard that joke, they would think you're talking about something else, right?" -Alya asked him, with a joyful voice.
"I know, I know." -Nino chuckled. –"Then, again, we're a couple. I don't see any problem with us making this kind of comments between us." -he smiled at her.
"You know, I wish I could pay you a little visit, after dinner. But with my grandparents here, it'll have to wait until Monday." -Alya told him.
"It's okay. I understand." -Nino winked at her. –"Until then, I'll be happy just looking at you, through the computer screen." -he said.
"Same thing… hold on a second." -Alya said, when she heard her name being called. –"Coming mom! Sorry, my mom's starting to cook dinner, and she wants me to help her out, so everything's ready for when my grandparents and the twins come back from the park." -she told him.
"Sure. But can't your older sister help her instead?" -Nino asked her, trying to persuade her to stay a little bit longer. He was enjoying talking with her, especially since they did not have the chance to meet that day, when the Akuma showed up.
"Who? Nora?! Forget it. That girl can't even boil an egg, without turning the kitchen into a disaster zone." -Alya joked.
And as Alya and Nino were forced to finish talking, in Juleka's bedroom, the conversation theme between her and her brother Luka, was also the Miraculous Team. Like it happened so many times, the Couffaine siblings were spending time with one another, and they had chosen Juleka's bedroom to do it, that day, after they helped their mom clean up the house, who right then was taking care of dinner.
"Can you believe what this guy is saying about the Miraculous heroes?" -Luka asked his little sister, as he tuned his guitar, so he could practice a little before dinner.
"I already saw it, yes. I don't know why he takes pleasure in badmouthing them." -Juleka said. –"You would think some people would have better things to do, than to say nasty things about those who do their best to protect them." -she commented.
"I completely agree with you, Jules." -Luka said, as he continued to tune his guitar. –"I mean, they protect the city from those creatures, and there's enough visual evidences that they have risked their lives, almost dying a couple of times, just to save people, who got in trouble because of Hawk Moth and his creations, to fill up several cloud banks, and this guy continues to come up with bad things about them. Things that never happened, except in his hollow head." -he went on. –"I mean, you would think there wouldn't be people, who would dare to question their motives for doing what they do, after they risk their lives. I mean, you don't see people doing that when it comes to firefighters, when they risk their lives. Sure, it's different, but in the end, what matters is that they save people's lives, and they shouldn't be criticized for trying to help."
Hearing him say that, Juleka could not help but to smile. It warmed her heart, when Luka said those words, because without knowing it, he was praising and supporting her. Just thinking about it, it made her wish she could tell him the truth about her being Corbeau Noire. But she knew that she could not do it, for his own safety.
"Thanks for being so supportive and for believing in me and the rest of the team, Luka. I really wish I could tell you the truth about this. You're always so supportive, and you're always there for me. It pains me, to have to keep such a big secret from you, but I have no other choice" -Juleka thought to herself.
"But you know what surprises me the most? It's the way the heroes reacted to those commentaries from that guy. If it was me, I don't know if I wouldn't have told him a couple of truths, about the things he's been saying." -he said. –"The guy disgusts me. When you think he has run out of material to badmouth one of the heroes, he surprises you, by finding even more things to use against them. As I see it, the only thing left is for him to also criticise the heroes' outfits, by saying that kids shouldn't dress like that and that it's indecent and all that."
"Yeah, definitely." -Juleka agreed. She was not showing it, but she was happy to see, that unlike others, her brother was not the kind of person who would judge others, especially when they were doing good and were the target of critiques by someone who seemingly loved to criticize and badmouth someone, just for the sake of doing it. –"And now that you mention it, I don't think there's anything wrong with their outfits. I think they're quite pretty." -she said.
"I don't see anything wrong with them either. I mean, sure they all wear skin-tight outfits, but so what? Dancers and performers, and other kinds of people also wear clothes like that, and you don't see people pointing fingers at them." -Luka said. –"Their outfits are their working uniforms, like those worn by the military, or the police, or even the firefighters or any other job that requires you to wear one. The only difference is that theirs are multicoloured, unique to each one of them, and are flameproof and bulletproof." -he commented.
"You're right." -Juleka said. –"I wish our outfits were bulletproof, Luka. If they were, I wouldn't be afraid of getting shot, every time I deal with a guy holding a gun." -she thought to herself. –"There's nothing wrong with their outfits."
"But changing the subject, how are things between you and Rose?" -Luka asked Juleka, curious.
"They're fine, thanks for asking." -Juleka told him in an annoyed tone of voice. She did not like when Luka asked her about how things with Rose were; mainly because she did not like to tell him the details of her love life. –"Why do you insist on asking me that, all the time? I don't ask you how things are between you and your girlfriend." -she asked him.
"Well, first, you don't ask me that, because I don't have one at the moment, and second, I'm just curious. You do realize, that this is me, playing the duty of a big brother, which is to make sure that everything is alright with his little sister?" -Luka asked her. –"And before you say "I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take of myself.", and all that, let me remind you that you will always be my little sister, and I'll always care about you and your wellbeing." -he told her. –"So, come on, spill the beans for me, little sis."
If there was one thing that Luka was, was a sweet talker, who knew just what to say to convince people to tell him anything he wanted to know. And like always, he had managed to sweet talk Juleka, into answering him.
"You're impossible, you know that?" -Juleka sighed in exasperation, as a smile appeared on her face. –"Well, since you've asked, we're doing fine. We're doing better than fine, in fact. She's the best girlfriend I could have asked for. When I'm with her, I feel like nothing can go wrong." -she smiled. –"We were supposed to go the movies today, but…"
"But dad caught you awaken, when you were supposed to be asleep, and he grounded you." -Luka finished her sentence.
"What can I say, other than "I'm sorry, I didn't notice it was that late, when I finished chatting online with Rose?", Luka?" -Juleka told him. –"Of course, that's not what really happened, but I can't tell anyone the truth." -she thought to herself. –"Anyways, it doesn't matter if I'm grounded. That's not going to stop me from spending time with Rose tonight. Mom will be busy with her new sculpture, which means she will be sculpting, until she can't hold the chisel and the hammer straight, and dad's going to bed after dinner, because he couldn't sleep last night. And Luka, he'll be too busy listening to music on his laptop, that he won't bother me the rest of the night. Rose and I will get to have our date after all, right after dinner. She's going to show up outside my bedroom window, and then we'll go up to the rooftop, so we can spend a little time alone. Or, I can just pretend that I'm tired and I'm going to sleep earlier, and we'll end up watching something on the television, under the covers, while in each other's arms."
"Hey, you don't have to justify yourself to me. I know what it's like to be grounded, remember?" -Luka said, as he played a few chords. –"But it's a good thing you did stay home, instead of going out with your girlfriend. If you had, I would have had to clean up the house, all by myself… there, I think it's finally tuned to perfection. Want to accompany me?" -he asked Juleka.
"Not today. I'm not really in the mood for playing. I'll just listen to you playing this time." –Juleka told him.
"Alright, suit yourself." -Luka told her. –"Then let's see… what should I play? Any requests, Juleka?" -he asked his sister.
"Hmm… something melancholic." –Juleka answered. Whatever melancholic song her brother would choose to play for her, she knew that both her and Tamara, who was hiding behind one of the books in her bookshelf, would enjoy hearing it.
"Melancholic, you say? Okay, then… Pink Floyd's Dark Side of Moon, coming right up." -Luka said, as he began to play the song.
Because his parents were both home that afternoon, Nathaniel had not been able to go out and join the others in combat. Though when he found out that Ambroise had once again attacked them, as well as the rest of the team, in one of his famous rants, he became just as mad about it, as the rest of them. And joining him, over Skype, was also Marc, who like so many other fans of the Miraculous Team, hated, whenever someone criticized or insulted the heroes.
"He's at it again! He keeps saying that once the Akuma showed up, two minutes later, two of the heroes also showed up, which to him, proves that the heroes are working with Hawk Moth. I mean, him saying that that there are no such things as coincidences… the guy clearly doesn't even want to put the hypothesis that Forest Doe and Grizzly Bear just happened to be in the right place, at the right time." -Marc declared. –"Sometimes, coincidences happen. Mathematically speaking, it's not impossible. It's very improbable, but not impossible." -he insisted.
"You're right. The odds of that happening are not impossible." -Nathaniel said. –"Ivan and Mylene were definitely in the right place, at the right time, today. I wish I could have joined them. But given that the two of them, along with Chloe, Max and Nino were able to take care of the Akuma in just a couple of minutes, I guess they did not need more help to deal with it." -he thought to himself.
"I don't understand how people listen to this guy!" -Marc told Nathaniel.
"I don't understand it either. I mean, the guy is not even that bright. When someone asks him a question, he tends to answer with another question, just to say something." -Nathaniel said. –"That just proves that he's just full of hot air." -he stated.
"Well, I think that that guy is literally full of…" -Marc said, when he was interrupted by Nathaniel.
"Hey, watch it! I've got you on speaker, and my parents are at home. My mom hates when she hears anyone swearing." -Nathaniel warned Marc.
"Sorry." -Marc apologized. –"Sometimes it's hard for me to remember to bite my tongue." -he joked.
"You swear a lot?" -Nathaniel asked him, curious.
"Not as much, as I used to, but I still do, from time to time. Especially when I'm talking about something that pisses me off." -Marc admitted. –"But you know what they say. Usually people who sweat a lot, are the most honest." -he said.
"I've heard that." -Nathaniel chuckled. –"Well, I don't swear. Only when I get hurt." -he admitted. –"But let's get back to what we were talking about, before we started to talk about that blasted Ambroise Delay, shall we? What were we talking about?"
"We were talking about that alternate design you did for Hawk Moth." -Marc answered him. –"And I was telling you that I like the idea of you giving him a mask that doesn't show his face. It's different."
Nathaniel had called Marc to discuss some of the sketches he had been working on, that past week, and the two had been talking about it, while losing the track of time.
"Oh, yeah, now I remember." -Nathaniel said, as he grabbed the sketch in question. –"I don't know if I'm actually going to use it on my fan comic, but if I do, I might use it as a form he has, after being given a temporary power-boost, or something like that." -he told Marc.
"That seems fitting. I mean, Hawk Moth is already pretty imposing with that outfit and that mask he wears. One shouldn't temper with what's already perfect, if you get my meaning." -Marc pointed out. –"What about his minions? Do you have plans to also give them an upgrade, or something like that?" -he asked him.
"I don't know yet. Maybe, maybe not." -Nathaniel admitted. –"Even if I decide to use it this design, it won't be used any time soon; not until I can write the story properly. So, until then, I'll have time to also decide if I give them a temporary redesign, or not." -he said.
"You know that if you need a little help writing the story, I'm your man." -Marc said, while winking at Nathaniel.
When Marc did that, Nathaniel could not help but to blush just a little bit. The way Marc winked his eye at him, and spoke those words, it sounded more like a proclamation of love, than anything else.
"T-Thanks. And I'll let you know, if I need any help." -Nathaniel said, trying not to blush even further.
Both the heroes and Ambroise Delay, along with numerous other people in Paris, may have ended up offended and furious by what transpired between them. But there was one person, who was worst than all of them combined. And that person was none other than Hawk Moth. Underground, in his hideout, the villain was punishing Reptile for his latest failure. It had already become a routine for Hawk Moth, to punish his lieutenants, every time they failed, and that made him furious.
"I don't even know why I still waste my time punishing you, Reptile." -Hawk Moth told him. –"I expected that by now, you would have learned what failing me means. But it seems like no matter how many times I cut you open, fry you, disembowel you or dismember you, you don't learn." -he told him, as he stabbed him on the left shoulder.
"M-Master, p-please..." -Reptile begged him, as he yelled out in pain.
"Did I give you permission to talk?!" -Hawk Moth yelled at him. –"No, I did not. The same way I did not give you permission to fail me." -he said, with a calm, yet murderous and icy voice, as he twisted the blade, that was stuck on the lizard man's shoulder, making him yell in pain. –"Your failure has cost me one my beautiful Akuma Butterflies. All because you failed to provide me a suitable vessel for it. And the result, was a weak Akuma, which a handful members of the Miraculous Team were able to dispatch in a matter of minutes. And as always, you did not bring me a single miraculous with you."
Retrieving the blade from Reptile's shoulder, he gazed at the wound he had inflicted on him, while also looking at the bloody blade, as small drops of blood fell from it.
"I thought I had warned you, just like I warned Madame Romani and Brutus, what would happen if you failed me again." -Hawk Moth said, before stabbing him again, this time, just above his waist. –"Right now, I should just cut your head off, and end you, once and for all. I do not have the need for a lieutenant who constantly fails me." -he told him, before removing the sword from his wound, and placing its bloody blade against Reptile's neck, making him gulp.
Hanging in the air by purple energy chains, with his arms and legs spread and shackled, Reptile feared that his master would decide to end his life, right there. He knew he had failed him, once more, but he could not predict that the negative emotions from the person he had chosen to be akumatized, were not strong enough to create a powerful Akuma. The lizard man knew that this was not an acceptable excuse for his failure, but even so, he could not help but to feel that what happened to him, was not entirely his fault.
"P-Please, m-master… d-don't kill me…" -Reptile begged Hawk Moth, with the blade rasping his neck.
Time felt like it had stopped for Reptile, who was waiting for Hawk Moth to deliver him the final blow. Seconds felt like agonizing hours to him. But nothing happened. Hawk Moth removed the blade, and after cleaning it with a handkerchief he pulled form his pocket, he inserted it back into its cane sheath. Snapping his fingers, the energy chains that were holding Reptile in the air, disappeared and the lizard man dropped to the ground, landing on a small pool of his own blood.
"T-Thank you, m-master…" -Reptile thanked Hawk Moth, as he laid on the ground, feeling the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.
"Don't thank me. Thank the fact that I can't allow myself to lose any lieutenants. Otherwise, you would be dead." -Hawk Moth told him.
"Y-Yes, master…" -Reptile kept thanking his master.
"Pick him up and tend to his wounds." -Hawk Moth told Brutus. –"And for your sake, you better not disappoint me again, Reptile, or your next punishment will be ten times worse than this one. I'm growing tired of your failures. Yours, as well as the others." -he warned his three lieutenants, before turning his back and walking towards his private chambers.
Once Hawk Moth's chambers doors closed behind him, Brutus went to help Reptile, just as their master had instructed him. Leaning against a wall, hiding in the shadows, was Madame Romani, who watched the whole thing. Coming out of the shadows, and approaching them, she smirked, as she looked at Reptile on the ground.
"Look at all that blood. If you keep failing like you do, and the master continues to punish you this way, the soil of this hideout will be soaked with your lizard blood." -Madame Romani cackled hysterically, as she looked at her two fellow lieutenants. –"Let's hope that doesn't happen. I don't want to spoil my shoes."-she said with a sneering voice.
"You are of no help, with those remarks." -Brutus said, as allowed Reptile to put his left arm around his shoulders.
"And you think I care what you think of me and my remarks?" -Madame Romani asked him.
"You have also failed, and not so long ago, remember?" -Brutus reminded her, as he helped Reptile standing on his feet.
"Yes, but at least the Akuma that I provided the master, almost burned part of Paris and turned the heroes into ashes." -Madame Romani told him. –"That proves that I have far more talent to seek the right kind of victims, than the two of you. And next time I find one, I guarantee you, it will become the strongest Akuma the master has ever created, and it will destroy those brats, once and for all." -she said, as she walked away.
"Not if I have any say, in the matter." -Brutus thought to himself.
First of all, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, a Joyful Kwanzaa, or any other holiday you might celebrate. Mine was okay, given the way the world is. Sorry if this took longer to update, than I wanted to, but you all know how the holidays are. Also, my depression decided to pay me a visit, and it made it hard for me to focus on writing. And I'm also sorry to those who thought that this was going to be an Akuma fighting chapter. Initially, it was going to be, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that having three Akumas into one fic was a bit too much. in the end, this chapter turned into a slice-of-life chapter... mostly. I felt it was time for Ambroise to do a little bit more damage, while also depicting some of the characters' reactions, regarding his words. It also gave me the chance to add a bit more AlyaxNino and NathanielxMarc to the storyline. But I promise you that the Akuma fight that I have in store for our heroes will be epic, and it will be something completely different.
Don't expect another update, until after New Year, because I'll be a little too busy to write. As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your ideas and suggestions to improve this fic, or future ones.