LXP: Hi everyone! So sorry for the agonizing five-month long wait. I lost my writing momentum, but now I've got it back.
So, without further adieu, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
TOWER HEIST
Marinette was halfway up the royal tower when she wished she had worn gloves.
Her fingers were numb and red from having to dig them into the thin, chalky creases of the stone bricks. A few additional cracks along the wall made the accent easier, but it still hurt for Marinette to grab onto them and pull herself up. Nimble as she was, she was made for leaping onto branches where there was always something somewhere to grab onto, not flat towering mounds of rock that guaranteed a quick death at the slightest slip.
The early morning breeze blowing against her wasn't helping either. Marinette shivered, and her red spotted cloak flapped impatiently at her back. Keep going, keep going… The young archer snapped her teeth together with resolve and climbed onward, breathing heavily.
Nottingham was counting on her right now. Adrien was counting on her.
At long last, Marinette grabbed onto a thin ledge that circled the tower just below the grand balcony. Heaving herself up, she balanced on the soles of her feet very carefully before straightening and flattening her back against the tower. Not an easy feat, considering her bow and quiver were in the way, but she still managed to stand without bending over.
Phew, she sighed. See, Ladybug? Just like climbing a tree.
Returning to the situation at hand, Marinette shimmed along the ledge and peered down cautiously towards the ground. Fifty feet below, royal guards moved around like cockroaches. On the other side of the courtyard, Sheriff Roger snored away peacefully at the foot of the prison in his comfy little stool. Trigger was nowhere to be seen. Odds are, Roger had sent the paranoid marksman to bother someone else for the rest of the night. Or maybe Trigger went looking for Nutsy.
Once Marinette had left the courtyard earlier, she discarded Nutsy's cloak and chainmail and tossed them into an empty barrel. But the real Nutsy was still tied up to the big tree in the garden next to the courtyard. There was a good chance that Trigger or some other soldier would find him and sound the alarm.
Double-checking to make sure no one along the battlements was watching, Marinette secured the coil of extra-long, extra-thin rope over her shoulder one last time.
She spat a good chunk of saliva into both her palms, rubbed them together, and looked up at the balcony railing hovering over the great expanse before her. It was just one good jump away, but with the little foot-room she had, it would have to be a really good jump.
Marinette took a deep breath, remembering her father's dying words over the taunting wisp of the wind:
Be brave… be strong…
Ladybug propelled herself from the tower...
… and latched her sticky hands around the tiny pillars of the railing.
Her heart flew to her throat, and she swallowed a hard gasp as her calloused fingers burned once again from fatigue. Her feet dangled precariously in mid-air.
None of the soldiers noticed. Yet.
Grunting under her breath, Marinette swung her feet up and hooked them onto the top of the railing, allowing her to climb further up with her hands and lift the rest of her body over.
The blunette panted with relief as she fell to her knees on the balcony, her cloak falling over her like a reassuring blanket. I did it!
Then, a harsh snort-like sound – like an angry, wild boar – made Marinette jump to her feet, reaching for her bow.
But she froze when she realized the source was none other than Princess Chloe of England.
The blonde monarch was sprawled out upon the grand mattress of her four-poster bed, her bare feet poking out from underneath her blue-velvet quilt. Her golden hair was all rolled up and tucked into an adorable, laced kerchief. She was clutching a yellow, creepy-looking teddy bear against her, and her mouth grew whale-wide with each new, obnoxious snore.
Marinette had to press a hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh. Alya's gonna be sorry she missed this, she thought.
Then something else in the bedchamber caught the blunette's eye: bags. Thick, shoulder-high mounds of fat leather bags, each one tied closed with a small string. They all carried a pungent metallic smell; a dirty, rich smell.
Chloe's gold – all of the tax money she hoarded from the people of Nottingham. Just like Sheriff Roger had said.
At that moment, Chloe jerked violently. "Ladybug?" she mumbled.
Marinette stiffened again, pressing herself against the threshold of the open entrance.
The princess murmured something inaudible before snuggling against her teddy bear with a contented sigh. "I'll… I'll getcha…" she yawned, still asleep. "I will… Ladybug…" Her body relaxed, and then she broke out into snoring once again.
Marinette blew out a soft breath, smiling. No time for amusement, she told herself.
Crouching low, she tiptoed on silent feet to the end of Chloe's bed. She slipped off her rope, her bow, and one of her arrows. Marinette tied one of the ends of the rope to her arrow, just behind the head. Next, she hooked the whole thing around the top-front banister of Chloe's bed, which was made of smooth cylindrical wood adorned with golden leafy accents. All the while, Marinette's bluebell eyes darted to Chloe whenever the latter moaned or purred in her sleep.
Finally, Marinette took the roped arrow and nocked it against her bowstring. Stepping quietly back onto the balcony, the archer raised her arrow and aimed at one of the high barred windows of the prison tower.
There was a soft twang, and the red-fletched arrow shot over the courtyard, dragging the rope with it.
Adrien heard the incoming whoosh before something red streaked through the window and embedded itself into one of the wooden beams of the prison cell.
Several people gasped and jerked back, only to break out into relieved smiles when they saw the arrow. And the rope.
Adrien quickly yanked the thing out of the wood and hooked it through one of the large rings in the back-stone wall. Then, he drew it against his own bow – one of many that Nino and his company had fished out of storage – went back to the window, and took aim at the open balcony of Chloe's tower.
"Right back at ya, Milady," Adrien whispered with a feline grin.
He fired, and the arrow zoomed through the air with the rest of the rope in tow.
The arrow struck the wooden banister with a dull thud.
Princess Chloe grumbled and rolled over, muttered something incomprehensible before drifting back into dreamland.
Marinette wasted no time taking the arrow off and tying both ends of the long rope together, making sure that the two parallel lines between here and the prison were taut. Within seconds, she made a perfect pulley system.
Her eyes scanned the heaping piles of gold. So many bags, so little time. She huffed gently through her nose. Better get started.
She went to the closest pile and picked up one of the bags with delicate hands. It was heavy, but not so bad that she couldn't lift it above her head. Marinette checked on the sleeping Chloe again before attaching the string of the bag onto the far end of the rope pulley.
She did the same thing with four more bags. Then, Marinette reached up, pulled down on one of the rope lines, and let it go with a twang.
The motion reverberated down towards the prison.
Alya felt the rope rattle in her palms. "That's the signal!" she whispered. "Now!"
Nathaniel, Otis, and a few other men heaved the rope back, moving in unison. Left hand, right hand, left hand, right hand… one fluid motion after the other.
Alya pulled with them, smiling when she saw the small dark bulges dangling from the far end of the rope. More and more appeared, moving in single-file above the courtyard grounds like bubbles bouncing steadily through the air. Hopefully, none of the patrols would bother to look up and see the strange sight above them.
We might actually pull this off, Alya thought with enthusiasm.
When the first bag slipped through the bars of the window, Nino untied it and handed it to Adrien, who passed it to Nadja. Then, Nino undid another bag, and the cycle repeated. Within minutes, there were so many bags coming in that a few villagers volunteered to help unload them. Each bag was passed to the people in the back, who would carry them to the other prisoners in the tower before hastening back for more.
Adrien saw the glowing smiles on the peoples' dirt-streaked faces; the way their eyes lit up with joy the moment they received the money they had lost. The lordling could almost picture what they were thinking: no more going to bed hungry, no more scrimping for scraps, no more overworking. For the first time in four years, the villagers of Nottingham could live and be content again. They could be happy.
Marinette's greatest wish was being fulfilled.
Manon squealed excitedly as she lifted a smaller bag into her arms, prompting Alix to put a finger to her lips.
Nino took a break from unloading the bags and picked up one himself before turning to the prisoners in this cell. "All right, folks, listen up," he called in a low voice that wouldn't carry through the stone walls. "I'm gonna lead the first batch of prisoners to the gate. Those with weapons are going to form a barrier around the women and children, and follow me through the bailey. Stay quiet, stay close, and give a soft whistle if you spot any soldiers."
"What about the Sheriff?" a farmer asked, pulling his wife and daughter close to him.
"Leave him to me," Adrien answered, digging the butt of his staff into the ground staunchly. "I owe him a good bonk on the head."
Nino nodded with a smirk. "Lead the way, bro."
Adrien saluted to Alya and Nathaniel before pulling his black hood on and stealing into the hallway. Padded footsteps thundered behind him.
Down the spiral stairs, they came to the gated doorway.
Outside, the Sheriff of Nottingham was still fast asleep.
Adrien glanced back at Nino and winked before stepping over and inching the iron gate open.
Roger sniffed and sighed as he dozed away, happy as a fat cat. Above him, the assembly line of bags continued to shimmy into the prison.
But then, a dull sparkle in the air caught Adrien's eye… and he gasped.
One of the bags had a small rip on the side, and a couple of gold coins were dripping down towards the ground like drops of rain. They chimed loudly upon the cobblestones, making Adrien wince.
By some sheer will of misfortune, one of the coins bopped Roger on the nose, and he stirred with a scrunched-up frown.
"What's goin' on?" Nino whispered from behind.
The torn bag finally slipped through the window bars, but the Sheriff was now starting to open his eyes.
Adrien signalled hastily to his best friend, who nodded in agreement.
In a single bound, they pounced on Roger.
Trigger heard a muffling and a scuffling going on around the corner of the prison tower. Lifting Old Betsy to his nose, he meandered quickly towards the prison entrance.
To his bewilderment, Sheriff Roger was still leaning back on his stool, his blue cap hanging over his eyes and a lazy smile plastered on his fair face. He wore a black cloak, which obviously substituted for a blanket.
Trigger swallowed hard, knowing he was going to get clubbed again for disturbing his boss's rest. But he knew something was wrong here. He could feel it rattling his gut something fierce. The Sheriff had to know.
Clearing his throat and keeping his beady eyes vigilant of his surroundings, Trigger approached the sleeping officer. "Now, uh, Sheriff?" he asked, trying to sound casual. "Don't get yer dander up, but… I still think that –"
He lost his voice the moment he turned to look at the Sheriff.
The person staring back at him was not Sheriff Roger, but a mischievous boy with golden streaks poking out underneath his borrowed cap, and green eyes that became cat-like in the dim moonlight.
Trigger gasped, but then Sir Adrien had the old vulture in full headlock, one hand stifling his rising cry for help. He struggled and squirmed, but it was no use – the lordling was nimble and tough compared to the fidgety marksman.
"Nino," Adrien hissed at the open door. "Get going. Hurry!"
Trigger had no choice but to watch with horrific eyes as a dark-skinned young man carrying a bag and a shield led a profession of prisoners out the tower and into the shadows of the castle.
By the time Marinette was on the last bag, the bell tower chimed five times.
She paused and gazed out at the open sky. Midnight-blue was slowly giving way to a pastier cornflower shade, and streaks of purple and pink were starting to pour out from behind the silhouette of the castle. Sunrise was close.
Marinette prayed with all her heart that Adrien and the other prisoners were safe and sound with Friar Fu at the main gate. She could afford to fend off a battalion of armed soldiers if need be, but a bunch of innocent villagers could not.
The young archer did one final sweep of the bedchamber. The floor was now completely bare, save for the lush carpet and the vanity with the stool in the corner. Not a single coin or bag to be seen.
Until Marinette's eyes fell upon the still-sleeping Chloe, and she saw something sticking out from behind the princess's pillow. Marinette twiddled her fingers in contemplation. She reaallly shouldn't… but a good thief never left anything behind.
She crept along the bedside and gently lifted the pillow up smidge-by-smidge. Chloe mumbled in high-pitched tones and licked her lips, but she didn't open her eyes. Holding her breath, Marinette reached in with one hand to grab the bag of gold. Once she had it and lifted it away, she lowered the pillow back down onto the mattress.
Chloe started whining and thrashing, like a child having a nightmare. But before Marinette could think of what to do, the princess stuck her thumb in her mouth. Just like that, she sighed and sank back into her pillow.
Marinette blinked incredulously before shaking her head with a soft tsk. Ladies and gentlemen, the Phoney Queen of England, she thought. She gave Chloe a mock curtsy before turning back to the balcony.
She didn't hear the door to the bedchamber click open, but she heard the rusty screech of the hinges.
Marinette froze in her spot before pivoting around sharply.
Her stomach turned to acid as Sabrina stepped into the room, the early-morning light bouncing off her sheen purple nightgown. The maidservant was carrying a small candlestick, and the tiny flame illuminated her sleepy teal eyes.
Those same eyes went as wide as saucers at the sight of the red-hooded vigilante… and the bag of gold in her hands. "Ladybug..." the redhead squeaked.
Marinette spun back around and rushed for the exit.
Behind her, Sabrina screamed, long and hard. The shrill sound echoed off the stone walls. A small flock of pigeons on the far side of the castle scattered. The heads of guards above and below snapped up, looking for trouble.
Marinette leaped onto the railing and grabbed onto the rope. She felt gravity yank her down, and she cried out before the rope went taut and stopped her fall.
"LADYBUG!" Sabrina bellowed from the top of her lungs. "LADYBUG'S HERE! GUARDS! GUARDS!"
Marinette cursed. She hooked her legs onto the rope and shimmed down as fast as she could, one hand clutching the gold bag to her chest.
Bedlam erupted in the courtyard. Soldiers were shouting. Patrols ran along the battlements to get a better look… or a better aim. A few archers below fired at Marinette, and she moved faster while arrows breezed past her.
Then, she heard another voice from the royal tower shriek, "THIEF! MY GOLD!"
Marinette glanced behind her to see Princess Chloe pressing herself against the balcony railing, staring down at her archenemy. The blonde tore off her kerchief, causing frizzy cascades of pale hair to explode around her head before dropping to her shoulders. The princess's blue eyes became frozen daggers outlined in angry red. Her teeth were borne like a wild animal going in for the kill, and Ladybug was her prey.
Then Marinette saw the sword in the princess's hand. It lifted up high in a broad, silvery arc.
Someone shouted "No!" from below.
Adrien!
Marinette felt the rope snap before she heard it. She screamed as she pitched towards the earth, arms and legs flailing, staring up at the blood-etched heavens.
Then…
Marinette's cry broke off as something collided with her and she went rolling dizzily along the cobblestones. It still hurt, but that same something – no, someone – had their arms wrapped around her head, protecting her from serious harm.
The outlaw and her rescuer landed in a crumpled heap, with the latter lying on top. Groaning, Marinette could barely hear the shouts of Chloe or the guards over the rigorous pounding in her eardrums. Or the heavy breathing of her rescuer, which warmed her blood-drained cheeks.
"Owww…" the stranger winced. "That's gonna hurt in the morning. Oh, wait."
Marinette's vision refocused, and that's when she saw the one face she had been longing to see all night.
"Nice of you to drop in, Milady," Adrien said with a painful grin.
The blunette broke into a relieved laugh. "Kitty!" She tossed the bag of gold aside and practically pinned the lordling to the ground as she embraced him. His arms immediately slid protectively along her back, like they belonged there.
Daybreak had come, and her fiancé was still alive. They had saved each other.
The realization that they were both still inside the castle grounds made the short reunion bittersweet. But for just this moment, when all hell was breaking loose around her, Ladybug was overjoyed to know that she would have her Cat Noir at her side once more.
The sky erupted with red and purple – a fire to match Princess Chloe's wrath.
"They're getting away with my gold!" she wailed. She clawed at her hair, her blue nightgown, her face, and the railing of her balcony as she saw the events unfold before her in the courtyard below.
Ladybug was leading the charge, safe and sound thanks to her precious Adrikins. Prisoners were filing out of the opposite tower, each one carrying a bag. They marched together like a horde of ants and raced out of sight, no doubt heading for the castle gates. Meanwhile, the soldiers were getting picked off by Ladybug, Rena Rouge, Cat Noir, Carapace and a few other villagers who had gotten their hands on some weapons, clearing the path for their families.
All the while, Chloe breathed through her teeth like a dragon, her blood steaming with unkempt rage. "No… No… No! NO!" she yelled, her scalp protesting against the fingernails she tore through her tangled hair. She leaned over the railing and bellowed at the guards, "I won't let her get away again, do you hear me?! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"
Beside her, Sabrina wisely stepped away from her mistress and curtsied. "I'll see to it right away, Your Majesty," she blubbered. "Fear not – we will catch her this time." She swept away and exited the bedchamber, her purple nightgown trailing behind her.
Chloe didn't acknowledge her handmaiden's hasty departure. Her mind was falling to pieces. Her emotions were a raging storm of wind and flame. Her chest constricted until she couldn't breathe.
Why? Why?!
Why did Ladybug always find a way to upend her brilliant plans?! First Stonefield, and now here – in her own castle?! Was the princess truly cursed to suffer at the hands of a common criminal… and a peasant at that?! She had lost everything to Ladybug: her glory, her reputation, her cousin, and now that little witch had taken her gold too!
That was the final straw.
Chloe exhaled long and deep, her fingers curling against the railing. A couple of her fingernails were fractured at the tips, but she no longer cared. "No," she growled. "Ladybug is mine. I will catch her. Because if you want something done right…" A dark, wicked chuckle escaped her lips. "… well, you have to do it yourself."
"Everybody, this way!" Marinette called as they entered the bailey.
The people of Nottingham ran with all their might towards the castle gates. Men shielded the women and children, and many of the little ones had to be carried. But they pressed on, yelling with newfound courage and raising their stolen weapons high.
Friar Fu waved at them frantically from the top of his wagon. The two guards who led him in where lying against the wall, passed out from too much drink. Now there were no soldiers securing the entrance.
But a good chunk of them were charging into the bailey to stop the jailbreak.
Worse still, the castle drawbridge was still drawn.
Adrien took out a couple of archers on the battlements with his bow before turning to his best friend. "Nino! Help me get that bridge down!"
"Little busy right now, Your Lordship!" his manservant shouted back as a hulky-looking brute bore down on his shield.
A red arrow clanged against the soldier's helmet, leaving him momentarily dazed. Nino took his chance and bashed the man full in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Nino thanked Marinette, who nodded and proceeded to fire at the next closest soldier.
Only then did Cat Noir and Carapace head for the twin windlasses holding the drawbridge up. Nathaniel and a few others went with them for extra support.
"Get the children and elderly into the wagon!" Alya shouted, tripping up a guard and knocking him out with a punch.
The townsfolk obeyed, running with haste towards Friar Fu. The youngsters were loaded into the wagon, while the older folk shimmied inside carefully. Otis had to be helped in due to his crippled leg. Once the children were secure, some of the women climbed in to be with their little ones, but a few guarded of the wagon with their husbands and brothers. Alix was among them, letting her arrows fly while her teal cloak fanned out around her like a protective shadow.
In a manner of minutes, the wagon was full, and the rest of the soldiers had been beaten back. But more were coming, of that Marinette was sure.
"That's all of them!" one of the men shouted to Adrien.
The lordling signalled to Nino. As one, they pushed down on the levers of the two windlasses with all their might.
The chains rattled through the stone holes in the wall, and fresh light poured through the entrance as the drawbridge fell across the thick moat with a hard SLAM!
Adrien waved at the villagers. "We're free! Let's get out of here!" he called.
Friar Fu lashed out with the reins, and the two horses sped away with the wagon and its passengers in tow. The remaining villagers followed close behind, keeping watch for any stray soldiers. Adrien and Nino led the procession over the bridge and onto the other side of the moat, while Alya and Marinette picked up the rear.
There were several cheers from the wagon, and Otis waved his crutch in the air.
Marinette smiled, sighing as her aching feet sank into grass and dirt.
But then…
"Mama!"
The small, familiar voice – and the direction it came from – made Marinette's blood turn to ice, and she came to an abrupt halt.
At the same time, she saw Nadja's ashen face emerge from the sea of heads in the wagon, shrieking, "Stop! My baby!"
Marinette whipped around, her eyes darting back to the innards of the castle bailey.
To her horror, Manon was running towards the open gate, clutching her bunny doll to her chest. "Mama! Wait for me!" the child called. Then, she stumbled over her tiny feet and fell flat onto her stomach.
Three archers appeared in the distance, gaining up on the girl.
Alix stopped just a few feet away from Marinette, her mouth dropping with horror. "Manny!" she cried.
Marinette saw the anger in the girl's eyes as clear and hot as the red sun poking above the trees of Sherwood Forest. She saw the desperation; the irrational bravado. She tried to grasp Alix's shoulder, but the young archer swept past her in the blink of an eye, racing back towards the castle.
"Alix, no!" Marinette cried.
Fear recoiled in her gut, followed by slow-burning resolve that willed her to start running after her friend. She heard Adrien shouting her name, but she ignored him with a painful tang in her heart.
Gripping her bow with bone-cracking strength, Ladybug charged back into danger. The gaping mouth of the portcullis swallowed her whole, and the shadows of the castle walls enveloped her.
Far ahead, Alix was kneeling beside a crying Manon, taking aim at the three archers that were just about to fire.
But Marinette was faster. Her whizzing arrow knocked the bow out of one guard's hand, causing him to stumble into his partners. Both their arrows missed Alix and Manon by inches.
"There's Ladybug!" Sabrina's voice hollered in the distance.
Marinette lowered her bow and rushed over to stand protectively in front of the two sisters, counting the number of soldiers pouring into the bailey. Sabrina was among them, along with Sheriff Roger, who lifted his blade at Marinette as soon as he saw her.
"Seal the gate!" the plump man roared.
"Alix, get Manon out of here," Marinette stated with rigorous, unwavering calm. "I'll cover you."
The pink-haired girl slipped her bow over her back. Then, she scooped Manon into her arms and took off back towards the castle gates.
Marinette nocked another arrow before following them. The ground beneath her feet trembled from the stampede of enforcers coming their way. Her throat was raw from running, but she kept going knowing that the inevitable was about to happen. "Faster, Alix!" she yelled, her voice cracking. "Don't stop!"
Her words had the desired effect, and Alix picked up the pace, bounding forward like a frightened rabbit.
Manon stared back at Marinette, reaching for her with her little hand. "Ladybug!"
"I'm right behind you! Keep going!"
Within seconds, Alix burst through the open gateway with her little sister. She skidded to a stop as soon as she reached the middle of the drawbridge.
At the same time, another figure came running from the other side. His black cloak made him look like a raven taking flight against the backdrop of sunrise.
Marinette was only five steps away from freedom… from him…
… when she heard the unmistakable sound of a thick rope snapping. It broke through the silence like the cracking of a whip.
Then, the portcullis came down.
The red-hooded outlaw could do nothing but stop dead in her tracks as the jagged iron teeth slammed down in front of her, crashing against the stone floor with a resilient BANG!
Adrien, Alix and Manon stood on one side of the closed gate, basking in the glory of the newborn sun.
Marinette stood on the other side, trapped inside the grim darkness of Nottingham Castle with the most ruthless army of soldiers in all of England.