Enjoy and good night!
Plague remembers the Base from when he was little. It has changed a lot since then. For starters, there are a lot more people. When he was little, living in the base, everything was new and scarce. They didn't have as many resources or people as they did now. They had to use tree branches as training swords and they had to clean their own beddings. They did have a cook, but he was a sickly man who didn't know when his last meal would be. Sometimes they would have to cook their own meals.
Now maids, cooks, soldiers and guards all walked past him giving him dirty looks. But what sane person wouldn't look strangely at an unknown man wearing a cloak and walking in their place of comfort.
Before Plagg went to go see Tikki, Plague told him to drop their transformation. Plagg was used to the strain, having been forced to hold the transformation for long periods of time before. He didn't need to feel that strain when he was reuniting with someone he missed.
He had other clothes besides from his transformation, but he didn't have time to pack before he was captured by Miraculous guards. He did have on clothes underneath during the transformation but eventually he'd have to go but some more.
Before he knew it he was standing in front of the door of the Training Grounds(the old Auditorium), and by the sound of it, someone was training.
Ladybug walked down the long corridor that led to Plague's cell with a hot tray of pancakes and bacon. Since Rena was gone on a mission with Carapace, she was the main caretaker of the Black Plague. The guards handled the other prisoners as usual.
He started to take better care of himself. He was finally eating and drinking regularly and his arm was almost fully healed. She still didn't like taking care of him, but for some reason she's glad that he's in better health and spirits. She also realized that the more time she spends around him, the more familiar he seemed. More memories would surface but they were fuzzy with time where she couldn't quite place her finger on the person in the memory.
At the end of the long hallway, she pushed open the large heavy door.
She then dropped the tray. Panic started to set in.
The cell was empty. The Black Plague was gone. She needed to inform Master Fu now.
She raced out of the dungeon in search of Master Fu. She found him just leaving out of his office with Wayzz floating behind him. "Master Fu!" She stopped in front but rested her hands on her knees because she had to catch her breath.
"Why are you in such a rush, Ladybug?"
"T-the Black Plague has escaped." Master F didn't look alarmed. He looked like he just remembered something. "I am sorry I was just on my way to tell you. I let him out of the dungeon."
What. "What?"
"The young man does not deserve to rot away in a cell in the pits of a dungeon."
"But Master…"
"All will be revealed in time. Trust me." He then turned and walked away with his hands intertwined behind his back discussing a problem with the Base with Wayzz.
"For how long am I going to have to go off of just trust, Master Fu?"
From the amount of time he's been watching, he knows that the boy has talent. His technique was okay but could be better and his sword skills were not too shabby. There were still a few other kinks that he could work on too.
He was laced with sweat and gripping the training sword with white knuckles as he struck the dummy again and again. They were the only two here.
After a few more hits, the brunette dropped the sword and wiped the sweat from his brow. "What? You wanna spar too?" He said without turning in his direction. Plague stepped out of the shadows but didn't move far from his spot. He was comfortable leaning against the door frame.
"You're pretty good. I'm guessing you're a new recruit."
"Why do you guess that."
"You're inexperienced. It shows in your footwork and technique."
"What's wrong with my technique?" There was an edge of frustration to his voice. It was a frustration from painstaking training that was only met with ridicule and scorn: a frustration he could relate to.
"I could go for a spar." He answered his question from earlier. He leaned off the door frame and walked towards the middle of the training grounds in front of the soldier. The boy grabbed another training sword and tossed it to him. He caught it by the hilt and passed it from hand-to-hand to test its weight. He twirled it in his right hand before getting in his stance.
The dark haired soldier charged holding his sword to his side with both hands before he struck. Plague parried his strike with his own sword and dodged the next. With precise footwork he continued to dodge and parry his opponent's attacks and give them back in turn.
The soldier had his own defenses too. Though he was a little slower, he was able to dodge a few of his attacks before Plague struck in his side. He hissed and clutched his side. While he was distracted, Plague kicked him in his chest and sent him sprawling to the floor. He walked over and offered him a hand-up. He looked from his face -that was hidden by the cloak- to his hand he offered before he grabbed it and was pulled up.
"You have good swordsmanship and good spirit, but you lack self control. Blindly charging in and swinging your sword around in battle you only get you killed."
Plague walked over and inserted the training sword back into its place on the weapons rack with the others. The boy was panting in a tucked in position on the floor. On a partially deep breath he flinched when the bruise started throbbing. He looked up when he heard the hooded man retreating. "W-wait."
"What?" Plague stopped walking and turned his head back.
The other male stumbled to his feet still clutching his side in pain, but there was a slight smile on his face. 'Maybe you can teach me something after all."
A hint of a smile curled on Plague's lips. Of course the other boy didn't see it because of the cloak. "First, you should take care of that bruise."
Marinette hid behind the second door. Arnou had left the old auditorium through the other door to go to the ice his bruise while Plague sat in a chair against the wall and waited on him to return.
Coming from Fu's office she had heard voices when she was passing by the training room. She got curious.
She watched as the Black Plague struck and dodged with the grace of a swan and the accuracy of an eagle.
"He's pretty good." Tikki whispered in her ear. Tikki came back late. When Marinette woke up Tikki was curled up against her cheek, a pleasant smile gracing her lips. She must have had a good dream, but she still wonders where she disappeared off to.
"They just spared, Tikki. It wasn't even that long either. You can't know one's skill from just one fight, especially when he was fighting a newbie."
"But did you see that bruise? He wasn't brandishing the sword that hard was he?"
"No." She thought back to when he was fighting with the training sword. There was force behind his swing yes, but it wasn't enough to bruise.
"He's dangerous, Tikki. I wonder why did Master Fu even let him go."
"Maybe he didn't do it on purpose." Tikki said, remembering the late night talk she had with Plagg.
"But killing is in his blood, Tikki. Any pain he inflicts he means."
"Looking at her Mistress, there was a burning anger raging in her eyes for the man sitting just inside that room. But there was also a deep sadness hidden beneath that anger. Just what happened to her Master to make her feel as so.
R&R.