With one last hit, the dummy's head went flying across the room and smacked against the wall.
"This is the 3rd dummy. If you keep beheading dummies you're gonna have a to explain to Instructor Louis."
"Instructor Louis is an idiot," the soldier said before changing subjects. "You know, we never traded names." He was taking a deep breath and leaning on the training sword for support while Plague went to get a replacement dummy.
"You never asked."
"I'm asking now. Mines is Arnou."
That brought out a chuckle. "Plague."
"You mean like The Black Plague?"
"Yep." He replaced the dummy and looked up expecting to see fear and judgement. But he didn't see any. He was still leaning on the training sword but he seemed more curious than before.
"DId you break out or something?"
"No. Master Fu let me out." Arnou looked shocked at that answer.
"But didn't you kill like a million people?"
"Two million."
"Why did he let you go then?"
He set the dummy down and was quiet as he thought over his and Master Fu's conversation.
"I don't know." He lied.
Arnou dropped the conversation and lifted back up his sword and got into position.
They trained with the sword for a few more minutes before he switched back over to iron gauntlets. Plague was surprised by his choice of a second weapon. When he was younger at the base they were only allowed to learn swordplay. He didn't learn how to use the other weapons until Hawkmoth kidnapped him, but he just went with the flow. And stood close by giving advice and correction where he needed it.
At some point Marinette had shown up. She didn't make jer presence known but he knew she was there. She stood quietly on the sidelines, just observing.
When the neck of the dummy started looking loose he stopped the training session. "We can not afford another dummy replacement."
"Is that where all those heads came from?" Marinette gestured at the three heads on the ground on the back wall.
"Durability testing," Arnou shrugged. Plague realized he may be rubbing off on him a little too much.
She was about to retort when a guard called her and caught her attention. It was almost time for the soldiers to start training. Arnou helped Plague as they quickly rearranged the room back to the way they found it and disposed of the heads of the decapitated dummies. Arnoue left to get ready and washed up for soldier's practice. When he looked back over towards where Marinette was standing the guard had disappeared and she had transformed. She looked distressed.
"What happened?"
"There's been an akuma sighting near the field. I have to go get the others. You stay put or do… whatever it is you do!" she exclaimed then ran away to find the other Miraculous Holders.
An akuma here means big trouble. If they manage to get caught his whole mission would be jeopardized. And worse of all, Hawkmoth would be pissed. He needed to find the Akuma before they did.
He quickly exited the old auditorium before the instructor and the other soldiers rounded the corner.
'Plagg!' Plague hissed telepathically, 'Plagg! Where are you?'
'At the supply closet you call a room. Your father may be evil, but at least he knows how to furnish a room.'
'Worry about that later. Just find me in the forest to transform. The mission is at risk.'
"I'm here." He teleported in front of him in his kwami form.
"Plagg, Claws out!" In a flash of green light his cloak was replaced with a skin tight suit. He took to the trees to avoid being seen. He jumped from branch to branch, silent as a mouse as he moved closer and closer towards the force field.
As he got closer to the field he could hear the disturbance in its humming and he could see who was behind it.
The Evilistrator was a newbie who joined Hawkmoth's army just before he was capture. He stayed to himself mostly. Plague never really got to know him but he knew he had a talent for art.
He was sketching on his tablet, bringing his creations to life and trying to break the shield. So far he had drawn a boxing glove, a heel shoe, and a hammer.
"Stop Evilistrator! You're making a ruckus." He dropped down from the trees and landed in a crouch.
The redhead looked scared at first but calmed down once he took a closer look and looked more annoyed. "Oh, you're awake."
"And you're waking everybody up. Every tremor you make with those drawings gives away your location. You need to run while you still can."
"I'm not going anywhere. Maybe I want the guards and Miraculous Holders to come."
"That's suicide."
"I know."
So he wants to die. How could he argue against that. Hawkmoth tries to make every one of his akumas' lives a living hell when they first join and every now and then.
Four akumas had commited suicide three months ago because of his bullying.
But lately Hawkmoth has been getting more restless, his threats cruller, and his way a lot more harsh.
Nathaniel is no older than sixteen years old. He isn't the youngest to have joined the Akumas, but he is one of the most sensitive. He's also still fresh. He hasn't been an akuma long enough to want to die.
"You don't want to die. You want to get out." Evilistrator opened his mouth to retort but quickly shut it. "You haven't been apart of the Akumas long enough to want to die."
Nathaniel gritted his teeth. The newbies always thought that they had it though it though the first couple of days. Hawkmoth's torture was gradual. The longer you stayed in the gang the more comfortable you got and the worse the torture was. Verbal abuse turned into slaps turned to nights in the dungeon with chains wrapped around your neck.
"Leave Nathaniel."
I'm not going anywhere." He stood his ground, his hand balled into a fist at his side and tightly gripped his tablet in the other. Plague's eyes blazed with green smoke wisping from the corners and his pupils dilated. Nathaniel gasped and stumbled back from the hidden barrier.
"Leave! Now!" Every time someone was recruited into the Akumas they were taught this on the first day.
Never upset the Beast. And Nathaniel was getting very close to doing just that.
He cleared his throat and straightened up to appear as if he hadn't been phased. "Fine. I'll go. But don't think that it's because of you." With one last huff, he marched off into the forest until he thought he was out of sight and started running. Soon after Nathaniel disappeared behind the trees and bushes od the outside Ladybug and a battalion of foot soldiers behind her appeared.
"Split up and check the area. They couldn't have gone far," she commanded. The battalion ran in opposite directions to survey the area while Ladybug inspected the barrier.
Unlike the soldiers, there wasn't a scrap or a twig caught on her suit. She had always been agile. She had always worried about her weight too. She worked out constantly when they were younger. He could see from the muscles twitching in her thigh as she walked that that hadn't changed.
"General Ladybug!" Three soldiers came from the right with the rest of the group behind him. "We didn't see anyone."
"We were empty on our side too." The soldiers from the battalion who went to the left came running back too. "The culprit may have escaped."
"Damn it!" She cursed under her breath and kicked the tree trunk closest to her. With that, Plague departed.
It was obvious that Hawkmoth hadn't sent Evilistrator. It was too early in the plan to send back up or else he's already been called back. This could only mean that Hawkmoth was getting anxious, and soon more akumas would try to take initiate to capture Miraculous Base #1. He needed to hurry up the investigation, or else.