I was surprised by how well my googling for this chapter worked out...

Disclaimer: In addition to what I did not own in the previous chapters, I do not own the Marvel quote.

Chapter 7: Mr. Pigeon, Part 3

The pigeon had managed to cut through his mask somehow, so Adrien was forced to detransform again once he reached the suite.

The pigeons had finally given up about ten minutes after he detransformed in that closet, and it was a long time before Ladybug found him some cheese. Then, Adrien transformed long enough for a staff member to lead them to a room to regroup.

Now, the two superheroes were recovering in one of the nicer two-bedroom suites, one in each room detransformed.

One of the workers at the hotel had procured that type of cream that was supposed to be put on open cuts, and that was what Adrien was applying to the gashes on his face.

Fortunately, his mask was the only thing the birds had cut through, so he only had the couple of scratches on his face. They had also gone after his ring, but only managed to bruise his finger. It still hurt, definitely, but at least it wasn't bleeding.

Just as Plagg finished his second helping of cheese, Adrien heard the pigeons start banging on the window again.

And promptly sneezed.

Marinette dabbed the cuts on her ear with the cream she was given.

Initially, she hadn't realized how close the pigeons had come to ripping off her earrings, but now she could see the damage. A couple more tries and they might have succeeded - as it was, her ears were more cuts than skin.

"I've always hated how much this type of cream burns," Marinette muttered, grabbing a clean tissue and putting more cream on it. "You'd think they'd make a cream meant for injuries hurt a little less."

When Tikki didn't respond, Marinette turned to make sure she was okay, but she just had a mouth full of cookie. Marinette sighed and went back to taking care of her ears.

The pigeons had hurt so much more this time around, and that scared her. She was still a little bruised from Stoneheart, too - though not enough to hinder her - and if all the injuries from every akuma stayed, and the akumas fought harder than the first one, and they just kept adding up...

There had to be a better way to beat The Unclocker - otherwise Marinette wasn't sure they could. The Unclocker had to have a weakness, or a blind spot, or something. If they couldn't touch her, but she could touch them...

"How do we know she can touch us?" Marinette asked.

Tikki made a noise through her cookie that might have been a "what?"

"The Unclocker," Marinette explained. "She said she could touch us, but she never did. We dodged all her attempts."

"You think she was bluffing?" Tikki asked.

Marinette nodded. "It's a possibility. But it's also a possibility she wasn't."

"And what would change if she was?" Tikki asked.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"How would your strategy change if you thought she was bluffing?" Tikki clarified.

Marinette frowned. "Hmm... well, I guess it wouldn't really. We know we can't touch her, and she still has all the hostages..." Marinette put the lid back on the cream and picked up the bandages she had found in the hotel room's First Aid kit.

"We know she can touch the hostages," Marinette continued. "But can we? Is there some way we can free them without going through these tests?"

"It would be something to think about," Tikki agreed.

"There's a lot to think about," Marinette replied. "But right now we need to do our best to free hostages this way, and keep them out of danger."

"Do you have a plan?" Tikki questioned.

Marinette sighed. "Not quite yet. The chip thing only works as a momentary distraction, and there's too many of them now to be affective. I can't think of anything else that could affect a pigeon."

"Maybe someone else would know," Tikki suggested.

"Who? Chat Noir?"

"I was thinking of people a little farther away," Tikki admitted.

Marinette frowned, trying to figure out that piece of cryptic advice. Farther away? Was she supposed to call someone? Text someone? And who? She guessed she could look up someone's number... Oh.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that before!" Marinette said, reaching into her pocket and finding her phone - which she had instinctively grabbed when she left her home.

"How to get rid of pigeons," Marinette said as she typed it into Google. She scrolled through the options. Plastic snakes. Bird spikes. String. Plastic owls. Wind chimes.

"I don't know how many of these we could use," Marinette said. "Hmmm... here's something. Old CDs, pepper powder - do you think the kitchen might have some?"

"Probably," Tikki agreed. "I'm sure they'd be glad to help you too!"

"Yeah, and with Chat Noir's help..."

"So you don't think the cataclysm is going to be a problem?" Adrien asked. The pigeons were growing louder, and he was anxious to change back, but Plagg had started talking and so he decided to listen.

"I'm charged up again," Plagg replied. "So I won't need to eat again when we go back... or forwards I guess. Just don't use it again, you won't have time."

"Right," Adrien said. "Plagg, claws out!"

"Old CDs?" The mayor asked. "Well, I'll see what I can do."

"The spices shouldn't be a problem," Chef Cesaire added. "We'll have them in a moment."

"Thank you," Ladybug replied. "You're being a great help."

"Anything to help," Chef Cesaire replied. With a smile, she walked back to her kitchen and started telling her chefs what to do.

"I'm sure I'll find something you can use," the mayor added, gesturing for the worker nearest to him to follow him out of the room.

"There you are."

Ladybug turned and saw Chat Noir behind her, doing his leaning-against-the-doorframe-to-try-to-look-cool thing he liked to do.

"Have trouble finding me?" Ladybug asked.

She was somewhat hidden, in a room near the kitchen the mayor had found so they could talk in peace, and Chat Noir had probably tried to find her in the room she had been in the last time they fought Mr. Pigeon and he was forced to recharge.

"A little," Chat Noir admitted. "What were you doing in here?"

"Gathering supplies," Ladybug explained. "I looked up some things that are supposed to repel pigeons. Old CD's are supposed to scare them off - their reflection or something like that startled them - and they don't like spices either."

"Scared of their own reflection, huh?" Chat Noir replied. "Couldn't you just use a mirror."

"I- uh..." Ladybug answered. "Didn't actually think of that. Though a mirror would be too big for my plan."

"So you do have a plan?" Chat Noir asked.

"I have... 12% of a plan," Ladybug said.

"Isn't that a Marvel quote?" Chat Noir questioned.

"That's not relevant," Ladybug replied.

"It is, isn't it?" Chat Noir taunted.

"Your spices, Ladybug."

Glad for the interruption, Ladybug smiled at Chef Cesaire and took the bag of spices from her hands.

"Thank you," Ladybug said.

"Of course. If you need anything else..." Ladybug nodded that she understood, and Chef Cesaire went back to whatever she had been doing before the pigeons attacked. As she left, the mayor arrived with a box in his hands.

"All I could find," he said as he handed the box to Ladybug.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" The mayor asked, though Ladybug had a feeling he was asking out of politeness more than anything.

"Just keep everyone calm and indoors," Ladybug replied. "And stay safe."

"Of course." And with that the mayor scurried out.

Ladybug turned to Chat Noir.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"12% of a plan" is originally a Marvel quote, not mine.