Shorter chapter, just getting Pixelator out of the way.
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug, which unfortunately means I haven't seen all of season 2 yet.
Chapter 32: Pixelator
Adrien grabbed Chloe's wrist.
"Don't," he said. "I think he's an akuma."
"Puh-lease," Chloe replied. "I think I can handle this."
Adrien sighed and watched Chloe approach Pixelator. He'd already been stuck behind the front counter of the hotel long enough to fall asleep twice, and he didn't want to get stuck with Chloe in a vast, digital expanse of nothing.
Chloe posed and Adrien watched as she disappeared in a flash. She'd be safe, if inconvenienced, as long as Ladybug and Chat Noir did their jobs. Adrien ducked behind the front counter as Pixelator continued to the elevator.
"If we hurry up, we can have this finished in a flash," Adrien said.
"Wouldn't that be nice," Plagg replied.
"Plagg, claws out!"
Ladybug leaned against the wall, taking a moment to relax. Pixelator was taking his time, leaving Ladybug plenty of time to feed Tikki, transform, and grab a sandwich. Now she was sitting in front of Jagged Stone's hotel room, waiting for Pixelator to show up.
The elevator dinged, and Ladybug shot to her feet.
"Ladybug!" Pixelator exclaimed. "What a pleasure it is to see you up and close. I am one of your biggest fans."
"I'm honored," Ladybug replied. "But I'm afraid I have to cancel the photo shoot."
"That's really a shame." Pixelator put his finger on his glasses. "The lighting is so good in here. Why don't you go ahead and strike a pose so I can get a good shot of you?"
"No thank you." Ladybug swung her yo-yo and wrapped it around Pixelator's hand, yanking his hand away and causing him to stumble forward. Pixelator pressed the side of his glasses with his other hand, forcing Ladybug to dodge to the side. She retracted her yo-yo and jumped backwards as another blast hit the ground.
"I'll be honest here and say I don't have time for this," Pixelator admitted.
"Funny," Ladybug replied. "Neither do I."
She swung her yo-yo and wrapped it around Pixelator's forehead, covering his glasses.
Pixelator grabbed at her yoyo's string and scooted them up an inch, only revealing the bottom half of his glasses. It was enough, and Ladybug was forced backwards as Pixelator fired.
She yanked her yo-yo, causing Pixelator to stumble forward and throwing of his aim, but it didn't last long. Pixelator finally shook loose of the yo-yo, and Ladybug retraced the string.
Jagged Stone's assistant banged open the door. "What is all the racket? Mr. Stone is trying to relax."
"Ma'am, please-" Ladybug began, but Pixelator had already snapped his picture. The assistant disappeared into pixels.
Pixelator grinned. "Now, for Jagged Stone's photo shoot..."
Ladybug tossed her yo-yo. "You're not done with mine yet."
The yo-yo wrapped around Pixelator's legs, and Ladybug yanked his feet from under him.
Pixelator hit the floor. "I guess not."
He turned, and before Ladybug could react, snapped a picture. At that exact moment, something rammed into Ladybug's feet, and she fell backwards, diving right under the stream of pixels.
Ladybug groaned as she hit the floor, and a second later Chat Noir's face appeared her own.
"Sorry about that," Chat Noir said. "I couldn't think of anything else quick enough."
"It's fine," Ladybug replied. "Just wish the floor was a little softer."
Chat Noir chuckled and helped Ladybug up. Ladybug glanced over her shoulder where the crazed fan was. And Pixelator was gone.
"He must already be in the hotel room," Ladybug said, retracting her yo-yo. "We need to get in there."
Ladybug and Chat Noir ran into the hotel room just as Fang vanished into a stream of pixels.
"Fang!" Jagged Stone cried.
"Don't worry Mr. Stone," Ladybug said. "We'll get you your Fang back."
"I highly doubt that," Pixelator said, turning around.
Something caught Ladybug's eye in the side of the room, almost like a lucky charm moment.
"Chat Noir, get Jagged Stone out of here," Ladybug said.
Chat Noir nodded and dove for Jagged Stone, barely sliding under a shot from Pixelator. Ladybug hit Pixelator's hand, and he turned to her.
"Hey, Pixelator!" Ladybug called. "You want a picture of me? Fine."
Pixelator raised an eyebrow. "How kind of you." He reached up to take a photo.
"But wait!" Ladybug said. "The lighting here isn't good. Let's see..." Ladybug positioned herself just as Chat Noir and Jagged Stone disappeared out the window.
"There we go," Ladybug admitted, striking a pose.
"Beautiful." Pixelator raised his hand. "Say cheese."
Click.
"How about gotcha?"
Ladybug ducked, and the pixels slammed right into the mirror behind her and bounced back.
The stream hit Pixelator, and he vanished. The glasses clattered in the floor.
"So much for bad luck," Ladybug said, stepping on the glasses. The winds picked up.
The next akuma will be putting up quite a fight.