This chapter is a little short this week, I want to keep with a consistent schedule but have been busy.

0000

Aubrey guessed her misfortune began when she was born, and her parents decided to give her name a twist. Aubrey, instead of her mother's name Audrey, resulting in nothing more than misprouncations, spellings, and annoyances since grade school.

Luck didn't change after that, and on that particular morning, it was Aubrey who stood under the wood railing as another earthquake shook the school, loosening a peice which held it in place. She failed to see it snap clean, unaware of the danger she was in until a yoyo string wrapped around her waist, pulling the pixie faced girl into the embrace of Ladybug.

As soon as the hero had her tight in his arms, he just as quickly made some distance, avoiding eye contact as his hands fidgted anxiously at his sides, rolls of awkward eminating.

"Greetings, hope you are well! Cit-citzen! Mind telling me what has happened to cause this quake?"

His tone was a degree louder than it needed to be, but it was kinda cute, in a nerdy teen way.

"Of course, Ladybug sir!" She responded with the same amount of energy, thoughts coursing back to not even a half hour before...

0000

"Mai..."

"No."

Just as quickly as Justin Reamer approached the desk of the resident Ice Queen, he was just as quickly shot down. The stone cold heiress didn't even bother the man a glance, quickly closing her notebook which had captured all her attention moments before.

"I-I know. But, there are some cool rock near by at the lake, and I know you like rocks and stuff..."

The boy was fighting a loosing battle, everyone in the Algebra class avoiding putting attention on the pair, all while not being too shushed about their whispers.

"Those rocks are probably just as small and unimpressive as the ones dangling between your legs."

When their classmates began laughing, not long after Justin was no more, and Quake remained.

0000

Aubrey could practically see Ladybug seeth as his grinds turned mentally, a clear indicator of the fist balled at his side. Even after being the masked super hero for three years, he lacked restraint on masking his emotions.

"Hey," she announced, an effort to cheer him up, "You and Kitten will do amazing, this will be no problem for you gu..."

She was cut off, another quake shaking the school as the masked hero held her wrist tightly, so she wouldn't fall face first.

"You should find coverage," he suggested, sheepishly returning his outstretched hand to his side as the female submissivly nodded, scurrying off to hide.

0000

He. Touched. Aubrey.

For once, the love sick bug could almost thank Mai for her unfiltered ways, almost. This attack put Aubrey, and various others in harms way due to falling rubble. Evacuating the school the best he could, unable to find Trevor, Mai, or Harmony in the chaos, a familiar ring brought him back to reality.

"Hiiyyaaa Buuuug!"

His partner came swooping down from the stairwell she was propped on, landing a foot in front of him as she graced him with a bright smile. Tilting her head to the side, the smile only got wider.

"I guess our akuma dude is -quaking- in anger."

Jokes aside, a breathe of relief escaped when his purring partner arrived. She was a flirt, annoyingly so, but she was his partner.

"Yeah, yeah he's pissed. Blame the Ice Queen who corrupted him, could;"

His rant was interrupted by a pinch on his forearm, him seething as he yanked his arm away from Kitten.

"You know Bug," she purred, standing on her tip toes so they were eyes to whiskers, "Blaming the girl for rejecting a guy is a really toxic mindset. Do better, I expect more from you. Aaaannnnywaaaay, fight time!"

0000

Of all the corrupted they had faced, Quake was one of the easiest.

Aunt Mari once told Bryden that the akuma victims got more powerful, violent as the years went on. Hawkmoth seemed to be evolving with each new user, and each time the miraculous slipped through the grasps of the hero.

The glamour that kept the heroes hidden didn't work on guardians, so Marinette knew his secret identity early on. She hadn't gifted him with the miraculous, only saying a few jewels were passed to another guardian, and they chose the selected. Still, being the nephew of possibly the best Ladybug? It was a lot of pressure.

As the butterfly flew away an angelic white color, Bry held out a fist pump to his partner, which she happily returned.

"Pound it."