AN: This is the end of "A Jagged Ride." The next two days will be stories in "An Adrienette Anthology" (tomorrow's is Lila-centric). On Friday I'm starting the next multi-chapter story, "The Fashion Disaster," which will be a direct sequel to "Along Came Anansi," with a lot of connections to "Tit for Tat" and "Jagged Ride."
To GuenZhenXuan2020: I hadn't considered that, but anything's possible!
To anonymousfriend27: He's not dead… though he might wish he was! Considering that when Akumatized (both as Villain and Hero), Jagged's weapon is his guitar, it made sense to keep with the theme. Plus, the "Super Guitar Solo" was pretty much a necessity in a "Jagged Stone's a Superhero now" story!
To Speckleflower: Fang isn't exactly a dragon, but he can still help out :D
Five minutes later Anansi sat on the curb next to the Owl and "Guitar Hero" – Why does he still insist on using that name? The three of them were leaning back against Fang's rumbling flank with their legs propped up and resting on the trio of semiconscious thugs that Anansi had dragged over to the spot where Mecha Man had fallen.
"So… can you hear yet?" she asked, turning to look at the Owl.
"I beg your pardon!" he sputtered at the top of his lungs. "I do not have a beer gut!"
Anansi rolled her eyes and leaned forward to glare past him at Guitar Hero. He lounged against Fang's flank, holding one of his detached epaulets in his hand. "Next time, you really need to aim that thing better," she informed him. "You should be glad I was on the other side of it this time. Just remember: if you break my eardrums, I break your everything."
"'Next time?'" he repeated, eyes lighting up in excitement. "There's going to be a 'next time'? I can't wait, love!"
Anansi face-palmed, but was spared from having to answer when a pair of police cars screeched to a stop right in front of them, centimeters away from the pile of unconscious criminals. The first officer got out of the car, took a look at the trio on the curb, and opened his mouth to comment. However, Anansi saw the exact moment his eyes moved over their heads and landed on the crocodile behind them. The officer's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he gaped for a full minute before finally making up his mind not to question the sight.
"I do not get paid enough for this job," he muttered, shaking his head.
"You and me both," Anansi groaned, taking satisfaction from the officer's startled jump.
The police officers carried the unconscious criminals over to the first car, pulled open the back doors, and stacked the thugs across the back seat. Once the three men were stowed, they turned to Mecha Man. Anansi stirred herself long enough to help the officers find and undo the buckles holding him into the exo-suit so they could shove him into the car on top of his minions. Then the officers stared down at the exo-suit in confusion.
"…What do we do with this thing?"
The Owl finally lumbered to his feet and wobbled unsteadily over to them. Anansi caught him just before he would have fallen over, wrapping an arm around his chest. He leaned heavily on Anansi's arm. "Might I request that you permit me to contact Pegasus regarding this contraption, officer? He may be able to make something of it," he explained, his voice still slightly louder than normal.
The officers looked at one another for a moment before they all shrugged. "Just–just make sure he keeps us in the loop, okay?"
"Absolutely. I–"
The Owl's reply was cut off by a whipping sound over their heads. Anansi spun around as a yellow-and-black blur swung over them and dropped to land between them and Guitar Hero. Anansi stared, perplexed, at the blond high ponytail on the back of her head as the girl caught her top, grabbed both of Guitar Hero's ears, and hauled him to his feet. She planted both hands on her hips, glaring at him on a level with his face.
"Jagged Freaking Stone!" shrieked Queen Bee, throwing her arms in the air and gesticulating wildly. "Are you out of your mind!? I have searched this city from top to bottom three times for you! What on earth possessed you to run off tonight? Your assistant freaked out! Then she flipped out! Then she ran straight to my penthouse and woke me up and I flipped out! Then she begged me to go out and search the city for you because she was afraid you were lying dead in a gutter somewhere! Ugh! I've never regretted my identity being public more than right this instant! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! And what are you doing running around Paris in that outfit in the dead of night, dragging a guitar, an amp, and a stupid crocodile behind you?"
"I–heh–that is–um–I was being a superhero?" Guitar Hero stammered, running a hand through his bedraggled hair while playing with one of the many tears in his jacket.
Queen Bee stared at him in disbelief for a moment. "Are you CRAZY? You're a rock star! Leave the hero stuff to the heroes!" She stomped her foot and started muttering to herself. "Utterly ridiculous! Why on earth did Max and Nino think you needed a stupid amp that could be heard across a continent in the first place? Oh, this is not going to help Marinette's guilt over making that stupid costume. And Impératrice Pourpre? To think that she thought you were one of her more useful helpers!" She glared back at him. "Do you realize she's been beside herself with worry this whole night, trolling through twelve million people's emotions for any hint of where you might be? The best she could find was mild irritation wandering all over the city–"
Anansi snorted. "That was probably me. And you didn't have to worry about him lying dead in a gutter somewhere no one could find him, Your Buzzyness. I watch my teammates' backs."
Queen Bee jumped at the unfamiliar voice and whipped around, top held up at the ready. Her hand dropped to her side in bewilderment on seeing Anansi and the Owl standing over the exo-suit, flanked by police officers. She stared at Anansi, furrowed her brow, and opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again. She opened her mouth again, but no sound came out.
"Rena Rouge knows me," Anansi finally told her. She chuckled. "And now, I guess you, Crazy, and the Professor do, too."
Queen Bee shook her head. "Rena Rouge… when I get my hands on that girl…" she grumbled. "Ugh. Fine. Whatever. I'm happy for you all. But if you'll excuse me–" she grabbed Guitar Hero by the one still-attached epaulet "–I'm taking this one back to le Grand Paris where he belongs, and then I am going to bed!" She dragged him to the side, muttering under her breath and dialing on her top-phone as she did so. Guitar Hero yelped and barely kept his hold on the guitar and amp as he was pulled along, Fang waddling along in his wake.
Anansi and the Owl watched them in bemusement until Queen Bee's driver pulled up and she unceremoniously shoved Guitar Hero into the back seat before lifting Fang and bodily throwing him in after, ignoring the startled yelp from Guitar Hero when the crocodile landed on top of him. As they sped off, the Owl cleared his throat and stammered, "I texted the number that Pegasus gave me. He said he would open a portal to collect this device momentarily to transport it to the Heroes' Headquarters."
Anansi nodded. "You know," she told him, "you're not exactly what I pictured in a superhero, Professor, but you're all right."
The Owl beamed. "And you made a fine teammate this evening, Anansi!"
She chuckled and looked away from him, down at the exo-suit. Something caught her eye and she did a double-take, bending down to peer into the space where Mecha Man had been strapped in. There, in the metal plating covering his back, was a long, narrow indentation. Without breathing, she reached into a pouch on her utility belt, withdrew a lynchpin, and placed it in the indentation. It fit perfectly.
The Owl had bent over to watch her work. "What does this mean?" he asked, wide-eyed.
She grimaced. "It means this conspiracy just got a little more exciting."
I realize this is the second Jagged-Stone-as-Guitar-Hero story where Queen Bee screams in his face ("Tit for Tat" chapter 4). It made sense for her (the only hero whose identity is public) to be the one who shows up to collect him after the adventure is over.