Foxhunt
Chapter Three: The Pack
Her back facing the harsh winds of the bitter-cold night, a young vixen wrapped her tail around her precious cubs. Silent desperation fueled by selfless love and mercy compelled the mother, even as the icy breeze stung her back like a sea of knives. Compared to her cubs, the mother's life meant nothing in her eyes, even as the cold began to glaze them over.
Standing above Nathalie's bed, thinking back to how life used to be, as opposed to what they had become, Adrien stared at his surrogate mother's pale, sweet face. Could she even hear his words? Was there nothing he could do but sit by her side, when the two had spent years holding, comforting, and caring for one another?
Her room had grown so cold and dark, regardless of how bright and warm the sun shone outside. Nathalie herself had grown cold so long ago, no matter how tightly and heavily she was swaddled, or how warm the water she was bathed in was. Though the long-suffering woman was finally able to rest, Adrien saw the lingering pain in her motionless expression. There had to be a way.
Suddenly, the sound of hollow footsteps pierced the air, and Gabriel's presence cast a shadow in the darkened doorway. Knowing this, Adrien remained still, gently stroking his beloved guardian's cold hand. Silence once again filled the air until Gabriel stepped forward and placed his hand upon his son's shoulder. Now more than ever, the man's hand felt like ice upon Adrien's skin. "Adrien," Gabriel's grave, newly weakened voice declared. "I will watch over Nathalie from here. Please…get some rest."
Staring at Nathalie's sweet face for one more second, Adrien lowered his head in quiet submission, turned, and exited the room. Even now, endowed with the power of the Miraculous, he was nothing more than a helpless child under the command of a loveless father.
Alya unlocked her apartment door, gently pushed it open, locked it once inside, and quietly closed it. "Hey, girls," she called out with a smile. Deep down, she still felt concern for her family's safety.
"Alya!" the twins excitedly cried out as they charged toward their big sister and tackled her into a group hug. "How was Marinette? Is she coming over? What time did you…"
"Whoa, whoa," the redheaded young woman lovingly hushed her siblings. "Calm down, okay? Is Mom home?"
"I am," Mrs. Césaire called out from the kitchen.
Alya quickly kicked off her boots and scurried through the living room before approaching her mother and warmly embracing her. "Hi, Mom," the young woman happily declared as she felt her mother's arms wrap around her back. "Sorry I missed you this morning." Once the two separated, Alya gazed into the living room at her little sisters before returning to the dark-brunette woman standing before her. "And…I'm sorry I left the girls alone. I…got a call from Marinette, and I knew you'd be back soon, and I thought…"
"I'm glad Marinette finally reached out again," Mrs. Césaire interrupted her daughter without a trace of blame in her voice. "I've been worried about her. As for your sisters, I'd rather you looked after them, but I'm impressed you got them to eat breakfast, not answer the door, and even brush their teeth. Nice work, kiddo."
Alya quickly looked back at the twins, who flashed their pearly whites in the form of gloating smiles. "Thanks, Mom," she warmly accepted. "I've been worried about Marinette too. And Adrien… But I saw them both today, and they're doing a lot better." Despite her positive words, Alya felt the shadow of dread begin to crawl up her spine.
"…And what about you, Alya?" the brunette woman gently asked. "How is Alya doing?"
Caught off-guard, Alya paused before collecting herself. No matter how she went over it in her head, there was no easy answer. "I…I don't really know right now," she finally answered. "I'm just glad we're all talking again."
"So am I," Mrs. Césaire replied with a smile.
As the day carried on, Alya, Ella, Etta, and their mother found themselves sitting in their kitchen, each staring out the same window into the warm sunset. For the first time in far too long, things were at peace, and their bodies felt the warmth of light, even in winter. Turning her smiling face away from the sun, Alya's mother looked to her oldest daughter. "But, why are you really here, Volpina?" she asked.
As her mother and sisters stared at her, the redheaded young woman perched herself in the corner of the room, her knees tucked against her breasts and her arms tightly crossed atop them as her tail attempted to cover her face. Shivering in fear and shock mingled in shame, the fox-girl attempted to ignore her family's glances, but to no avail. After all, who could ever trust, much less believe in a fox?
Thrusting forward in her bed, Alya's sheets and blankets were thrown away from her chest as she attempted to catch her breath and make sense of what had just happened. Trixx flew to her beloved partner's side and gently touched her sweat-glossed shoulder. "You okay, babe?" the fox Kwami playfully yet sincerely asked.
"I can't sleep," Alya answered with desperation and anger inadvertently lacing her words. "Let's go out, Trixx. Mom and the girls are still asleep and won't be up until late tomorrow."
"Alya," Trixx exclaimed, her little heart beating faster than usual. "Do you really think that's a good idea? And… where are we going to?""
"I don't know," the young woman confessed with a heavy sigh. "But I've got to be Volpina when I do it. I don't want to be Alya right now. When I'm Volpina, I don't have to be anyone else."
"Alya, you've gotta calm down," the Kwami pleaded. "Remember those dreams you've been having. I don't think going out on your own is a good idea."
Clenching her bangs, the redheaded young woman felt the tension in her neck contract even further as nightmares tore through her unhappy mind. "Trixx, I need this," she exclaimed. "Please, give me your strength. I don't wanna have to take it from you." Feeling the desperation and sorrow in her partner's soul, Trixx let out a sharp, angry sigh and nodded her head. Alya closed her eyes, felt the warm embrace of a mother fox envelop her body, and opened her eyes as Volpina before opening her window, stepping out and clinging to the wall outside, and closing it behind her.
Silent and swift, the fox Miraculous leapt through the night, guided only by street lights and the stars. Her mother and sisters safe at home, the young woman breathed in the cold air as she felt her body take to flight. She was finally free: Free from expectations, free from her legacy, and free from living the life of Alya Césaire.
"Alya, what's happening to you?" Trixx called out as her image appeared before Volpina's eyes. "I know things have been tough, but the team's back together. You're working on yourself, taking care of your sisters, and doing a great job…Why are you trying to run away from yourself?"
Opening her eyes, Alya found herself in a warm, white room void of any doors or windows. Only she and Trixx existed in this sacred space, and only the fur of the vixen covered her tender, hazel body. Without her glasses, she was able to see her beloved partner clearly. "It's not…" she began, only to lose faith in her words. "…I don't know. That's the problem: I just don't know. I love my sisters, but it seems like all I do is worry about them. I can't be their perfect big sister if everything I do is out of fear. And those dreams…And after seeing Lila, I…"
"This isn't about Lila or Volpina, Alya!" Trixx declared, having lost her patience. "You're Volpina. She only exists because of you, and she is whatever you make her. And as for your sisters, you and I both know there's no such thing as a perfect sibling, parent, or anything. You know this already, Alya. Stop doubting yourself. And as for those dreams…We can't run from them. If something's going to happen, we have to face it together. But we might need help."
Her glance shifting to the floor under her left foot, Alya made her decision. "We can stand on our own," she decided, her voice lined with bitterness.
"You can't keep trying to prove yourself like this," the fox Kwami shot back. "You don't need to show anybody anything."
"…It's not for them," Alya finally confessed. "…It's never really been about them. I always thought they were looking down on me, but the real reason is…"
A sharp, piercing surge of heat flew through Volpina's leg, nearly striking a nerve, and bringing her to a rolling stop on a nearby rooftop. Clenching the wound she could now only barely perceive, the young woman quickly turned her head to see a dark figure standing on a higher rooftop. His body completely covered in black, skin-tight metal armor, the man stared at his target through the single center-eye of his helmet while priming what appeared to be a yard-long sniper rifle. "That was just a warning," he called out without anger or regret. "If you try to fight or escape, the next one will go straight through your heart. Please…just come with me." The man's words now reflected sympathy and the weight of a dark obligation.
Forcing herself behind a brick chimney, Volpina clenched her leg. Though the projectile failed to pierce her garb, her flesh had been torn. Out of all the enemies, whether armed criminals or Akumatized, none had managed to wound her. Shutting out her pain, the young woman focused her energy, played a quiet note on her flute, and allowed an illusion to become her cover.
Limping forward, her hands in the air, Volpina gazed at her opponent. "Who are you?" she called out.
"Nothing more than a hunter," the man answered as he reloaded his weapon. His tone was complex, reflecting neither pride nor shame. "And you're my target."
"What happens if I come with you?" the fox Miraculous asked, her posture unflinching. "Do you want my Miraculous? Information?"
"I don't hunt for sport or want," The Hunter answered once more, his words weighed down by an awful truth. "Only for need. Yes, I need your Miraculous. Give it to me, and I'll never take up my gun again."
"Are you working for Hawk Moth?" the illusion continued to stall as Volpina listened and snuck away under cover of shadows. "You should know, he has nothing to offer you but lies."
"He's only interested in your Miraculous," the man declared as he fired another projectile, making sure it landed mere inches in front of his true target. "I won't be Akumatized…and I have my own reasons for this hunt." Jumping down from his cover, The Hunter landed on the rooftop Volpina attempted to evade. "Please," the man pleaded with genuine sorrow in his voice. As he approached, the young woman turned onto her back and prepared for combat. "Please don't make me hurt you anymore. Why can't you see? It doesn't have to be this way. All he needs is your Miraculous. He doesn't care about Volpina." The fox Miraculous crawled backward, her arms trudging along as her limp leg dragged. Before she could reach the edge of the rooftop, The Hunter stabbed his gun through the ground just above the hero's shoulder-blade. "…If you don't surrender peacefully…I'll just kill you."
"You have no idea what the Miraculous even are, do you?" Volpina demanded as she froze in her tracks. "It's not about having power…It's about giving up our power and freedom, all to protect the people. I'll never let Hawk Moth, or any of his drones get their hands on it."
"I told you before," the sniper softly explained. "I don't belong to Hawk Moth." Slowly, The Hunter crouched down and outstretched his hand. "It's brittle and weak, but my arm will still help you up. We don't need to be enemies."
Giving up, Volpina gazed into the man's artificial eye, smiled weakly, and reached out her hand for him to take. Upon receiving her surrender, The Hunter's hand passed through the Miraculous', just before she faded into nothingness. "What?" The Hunter sharply cried out.
"Alya," Trixx exclaimed as she and her partner limped through the city. "That was a Mirage you just used. You're gonna change back soon."
"I know," Alya replied as she clenched her leg while tucking her communicator away. "I can't let him see me, though. He'll know who I am. Ladybug and Chat Noir should be on their way."
"Hawk Moth is using a normal civilian to hunt down the Miraculous," the Kwami fearfully declared. "He's gotta have a reason. But there's no way any normal gun could injure you like that."
"It's like those kids Ladybug and Chat Noir fought a few months ago," Volpina declared as she ducked into an alley. Checking her surroundings, the young woman found she was safe, closed her eyes, and returned to her human form. "The Akuma has a mind of its own…It can give power without Akumatizing…I don't know what this guy's after, though. He's gotta have his own reason for going after me." Looking down at her blood-stained pant leg, Alya closed her eyes and winced. "You were right, Trixx. This was a stupid idea."
"Don't beat yourself up, babe," the Kwami warmly replied. "Besides you did what you had to to protect the Miraculous. We'll get through this, just like always. Maybe next time you'll listen to me."
"Yeah, maybe," the redheaded young woman sighed as she leaned her head back. "Get over here soon, guys."
"Just close your eyes, Alya," Trixx gently whispered. "I'll watch over you until the others come."
"Thanks, Trixx," Alya sighed with relief mere moments before falling asleep in her warm spot among the snow.