Why did it have to be the palace that got hit? How in Plagg's whiskers am I supposed to get back in now?
The Agrestian palace was on high alert. Moth Guards in full plate were patrolling the walls in double or triple strength, more were drawn up in the courtyard, and torches and lanterns lit up the night.
Ok, thought Marinette from where she lay flat on a rooftop. No way I can get past that many Guards without being spotted, even with Ladybug magic and luck. I can't just wait for the furor to die down, that could take hours. And every minute I'm not in my assigned quarters increases the risk of someone coming to look for me and wondering where I've got to. Obviously I can't detransform, I'd have to explain how Marinette Dupain-Cheng managed to slip her leash. I need a miracle.
Or rather…
Marinette rolled off the roof and dropped into the alley, on the far side of the building from the palace.
"Lucky Charm," she murmured, tossing her yo-yo up into the air and concentrating on her need to get into the palace. It shot up, throwing out sparkles in every imaginable shade of red, pink, and white. But thankfully, it didn't appear to have gone high enough to be visible from the palace wall.
With a flash, the sparkles all came together into…
What in Tikki's spots is this? Marinette wondered, looking down at the irregular sheet of black-spotted red metal she now clutched in her hands. It looks kind of like… a breastplate for a bipedal cow, maybe?
She whipped out her yo-yo and vaulted back up to the roof. There was a clang of metal as her Lucky Charm hit the rooftop.
Of course! Marinette suddenly realized. That's what this is for! Ok… so I need to get to there, and then there, and throw there… Got it. She slipped carefully from rooftop to rooftop, keeping as low as possible, until she was opposite the jump point she needed. Then she braced herself, and flung her Charm as hard as she could. It went flying through the air to crash to the ground on the far side of the courtyard. There was the crash and clang of metal on stone, and the Guards turned to see what was happening.
Trusting in Ladybug's luck, Marinette let fly with her yo-yo and shot across the gap to land safely on the palace roof. From there it was easy to creep across the roof and drop down onto her balcony.
"Tikki, spots off," she whispered. She felt the Ladybug magic drain away, and Tikki popped into existence in front of her. The kwami dived into the pocket of Marinette's nightgown, and Marinette padded out into her main room. She grabbed a roll from a small tray on a side table and slipped it into Tikki's pocket.
Now what? she wondered. If anybody came in to look for me, I'm pretty much in Plagg's jaws. Even if they don't guess what's really going on, they'll know I have some way of slipping out of my very nice prison cell.
Only thing to do is bite the bullet, poke my head out, and see what's happening. If I actually had been here all night, that would be the logical thing to do, especially since the alarms are dying down a bit.
She tiptoed over to the door, stepped out, and almost collided with a pair of Moth Guards.
"Princess Dupain-Cheng!" said one of them. "Please, stay in your quarters. There's an assassin running around with the Ring of the Black Cat."
" What? " Marinette blurted out.
"Someone just attacked and killed one of the Guards on watch duty," said the Guard, "with a Cataclysm. I wasn't there myself, but the murdered Guard's partner saw the whole thing, and he survived to testify."
Marinette babbled out something, she had no idea what, and staggered back into her room before falling into a chair.
No, she thought. It can't be. The man I met tonight can't be a murderer. It's not possible.
Then her brain started working again. Wait a minute. It really isn't possible. I was with Cat Noir when the alarm bells went off, and the Ring of the Black Cat doesn't let you be in two places at once. Whoever killed that Guard, it wasn't the man I ran into.
So which one is the real Cat Noir?
"Tikki?" she whispered.
The ladybug kwami popped out of her pocket, looking as nervous as Ladybug felt.
"Tikki," whispered Marinette, "was that the real Cat Noir I met on the rooftop?"
"Yes," said Tikki firmly. "I don't know who he was Fused with, but I know Plagg's feel. That was definitely the real Cat Noir."
"Thank Tikki," breathed Marinette reflexively.
"You're welcome!" chirped Tikki with an impish smile. Then her eyes went wide. "Marinette, there's something I just realized I need to tell you about. Do you remember when I explained the limits on Miracle?"
Marinette ticked them off on her fingers. "Only one use per transformation for now, only one target, can't bring back humans if they've been dead for more than a few minutes, and… something about not being able to fix changes that have set? I didn't really understand that part."
"It's all about how things see themselves," said Tikki distractedly. "That tree you used Miracle on still thought of itself as a tree, even if it was a dead one, so Miracle turned it back into a living tree. If you came on a tree that had just been cut down and chopped up into boards, the boards would still think of themselves as parts of a tree, so Miracle would turn them back into a tree. But the pieces of wood in that chair over there think of themselves as part of a chair now, so if you used Miracle on them you'd still have a chair…"
The kwami visibly shook herself. "But that's not the point. There's one more limit I didn't mention at the time. Plagg and I are equals, but that doesn't mean we cancel each other out on all points. I was the first kwami born, but he'll be the last to die. In the end, everything I make, he'll destroy. And because of that, his Cataclysm trumps my Miracle. If something is destroyed by a Cataclysm, you won't be able to bring it back."
Marinette winced. "Oh no…"
"Exactly," said Tikki. "Normally it's not really a problem, but whoever this attacker is, it sounds like he may have actually found some way to steal part of Plagg's power." She shook her tiny head. "How did he do that?" she wondered out loud. "I would have sworn that nothing powered by our magics remained working after Downfall except the Seven themselves. And I've never been able to make new kwami-craft since. There's some kind of barrier between the Cognitive and the Physical now. I think Downfall made it, parts of it feel like my own power."
"Could it have been one of the other Miraculouses?" asked Marinette.
"I don't seen how," said Tikki. "Trixx couldn't duplicate a Cataclysm, and neither could Wayzz or Pollen or Duusuu. Nooroo could , at least enough for what that Guard described, but not without Agreste knowing about it."
"And it doesn't make any sense for Agreste to do this," said Marinette. "Whatever else he is, the man's neither crazy nor wasteful. Even if he had an inkling that the Ring is once again active, and even if he decided that framing Cat Noir was his best course of action, surely he would have killed a civilian rather than one of his own Guards."
"Exactly," said Tikki.
"Well," Marinette said, and then paused to let out a jaw-cracking yawn. "Plagg, but I'm tired," she said. "I need to get some sleep, whatever's going on. Wake me up if this assassin shows up, would you?"
It was a small and select body that were gathered to discuss the previous night's events. Gabriel Agreste himself sat at the head of the table, with Nooroo seated on his usual little cushion at his master's elbow. Adrien had seated himself at the foot of the table. It was appropriate enough, as he was easily the most junior member of this impromptu council, but he also wanted to keep himself, and Plagg's ring, as far from his father as possible.
Knight-Commander Raincomprix, as head of the New Astruc Chapter of the Moth Guard, was of course present, along with General Tsurugi of the First Imperial Legion, Marquis Darkblade, and Natalie Sancouer as the Imperial Seneschal. Mayor Bourgeois was likewise present, along with Master Damocles, head of the City Watch.
"I'm sure you all know why we are here today," said Adrien's father, in his best emotionless tone.
"Of course," said Natalie, and the others echoed the sentiment.
"So far as I'm aware," said Adrien's father, "There has been no sighting of this new Cat Noir since his attack on the palace."
"None of my knights have seen anything," said Raincomprix.
"I can't guarantee the same for my Watch, unfortunately," said Master Damocles. "Without the Brooch, it's a little harder to get the word out. For that matter, I didn't want to tell them anything until I could speak to your Highness and confirm the rumors."
Calling on all his training in poise, Adrien raised his hand.
"Yes, Adrien?" said his father.
"Just to play Plagg's advocate," said Adrien, pausing a breath to allow for the expected dry laughter at the macabre pun, "is there any way this could have been faked? Possibly with the aid of one of the other Miraculouses? I know Lady Cesaire wears what looks like a replica of the Fox Pendant. If it's actually the real thing…"
"A good thought, Adrien," said his father with a nod of approval, "but I don't see how it could have been done. Sir Caledan did die at the moment he appeared to, right, Nooroo?"
"Indeed," piped the Moth Kwami. "I can't confirm what killed him, but he died at precisely the moment Sir Thornton reported."
"And Sir Thornton struck and was struck by the Cat Noir, so we know that there was somebody there, whether or not that somebody was under an illusion. So in order to pull this off, Cesaire would have had to disguise either herself or an accomplice as Cat Noir, kill Sir Caledan at precisely the right moment, and then either remove or destroy the body somehow without anybody noticing. Even with the Fox Pendant, she'd have been hard-pressed indeed to pull that off."
"And besides myself, none of the Five could even approximate a Cataclysm," said Nooroo.
Inside his pocket, Adrien's other hand was nervously scratching Plagg between the ears. Even the kwami of Destruction seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation, and he was holding still as stone.
"So the question becomes how anyone managed to get ahold of the Black Cat's Ring after all these years," said Adrien's father, "and why they chose to use it now, of all times. Not to mention why they elected to attack a random knight of the Moth Guard, instead of going after myself, or Adrian, or even someone like General Tsurugi or Sir Raincomprix."
Marquis Darkblade snorted. "But is it not obvious?" he asked rhetorically. "Tell me, who was the last known Cat Noir? Was it not Felix Dupain? And is it not known that after Downfall, the Earrings that Felix Dupain bore were found by Joan Dupain-Cheng. And now, upon the very night that one of Dupain-Cheng's descendants enters New Astruc, a Cat Noir attacks the palace. Either this is the greatest coincidence in history, or the Dupain-Cheng girl has the Ring."
"But that makes no sense!" blurted out Adrien. He flinched at the stern look from his father, but refused to let himself be quailed. "Sorry, Your Grace," he said, "But it doesn't. Natalie, were the Dupain-Chengs happy with the treaty between us?"
"No," admitted Natalie. "They accepted it, they had no choice. But they weren't happy with it."
"Exactly my point," said Adrien. "They only accepted the treaty because they had no other choice . Because they knew that they couldn't stand up to Father. But if the Dupain-Chengs have had the Ring all along, they could have fought Father and won . Back then they had more men, a more stable economy, and with the Ring they'd have had the more powerful Miraculous, especially for straight-up warfare. So if they had the Ring… what is Princess Marinette doing here?"
"Adrien has a point," admitted his father. "But so does Marquis Darkblade," he continued. "It's possible that Joan Dupain-Cheng had the Ring, and hid it to prevent it from being abused once again. In that case, Sabine Dupain-Cheng may have just recently rediscovered the Ring. We don't have enough information yet to know either way… or do we?"
"Sir Raincomprix, Natalie, Master Damocles, ask around," he said. "See if anyone actually saw the Princess Dupain-Cheng while our mystery Cat Noir was attacking. The Ring doesn't let its Bearer be in two places at once."
The various officials chorused ascent.
"The next question," said Adrien's father, "is how far to spread the news. Right now there are a lot of confused rumors, but very few people know what we're actually facing."
"Which could be a good thing," said Natalie. "If word gets out about how bad the situation really is, we could have a riot on our hands. An apparently deranged assassin who could strike anywhere, kill with a touch, and then melt back into the crowd as easily as he came? Can you imagine a better incitement to panic?"
Adrien bit his lip as he contemplated that point.
On the one hand, the more people who know the truth, the faster this whatever-it-is will be found and exposed. But on the other hand, the more who think that it was me… or rather, that it was Cat Noir… who killed Sir Caledan, the harder it will be for me after all this is fixed. Even if this imposter is exposed and defeated, there will always be rumors that it was I who was behind everything.
"You have a point, Natalie," admitted Adrien's father. "I will spread the true story to my Endowed, including the Moth Guard. The Brooch will let me do it without eavesdropping, and with Nooroo's touch to augment their loyalty, I believe they can be trusted to keep their wits. General Tsirugi, Master Damocles, Marquis Darkblade, do you believe your men can be trusted with the true story?"
"I cannot be certain, Milord," replied General Tsirugi with a nod of his head. "I would trust my men to follow their orders on the battlefield, but to keep something like this secret… it's not exactly the sort of thing they are usually asked to do. Some among them could no doubt be trusted, but not all of them. I could make a list of those officers who I would trust with this secret, and then they could decide which of their men to share it with."
"It's much the same with my Watch" said Damocles. "There are a few among them who I can trust to keep even this secret, but most of them would blab it in the pub for extra drinks."
"Very well," said Gabriel. "Natalie, go ahead and ask about Princess Dupain-Cheng. General, Marquis, Master Damocles, start compiling a list of those who you think can be trusted with the secret. I will go ahead and spread the word to my Endowed. Everyone, dismissed!"
Joan glanced down at her hands, clad in the skin-tight red of a Ladybug. She had dreamed of this, of course. How could she not, knowing that she was so close to the direct line, that her cousin held one of the two Primus Miraculous?
"But I never wanted it to happen like this," she whispered.
A shriek, high-pitched and inhuman, jolted her from her reverie. She looked up through where the roof had once been to see a trio of winged shapes descending on her. Their bodies were the bodies of naked women, but their arms were black-feathered wings, and they had the heads and feet of owls.
The leader of the three swiped at Joan as she dived, but Joan threw herself to the ground and came up in a roll, snatching her yo-yo from her belt. With a flick of her wrist, she spun the yo-yo up to speed and let it fly, catching one of the winged figures between the eyes as it came about for another run.
"Your Highness?" the creature asked in a concerned voice. The ground began to shake.
"Your Highness?"
Joan – no, Marinette , blinked awake. A girl of about Marinette's age was standing over her bed, shaking her shoulder. She had the tanned skin and golden-brown eyes that usually indicated Sapotisian ancestry, and was clad in the white dress with a Pink Moth crest that Marinette had already learnt indicated a Palace maid.
"Wha?" asked Marinettte blearily. She blinked a couple times, then tried again. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?"
"My name's Manon, Your Highness," said the maid, dropping into a curtsy. "And, uh, since you didn't bring any staff, Mistress Sancouer assigned me to be your maid. If you don't mind, that is. And… uh, His Highness is looking for you. Prince Adrien. Your betrothed. He's in the sitting room. With Lady Lavillant."
"Ok, ok," said Marinette, waving her hand blearily. "Tell him I'll be out in a few minutes, as soon as I find something to wear. What time is it, anyway?"
"Half past nine," Manon said, her face still downturned. She backed hastily out the door, closing it behind her.
Marinette rolled out of bed, and Tikki popped out from under her pillow. "Good morning, Marinette," she chirped softly in Marinette's ear.
"Good morning, Tikki," murmured Marinette with a smile. "Afraid you're going to have to get used to having people like that poking around, though. It would look really odd if I refused any servants, probably prompt Agreste to send in somebody invisible just to find out what I'm hiding."
"I understand," replied Tikki. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
Adrien smiled and rose to his feet as Marinette's bedroom door opened and she stepped out. She was dressed in a white dressing gown, decorated with tiny pink spots that reminded Adrien of the pips on a strawberry, and looked absolutely adorable.
"Good morning, Your Highness," said Adrien. "I hope you slept well?"
"Well enough," replied Marinette. "May I ask what you are doing here?"
"I owe you a shopping trip, of course!" chirped Rose. "And the Flying Pig Company is doing Much To-Do , and you and Adrien need to get to know each other. So we're all going out shopping, and then going to the theater afterward. You might want to change first, though. That dressing gown's a bit low-cut. I'm pretty sure that nobody is going to ogle Prince Adrien's betrothed too obviously, but you can't ask them to not even look ."
"You don't have to go right away," interjected Adrien hastily, seeing the look of dismay on Marinette's face. "The play doesn't start for hours yet. Also, I sent Manon for breakfast, and there are some things we need to talk about. How much do you know about the alarm last night?"
"Not much," replied Marinette. "One of A… your father's Moth Guards said that a Cat Noir was attacking this palace, but that can't have been right."
"You'd think so," said Adrien, keeping his face carefully neutral. If at all possible, he wanted to avoid actually lying to Marinette. He couldn't trust her with his secret now, but he still hoped to share it with her at some point.
He still wasn't altogether sure he'd done the right thing by keeping the secret from his father. Adrien trusted his father absolutely, in love if not judgement, and he knew his father trusted him in the same way. But it would only take one of his father's nobles or generals finding out about the Ring and drawing the obvious conclusion to bring forth disaster. Not to mention that, from what Adrien knew about glamours such as the one protecting his identity, each person brought in on the secret weakened the veil.
Adrien continued talking, not letting his voice betray his inner turmoil. "But somebody did attack the palace last night. Or more accurately, someone killed one of the Guards at the gate, then disappeared back into the night. So I'm afraid my father's going to be even more strict about my security for a while. He's decreed a minimum of four Moth Guards plus the Gorilla for today's shopping trip, and pretty much anything else that takes me out of the palace. Also, this little guy will be shadowing me, in case it's needed in a hurry." A flick of his fingers indicated the luminous white Nooroon akuma perched on the back of his chair.
"The gorilla?" asked Marinette.
"My bodyguard," explained Adrien. "I think he was one of father's original retainers, back when he was still Baron Agreste. He was one of the first Endowed. Anyway, until we manage to find the intruder, or at least figure out what he's after, there's going to be some pretty heavy security around me, and therefore by extension around you."
"Ok…" said Marinette slowly.
"Ok, that's depressing," said Rose brightly. "Let's talk about something else! Marinette, what do you want to get on our shopping trip today? Maybe some new earrings?"
"No!" blurted out Marinette, her hands flying up to her ears. She took a quick breath. "Sorry," she said, "These ones have… sentimental value."
"I see," said Rose with a smile. Her hand stroked the bracelet of gilt roses around her left wrist. "Ok," she continued, "so not earrings. Perhaps a necklace? Those are always classic, and doubly so here in the Empire. I'm sure you've noticed that the Emperor wears a presence chain instead of a crown, so a necklace would help symbolize your rank. What about rose gold and sapphires, for Boulangerie's colors? Plus I'm sure we could find sapphires that match your eyes."
"Um…" said Marinette. "Yes, I suppose a necklace would be nice. But really, you don't need to spend money on me. I can afford my own jewelry, you know. And as much of our trade as comes through here, I'm sure my money will be good."
"I told you last night," said Adrien, "This is supposed to be a birthday present. Somewhat belated, I'll admit, but better late than never, right?"
"Fine," Marinette said, rolling her eyes. "But as long as we're going on a shopping trip, there are some more practical things I'll be wanting to get. Some dummies, for one, and fabric. I brought my own sewing kit, though I'm running low on a couple of thread colors… I'll get a shopping list together. Is there paper and pen around here anywhere?"
"There should be some in that desk," Adrien said.
The door slid open and Manon bustled into the room, carrying a tray with toast and tea and eggs.
The Flying Pig Company was truly excellent. The weather being fine, they were currently presenting in an open-air amphitheater, next door to the closed theater where they presented on rainy days. The "Royal Box" turned out to be a set of half-a-dozen padded and well-crafted chairs, two rows of three, separated from the smooth stone benches surrounding it by a chest-high wooden wall. They were set in the very front and center, giving what had to be the best view in the amphitheater.
Adrien had claimed the center chair, with Marinette placed at his left hand and the Gorilla crammed into the chair to his right. With Rose seated directly behind Marinette, that left one seat unoccupied. The four Moth Guards, meanwhile, had settled onto the benches on either side of the Royal Box.
Here and now, watching the actors cavort on the stage, listening to the timeless words of the Bard, Marinette could be happy as she had not been in weeks. All that would be needed to make the experience perfect would be a different companion in the next seat, one clad in black leather and with slitted green eyes…
With a wince, Marinette finally acknowledged what she'd been very carefully not thinking since the previous evening.
I'm in love with Cat Noir .
She wasn't sure how it had happened. Maybe it was just the stress of finding herself here in New Astruc, maybe it was Tikki's feelings for her eternal partner bleeding over through their bond, maybe it was simply that he was attractive and she was attracted, maybe it was some combination of all of them. Whatever the cause, the fact remained that she'd fallen for Cat Noir, and fallen hard.
Of course, that didn't change anything. She'd always known that while she might be a princess, she wouldn't get a fairytale ending. No matter who she loved, she would have to marry Adrien Agreste. That was why she'd been so careful not to let herself fall in love with anyone.
So stop thinking about it, you fool! Love or no love, you know perfectly well you've still got to marry Adrien Agreste. So stop making yourself miserable and think about something else!
With resolute attention, Marinette focused her mind back on the play.
As soon as the intermission arrived, everybody in the Royal Booth practically dashed off in different directions. Adrien and Marinette were both heading for the privies, with the Gorilla tailing Adrien. Rose, on the other hand, headed up and over. She'd spotted Mylene and Ivan a few rows up, and they were just the people she wanted to talk to right now.
"Hello Mylene!" she chirped as she arrived.
"Hello Rose," replied Mylene. Ivan just stared at her, and Rose kept her wince purely internal. It wasn't much of a surprise anyway. Ivan had no love for his Emperor, even if he'd sworn the oaths of loyalty, and Rose was well known to be a fervent loyalist.
"Enjoying the play?" Rose asked cheerfully. "I certainly am. No matter how many times I see these, they never get boring."
"Me too," replied Mylene. "I think they get better every time they do this. Or maybe I just appreciate Forgepound more these days." She rubbed the ring on her left hand with a quiet smile.
"Yeah, it's a good way for couples to get to know each other. That's why I was so happy to see Adrien taking our new princess out here. What do you think of her, anyway?"
Ivan's face went studiously blank. Mylene sighed. "Honestly? I feel sorry for her. I mean, I know not everybody's as lucky as we are..." She gave Ivan's arm a quick squeeze. "...but it's still kind of sad that she doesn't get a choice of who she'll marry." She smiled. "Still, who knows? Maybe she and Adrien will grow to love each other. It happens."
Rose's inner observer noted the irony in that exchange with amusement.
Ivan, whose father had fought against the Emperor and who everyone knows only swore to him because he wanted peace, doesn't dare say anything even remotely critical of the Emper or lest his loyalty be called into question. Mylene, on the other hand, has no particular reason why anyone would doubt her loyalty, so she doesn't feel such a need to demonstrate it. So the one with no reason to resent the Emperor's authority criticizes his exercise of it, and the one who has reason to object remains silent.
Meanwhile, Rose's outer self had gone on talking. "I hope so too. So, you doing anything later? I have to take Marinette out shopping after this, she's far too unsparkly for her position, but I'll probably be free after that."
"I actually have a meeting with Darkblade this afternoon," said Ivan. "And after that I'll probably just be spending the evening in." He smiled. "Not everyone has as much energy as you do, Rose."
"Likewise," Mylene said. "I think I'd just like a quiet evening."
"I think…" said Rose, but she was cut off by a shout of alarm from below. She spun, just in time to see that someone dressed head to toe in blood-red leather had just grabbed the actress playing Beatrice Cesaire by the arm. Rose instantly suspected she knew who this was, but the next words she heard clinched it.
"Cat Noir…" whispered Juleka, barely audible.
Two of the four Moth Guards drew their swords, and as the background chatter of the audience died away, they began to warily advance towards the stage. The other two grabbed up crossbows from where they had set them, and with Endowed strength cocked the weapons. Out of the corner of her eye, Rose saw Juleka leaping down, the glint of a drawn dagger in her hand as she wove through the crowds.
The Cat Noir, meanwhile, didn't seem to be paying the least attention to anyone other than the woman in his arms. His head cocked to one side as that featureless metal mask seemed to consider the actress. Then, abruptly, he stiffened and in a single furious motion drove his crimson-gloved fist into the helpless woman's face. Time seemed to slow, and despite the intervening distance, Rose could see all to clearly the explosion of crimson and grey and off-white as bone shattered and blood and flesh was pulverized under the force of that blow.
Twin crossbows thrummed. They could not have possibly missed, not from that range, but neither bolt pierced the blood-red leather. All they seemed to do was send the Cat Noir stumbling. The other two Moth Guards lunged forward, their wary advance become a sprinting charge. The Cat Noir turned his stagger into a whirling spin, flinging the actress's headless corpse at one of the Guards and knocking him back off the stage. The Cat Noir staggered backwards as he released the corpse, but then turned that stagger into a backflip, coming up on his feet. With a flick of his wrist, the chain of his nunchucks retracted into oblivion, the two rods snapping together into a silvery staff, just in time to deflect a sword-blow from the second Guard.
The two Guards that had taken the crossbow shots dropped their weapons, pulling out swords and charging up to join the fray even as the first Guard shoved off the body of the dead actress (A Mrs Sage Rashid, Rose's stunned mind noted), and clambered to his feet.
Beside Rose, Ivan clenched his fists. "Stay here, Mylene," he rumbled, and began to push through the crowds towards the stage. Meanwhile, the Cat Noir had ducked forwards and into the second Guard's attack, bulling him off his feet just in time for Guards three and four and Juleka to arrive. He spun, nunchucks flashing as the segments separated once more, chain elongating to wrap around Guard number 3's leg. And even as Guard number four tripped over a box that had been left as part of the scenery, the chain retracted once more, yanking the third Guard's leg out from under him and dumping him on his back.
With the Cat Noir's nunchuks momentarily busy, Juleka sprinted forward with more-than-human speed, and her dagger flashed as she tried to plant it between the Cat Noir's ribs. But the crimson leather turned the blow as if it were steel plate, and the retaliatory swipe of the Cat Noir's crimson-clad fist caught Juleka a glancing blow. She managed to roll with the punch, coming up in a somersault, but she was moving more slowly now.
As Ivan passed the Royal Box, the luminous white akuma fluttered up to meet him, landing on his vest. White energy flowed around him, before solidifying into a figure of gray-black stone with two spots of golden fire for eyes, almost twice Ivan's already impressive height.
Ivan crouched, ready to leap up onto the stage, but froze as the Cat Noir clenched his free hand into a fist and black fire enveloped it. The Cat Noir opened his hand, blackness dripping from the splayed fingers. Rose hadn't been able to hear him speak over the shouts, but she hadn't had to. That aura of darkness could only be one thing.
At the same moment, a figure went flying over Rose's head from behind, to land crouched on all fours upon the roof of the Royal Box. For a moment that seemed to stretch to eternity it crouched there, and even if it was impossible, Rose knew what she was seeing. She had seen this figure countless times in windows and storybooks and histories. Black leather covering the body from neck to toe, a black leather tail and cat ears perched in golden-blond hair, and a silvery baton attached to the back of the belt.
And then the black-clad Cat Noir leapt down upon the red-clad one. The red Cat's hand, still charged with the black fires of a Cataclysm, came up and caught the black Cat in the chest.
