Chapter 17: Through Hellfire and Maniacal Laughs
Unlike what happened with his fellow lieutenants, Rapier did not like to look for potential targets to be akumatized by Hawk Moth. He liked to cause chaos and mayhem. Still, his master still forced him to look for such targets, just like Reptile and the other lieutenants. But instead of finding them on the ground, he liked to do it from the sky. This would have been impossible, had he not found out that he could camouflage himself while airborne. A very useful power, which he liked to take advantage from.
And it was while airborne, that Rapier spotted what was happening at the Louvre. Knowing that that was not one of Hawk Moth's Akumas, because its magical aura was different from an Akuma's, he immediately knew that he had to tell his master. So, he contacted him.
"Master…" -Rapier said. –"Hey, Hawk Moth, wake up! I believe that you'll want to see what I'm seeing." -he said, waiting for a response.
In his private chambers, Hawk Moth heard Rapier's mental call. Using his powers, he quickly linked his eyes to Rapier's and saw through them what was happening. Seeing the Sentimonster fighting the Miraculous heroes, he knew this was La Paon's doing. But his attention quickly shifted to the isolated battle that pitted Ladybug and Chat Noir against La Paon, with her seemingly having the upper hand.
"La Paon. So, you finally decided to show yourself." -Hawk Moth thought to himself.
Rapier remained in silence, waiting for Hawk Moth to tell him what to do. But this was not an easy task, as he did not like to stand still, when he could be having fun, trying to kill the Miraculous heroes and proving that he was superior not only to his master's Akumas, but also the other lieutenants.
But Hawk Moth did not care about what Rapier wanted to do, or thought. He was more interested in La Paon. He did not know how if her powers had grown, while she was trapped inside her own miraculous, or if they had remained the same. But from what he could see, she seemed to be a match against Ladybug and Chat Noir, who were doing their best to keep up with her. And this gave him an idea.
"This might prove to be a unique opportunity." -Hawk Moth said, finally breaking the silence. –"If I bid my time, she will destroy these teenagers, and get their miraculouses. Then, I'll just have to defeat her. I will kill two birds with one stone." -he thought to himself. –"Keep a close eye on what's happening. And do not interfere. I will order Reptile, Brutus and Madame Romani to convey on your location."
"You mean I have to stay put?!" -Rapier shouted. –"No way! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I'm going down there, and I'm going to…" -he said, when he felt an electrical discharge coursing through his whole body.
"You will obey my orders, or you'll end up without your arms." Hawk Moth threatened him, before zapping him again. –"You are only to attack once the others arrive. Until then, you are to only observe. Do I make myself clear, Rapier?" -he asked him, with a sinister voice.
"Y-Yes, master Hawk Moth. I will… obey you, and observe, while waiting for the others to get here." -Rapier said.
The fire was beginning to get out of control, with the flames growing in size and speed. And because of the stone dragons who had started it, as well as Surtr who had turned to a significant number of the heroes, the firefighters were not sure what to do other than trying to stop the flames from spreading to other parts of the museum, without themselves ending up barbecued. Fortunately, they had a guardian angel on their side. And that guardian angel was Queen Bee, who once more, was preparing to do what she had done when Notre-Dame went up in flames.
Using her trompo, she created a tornado which then pointed towards the Seine. Upon touching the water, it began to suck it. As she had done before, she was going to use the water from the river to put out the fires. Though she had perfected that technique since the first time she used it, it still required her to fully concentrate.
"Okay, just a little bit more, and I'll have enough water sucked from the river." -Queen Bee said, as she focused on maintaining the water inside the tornado. –"I just hope I don't suck too much of it. I don't want to dump a waterspout and risk destroying the rooftop." -she said, while looking at the wolf and the red panda heroes, who were on the rooftop. –"Come on, Sabrina. You and Nathaniel get those stone dragons out of there, so I can extinguish the flames."
The bee heroines wished her girlfriend and Panda Roux would hurry up. But wanting something, does not make it happen, just because one wants it. And Louve Grise and Panda Roux wished that was not true. They believed that they could face the dragons and force them off the roof, taking them to a place that was not so flammable. But they didn't count on those stone creatures claiming the museum's rooftop their territory. Furthermore, the flames that this one spit out looked much hotter than normal flames. Using her ice power, Louve tried to erase those that were between them and the dragons, but only managed to diminish them.
"What's with these flames?!" -Louve Grise asked. –"Why can't I put them out?!" -she asked, before using her ice breath on them again, and failing to extinguish them.
"I don't know! Maybe they're magical?" -Panda Roux hypothesized. –"Or maybe they burn a lot higher than regular flames?" -he suggested, while staring at the dragons.
"I'm more inclined to say it's the second one." -Louve Grise said. –"In any case, we've got to take these creatures out of the roof, so Chloe can pour out the fire." -she said, while pointing at the bee heroine, who was waiting for them. –"You said you might have an idea on how to dela with them. What was it?"
"Easier said than done, with these flames. I was thinking I could try and turn them against one another." -Panda Roux said. –"If I could make one of them angry at the other, they would start fighting and end up clobbering one another." -he said, as he tried to ignore the smell in the air. –"I'll never get used to the stench of a burning building."
"That's a great plan." -Louve said. –"Let's see if I can make part of it happen." -she told him. –"I'm going to use my ice breath to try and create a path, so you can reach them. I'll follow you, once I manage to put out those flames over there. We don't need part of the rooftop to cave in."
Taking a deep breath, Louve held her breath for a second, before using her power. The icy air that came from her lips fanned the flames, weakening them. Forcing it, she tried to erase them, but they wouldn't extinguish. Seeing by her face that her friend was having a hard time, Panda reduced the size of her spear, and used it to quickly draw something to help her. The first thing that occurred to him was to draw a cloud-like creature, which spit water like a cannon, significantly reducing the flames. And once the trail was completed, he did not hesitate and ran towards the stone dragons. Trying to ignore the smothering heat that was around him, the red panda hero dashed over the tiles, with one goal in his mind: getting to its target.
"Alright, let's see if I can do this." -Panda Roux thought to himself, as his spear changed back to its original size.
As expected, when the stone dragons noticed him approaching them, they immediately began breathing fire at him. Dodging the balls of flame, Panda used the spear like a pole to leap over the heads of both dragons, landing on the backs of the one on his left.
"Okay, the easy part is over. Now comes the hard part." –Panda Roux thought to himself.
And the hard part was to get the dragons to fight one another, by taking control of the one he had landed on. Having taken the idea from the "How to Train Your Dragon" trilogy, he was about to see whether or not this one would work. Once more, he used his powers to turn his spear into a pen and started to draw, knowing that the dragon was about to try and kick him from its back. Drawing as fast as he could, he designed a set of robust, fireproof reins and quickly placed them on the dragon's mouth, by lassoing its head. Believing himself in charge of the stone beast, Panda tried to make it attack the other stone dragon, by clawing it and breathing fire on it.
"Okay, let's see just how tough you are against one another." -Panda Roux exclaimed.
As dangerous as that was, Panda Roux felt like a little kid, while on top of the stone dragon. When he was little, he had watched "NeverEnding Story" more times than he could count, and he used to imagine himself riding Falkor, the luckdragon. What was happening to him, was the closest thing to have that wish fulfilled. Unfortunately, his joy was short lived, when the stone dragon began to buck his hind legs, trying to get rid of him. Panda tried to hold on, but the buck was so strong that made him jump in the air, and land hard on the ground, while also hitting his head.
"Panda!" -Louve Grise yelled, as she raced towards his rescue.
Dashing through blazing rooftop, Louve used her ice breath to clear a path through the flames. She had to get to Panda, before the stone dragons turned him into a snack. Seeing them both getting closer to her teammate, she quickened her pace. Not knowing if she would reach him in time, she did the only thing it occurred to her; she jumped into the air and threw herself in front of Panda, just as the stone dragons reached him.
"Oh, no you don't, uglies!" -Louver Grise yelled, as she looked them in the eyes.
Standing between Panda Roux and the two stone dragons, the wolf heroine used her ice breath to create a thick wall of blue ice, which she then proceeded to turn into a sort of igloo, around them, giving them a little bit of protection. She did not know if Panda Roux was hurt from that fall, and she needed to check him.
"Nathaniel, are you okay?" -Louve Grise asked him, as the sound of the dragons' claws chipping against the ice was heard. –"Hope I made the ice hard enough for them to take their time to get to us." -she thought to herself.
"Y-Yeah… I think I am." -Panda Roux answered her. –"I just got my outfit a little burnt, and my head's spinning a little, that's all." -he said, as she continued to check him. –"But I think I figured out one thing about the flames."
"What about the flames?" -Louve Grise asked him, curious.
"I think the flames are connected to these guys." -Panda Roux told Louve Grise. –"I believe that as long as they're entertained, torching up the place, the flames get some kind of a magical boost, and are harder to put out. Because when I did manage to get them fighting one another, I had the feeling that the flames weakened." -he added, as she finished check him for any kind of injuries. –"Come on, I'm okay. I told you to not worry, Sabrina. It's like Kim says, I've got a thick noggin, because artists are quite stubborn."
"Yeah, well, thick noggin or not, you bumped your head, and you were almost burned to a crisp." -Louve Grise said, concerned. –"Forgive me, if as your friend, I care about you." -she said.
"I'm not Adrien, but if I was, I would say that right now, I'm so hot that I make the equator look like the north pole." -Panda joked.
"Stick to being the artist of the group, and leave the jokes to the others, okay?" -Louve told him, between chuckled, when they both heard a roar. –"Uh oh, I think those things are mad that I didn't let them eat you… Come on, we need to get these dragons to start fighting each other." -she said, this time with a serious voice, as she saw the beasts hitting the thick blue ice with their claws, attempting to break it. –"Now that we got their attention, they won't stop until we're goners."
He knew Louve was right. The ice wall between them was not going to hold for long, and once the ice was out of the way, the stone dragons would come to feast on them. They needed another plan to deal with them, and fast. Thinking hard, Panda Roux realized that
"Maybe my plan to try and get them fight one another, needs to be a little refined." -Panda Roux admitted. –"And I think I know what needs to be refined." -he said, as he saw one of the dragon's claws piercing through the blue ice. –"Whoa! These guys really do want to make a snack out of us!"
"Then, we better not give them that pleasure." -Louve Grise said. –"What's the new plan?" -she said, as she opened her fans.
"We keep it simple. We make them follow us, and then, we let Surtr squash them." -Panda Roux said, as the blue ice wall was pierced, and a sizeable chunk of it was ripped by one of the stone dragons.
"Sounds like a plan." -Louve Grise said. –"Then, let's get going. Let's use ourselves as bait, and get them out of this rooftop." -she declared, as the stone dragons finally torn their refuge apart.
"Just follow my lead." -Panda Roux said, as he pointed his spear at the stone dragons and looked them in the eyes.
Due to the main entrance of the Louvre having been destroyed by Surtr, the people who were still inside it were forced to leave through the emergency exits scattered throughout the different wings of the museum. In order to ensure that these arrived safely at one of the numerous Akuma shelters, police officers did their best to evacuate them and drive them there. And to help them, there was Flamingo and her numerous copies, alongside Antelope. While the rest of the heroes tried to keep Surtr busy, the pink feathered heroine and the antelope hero, were doing their best to get every civilian to safety.
"Everyone, please follow the officers' directions. And whatever you do, don't look back, while running towards one of the shelters." -Flamingo said, as she continued to evacuate civilians that were still coming from inside the museum.
"Come on, people! This way to safety!" -Antelope shouted, as he kept running around and catching those who were not moving fast enough to safety.
To make sure that no one was left behind, some of Flamingo's copies entered the museum and grabbed anyone who seemed lost or too afraid to move, and carried them outside, to safety. One such person was a little girl, who was crouched down, with her hands over her face, crying for her parents, in one of the rooms of the Egyptian exhibit. Seeing her, Flamingo's copy went to her, hoping to help her. Kneeling beside her, she tried to calm her down, so she would stop crying.
"Don't worry, honey. I'm here. Flamingo is here." -Flamingo's copy told the little girl, as she gently placed her right hand over the girl's head. –"Where are you parents?" -she asked her, as she momentarily uncovered her eyes.
But the little girl was too scared to answer. Fear had taken hold of her. Fear of the noise from the fire alarm. Fear of never seeing her parents again. Flamingo's copy could see all that reflected in her teary eyes.
"Please, honey, don't cry. I'm not going to hurt you, or let anything hurt you." -Flamingo's copy told her, smiling. –"Can you tell me your name, please?" -she asked her.
"E-Emma." -the little girl cried.
"Emma. That's a beautiful name, you know?" -Flamingo's copy told her. –"Don't worry. Emma. I'm going to get you to safety, and help you find your parents, okay? Cross my heart, hope to die. Stick a cupcake in my eye." -she promised her.
And while that copy of Flamingo did that, the others, alongside the original one, continued their efforts to help those who needed the most at that moment. They knew the faster they would evacuate everyone, the faster they would be able to lend a hand, or in their case a wing, to the heroes, who were having a hard time dealing with Surtr.
Following its mistress' orders, Surtr was burning everything it could with its sword, while at the same time, trying to kill the heroes, who were doing their best to prevent it from advancing into the city. Carapace had put up energy shields, blocking its path and restricting it to the place, though Surtr was trying to break them with its sword. Deciding to stay inside the perimeter created by the energy shields, Grizzly Bear kept jumping into the air and punching or kicking Surtr, so it would not try to strike the shield with its sword. But they were not the only ones. Dragonfly too was keeping it busy, by flying around it and using its head for target practice.
"I feel like I'm flying circles around King Kong." -Dragonfly thought to herself, as she grabbed her frisbee, which had bounced off Surtr's head. –"This guy's way sturdier than I thought. Not that it matters, because, even if I want to break that tough armour of his, I can't, until master Fu shows up with the spell to destroy whatever it is that's inside it, so it doesn't run away." -she mused about it, upset. –"Why is it taking so long for him to get here?!"
Patience was not one of Dragonfly's strong suits, and she hated to wait. For her, it was all about speed, when it came to getting things done. She wondered what was taking the old master so long to get there. And because of those thought, she failed to see that Surtr had had enough of her using its head for target practice, and decided to do something about it. Brandishing its flaming sword, it tried to torch her. Due to the speed with which everything happened, she only realized the danger when she felt the heat from the flames. Seeing the danger, she tried to dodge it, but it was too late. The sword's flames did not touch her, but caused the air to hear to a point, it created a whirlwind, that caught Dragonfly. Spinning out of control, she was falling towards the ground, when something caught her in mid-air.
"Don't worry, I've got you." -Corbeau Noire said.
The raven heroine had been helping Arachnid from the air, and when she saw the pink-haired plumbing down to the ground, she raced towards her saving. With Dragonfly in her arms, she flew towards the ground, where Arachnid was.
"Nice saving." -Arachnid told Corbeau.
"Thanks." -Corbeau Noise thanked him. –"Are you okay?" -she asked Dragonfly.
"Y-Yeah, just peachy." -Dragonfly told her, as Corbeau placed her on the ground. –"But this guy is a lot faster than he looks, and he's also a lot tougher." -she said.
"Well, having into account that we don't have a way to destroy the Amok that's inside it, it's a good thing we aren't making some serious damage to it." -Arachnid said. –"I wonder how long it will take for us to get what we need from the old master?" -he asked.
"That's what I was just asking myself. And to be honest, the sooner, the better. Because otherwise, this guy here is going to do some serious damage." -Dragonfly said, as she watched Grizzly Bear and Carapace doing their best to keep Surtr from moving further.
And given the sheer size of Surtr, it was understandable they needed to keep it from getting out of there and rampage through the city. They had all seen what happened when a massive enemy was left loose, and knew the damage it could do. Arachnid was about to say something, when all of their phones rang simultaneously.
"Who could it… it's Louve." -Corbeau Noire said, as she answered the call. –"What's the matter?" -she asked her, as Louve's face appeared reflected on her hand mirror.
"Panda and I are being chased by those stone dragons, and we were wondering if any of you can help us? We need the big guy to stomp on these two guys." -Louve Grise said, as she continued to run –"Do you think that's possible?" -she asked, while dodging a ball of fire.
"Well, we can try." -Arachnid told her. –"But we're going to need a little help." -he said, before looking at Dragonfly. –"Tell Carapace and Grizzly that we're going to need them for this. I've got a plan."
"What about Antelope and Flamingo?" -Dragonfly asked him.
"Leave them to finish what they're doing." -Arachnid said. –"We've got this." -he said.
And as the bulk of the team dealt with La Paon's creations, Ladybug and Chat Noir were busy dealing with her. Without realizing it, the duel had changed location, with them now fighting in the Jardin des Tuileries. Leaping over hedges and statues, the heroes were having a hard time fighting their opponent, who proved herself to be a terrific swordswoman. Every time they thought they had her, La Paon proved them wrong, by forcing them to defend themselves from her blade.
"You two fight well." -La Paon, as her sword struck Chat's staff. –"This wouldn't be fun, if you two didn't put up a little fight." -she laughed, as she dodged both Chat's attack, as well as Ladybug's.
"Your praises aren't going to save you!" -Ladybug told her, as she threw her yo-yo at La Paon's face, only for her to deflect it with her sword. –"Dang it!" -she thought in frustration.
"And your moves aren't going to save you either!" -La Paon laughed, as she struck Ladybug, her rapier nearly grazing her left cheek. –"I almost grazed you! You've got to be faster, or next, your lovely head is going to roll." -she said, when she something hit her on the back. And that something was the tip of Chat's staff.
"We'll see whose head will roll, lady!" -Chat Noir exclaimed. as La Paon turned to face him.
Chat was giving his all to defeat La Paon, while also trying to protect his partner. But as they fought, something made him hesitate. He did not know what it was, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not understand why he was hesitating, thus preventing him from doing what he had already done so many times. Never before had he hesitated in combat against an enemy, especially when the safety and well-being of the girl he loved was at stake.
Trying his best, he focused on the one thing it mattered, and that was the safety of Ladybug, whom then had just swooped La Paon's leg, making her fall on her back. Using his staff, he was about to hit her on the head with it, when he hesitated. This allowed La Paon roll to her left and kick Chat Noir on the face, before getting up and doing a series of backward flips, evading any further attempts of attack from the heroic duo.
"What's the matter?" -Ladybug asked him, sensing something was wrong with him, as she helped him get back up.
"I… I don't know. For a moment I…" -Chat Noir said. –"N-Never mind. It's just my mind playing trick on me, milady." -he tranquilized her.
Ladybug knew there was something wrong with her boyfriend. She sensed it. But more importantly, she could tell by the way he looked at her, and by the words he used. She wanted to talk to him and ask him to tell her what was truly going on, but there was no time for it. Charging against them once more, this time with an incredible speed, La Paon was holding her rapier in a striking stance with only one wish, to pierce the young heroes' chests with it. If
"She's fast." -Ladybug thought to herself.
"We've got to snatch her miraculous." -Chat Noir said. –"I can't believe I actually said that. Makes me sound like a villain." -he commented.
"I know. That's the kind of sentence that Hawk Moth would say, not us." -Ladybug agreed. –"But I don't see another way for us to deal with her." -she said.
"So, what's the plan, milady?" -Chat Noir asked her.
After she heard that question, the cogs inside Ladybug's mind began to rotate, trying to come up with a plan. Analysing the situation, she felt there was only one way they could end that battle, before things got too messy for their taste. They had to do what Hawk Moth's lieutenants were always trying to do with them. They had to snatch her miraculous from her. She hoped that by doing it, La Paon returned to normal, or at the very least, give them something to negotiate with.
"I go left, you go right. I'll punch her in the nose, and you yank her miraculous. I don't know if it'll do anything, but if we have her miraculous, she might think twice about attacking us, and we'll get the upper hand." -Ladybug told him
"Sounds good to me." -Chat Noir smiled. –"Do you think if we take her miraculous, she'll turn back?" -he asked her.
"If her miraculous is anything like ours, then that's what will happen." -Ladybug said, poised in her words. –"But if not, at least we get our hands on it, and try to negotiate with her." -she said. –"And watch out for her blade. I don't want you to end up sliced in half." -she warned him.
Running towards La Paon, the two heroes remained side by side, until they were mere meters from her. The latter, thinking they were going to attack her head on, charged at them with her rapier. Seeing this, Ladybug and Chat Noir went one to each side, catching their opponent by surprise. As agreed, Ladybug hit La Paon in the nose, distracting her and giving Chat the opportunity to grab the miraculous. But when the black cat hero grabbed it, he felt an electrical charge go through his body, which cramped his muscles and forced him to let go of the miraculous. Caught by surprise, Ladybug looked away for a moment to see what was going on with her partner. But a moment was all it took for La Paon to recover from the punch she had landed her, and kick her in the chest, sending her flying several meters. As for Chat, he fell to the ground, his body completely paralyzed. Looking at him, the villain laughed.
"Naughty, naughty, naughty." -La Paon laughed hysterically. –"Let me guess… you never tried to pull out a miraculous, who had its kwami fused with it, right?" she asked them, -"Turns out that only the holder can touch it, without getting zapped. A beautiful safety feature, if one decides to steal it… I mean, there's a way for another person to touch it without ending up fried, but you clearly haven't reached the level of magic proficiency needed to do it. Which means that you haven't even been able to touch Hawk Moth's miraculous. Killing you is going to be a lot easier than I thought."
Looking at Chat Noir, she smirked at him, before grabbing him by the neck, and lifting him in the air. He tried to move, but most of his muscles were refusing to obey his commands. Pressing the tip of her rapier against Chat's chest, she was about to pierce his heart and end him, when she heard someone dashing towards her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Ladybug was about to throw her yo-yo at her.
"Oh, no, you don't!" -La Paon cried, as she placed her rapier against Chat's throat, halting Ladybug on her heels. –"You're not going to attack me, if you value the life of your friend." -she told her.
Gritting her teeth, Ladybug cursed her bad luck. Trying to get her breath back, her chest hurt, due to the kick that sent her flying a few moments before. Still, she tried to ignore that pain, knowing that Chat was possibly in more pain than she was. Using her sixth sense, the scarlet heroine evaluated the situation, and tried to come up with a solution. Unfortunately, her sixth sense did not reveal anything that could help her save Chat Noir. At the same time, the feline hero was beginning to regain control over his body, and La Paon noticed it.
"I see you're beginning to regain your moves, little kitty. But if I were you, I wouldn't move too much. Don't make me cut your throat just yet." -La Paon whispered to his ear, before looking at Ladybug. –"How about this? You give me your miraculous, and I might let him live." -she told the scarlet heroine.
"You might let him live? Until when? Until I give you my miraculous, and then you kill us both and take his miraculous too?" -Ladybug asked her, sceptical. –"Why don't you just take his miraculous, while you've got him there, at your mercy?" -she asked.
"Why? Because I'm in a generous mood, that's why." -La Paon told her, before letting a laugh. –"It's true, I was going to kill him and snatch his miraculous from him, when I heard you approaching. But I changed my mind. That's all I have to say to you." -she told her. –"So, are you going to give me your miraculous, in exchange for the kitty's life?"
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" -Ladybug asked, sceptical.
"You don't. But I guess you'll just have to trust me." -La Paon said, cackling maniacally.
"That's it, Marinette. Keep her talking, until I can regain control of my body, so I can free myself from her grip, when she lowers her guard." -Chat Noir thought to himself, when he inhaled a familiar scent. –"That smell… why does it feel so familiar? Where have I smelled it before?"
The scent was that of the perfume worn by Amelie, but Chat did not recognize it; possibly because it was a perfume that was worn by countless women. And right then, he was too focused on trying to survive that ordeal, to remind himself that scent was his aunt's perfume.
"Trust you? The same way you trusted Hawk Moth, back in the day, before he betrayed you?" -Ladybug taunted her. –"Let's hope her ego is just as big as one of the Akumas. I've got to make her lower her guard, to try and attack her, before she carves Adrien another smile." -she thought to herself, fearing for her boyfriend.
That was just what Ladybug wanted. She wanted to tick her off and hurt her ego and her pride, so she would lower her guard. It was not the first time Chat or one of the other heroes ended up in a pickle like that one, so they were used to that kind of situation. But before La Paon could answer her, something unexpected happened. Something that began with a scream.
"Aargh!" -La Paon screamed.
It took Ladybug a second to understand what had happened, but when she saw an arrow embedded in La Paon's left shoulder, she knew that help had arrived. It was one of Forest Doe's arrows, and when it pierced the woman's shoulder, she was forced to let go of Chat, who used most of his strength to reach towards her chest and use his attack on her, as he felt his body falling.
"Cataclysm!" -Chat Noir yelled, as he hit La Paon on the chest.
Once Chat's claws touched La Paon's chest, she felt like a cannon ball hit her, as her body was projected several meters in the air. Chat himself fell to the ground, He tried to get back up, but his muscles were going to take a few more seconds to obey him. Luckily, Ladybug went to his rescue, at the same time as Forest Doe revealed herself.
"Thanks for the assist." -Chat Noir thanked the doe heroine, as he massaged his throat, and Ladybug helped him get up.
"My pleasure." -Forest Doe said. –"Arachnid suggested that we shouldn't leave you two to handle her alone. So, I volunteered to come and give you a hand." -she smiled.
"And do one of your infamous disappearing and appearing entrances." –Ladybug declared. –"It's a good thing you did. I'm not one to refuse help." -she said, as she checked Chat. –"Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah. Still a little bit sore from that electrical discharge, and that blade against my neck. But other than that, I'm fine, milady." -Chat Noir said.
"Electrical discharge?" -Forest Doe asked.
"We'll explain later." -Chat told her. –"But a word of advice. Don't try to touch or yank that woman's miraculous. You'll be sorry." -he warned her.
While the heroes talked between them, La Paon yelled, as she pulled the arrow from her shoulder. Looking at the blood dripping tip, she then licked it, tasting her own blood, before throwing it away. Because she was also hit with a Cataclysm, she felt like she had been runover and trampled by a sounder of wild boars. Nevertheless, instead of feeling furious, she felt excited about it. And when she noticed that Forest Doe had joined Ladybug and Chat, she felt ecstatic.
"Three heroes… Finally, someone brought me a challenge!" -La Paon laughed like a maniac. –"The two of you were being too easy to deal with. Let's see if with another hero to the mix, things become more interesting." -she declared, as she pointed her rapier at them. –"But I'm warning you. Just because one of you can turn invisible, that doesn't mean I can't spot it!"
"Do you think she can do it?" -Forest Doe whispered at Ladybug. –"Do you think she has the power to see me, while I'm invisible?"
"I don't think so. She's probably just messing with us." -Ladybug told her. –"But just to be on the safe side, if you turn invisible again, keep your eyes glued on her." -she advised Doe.
Back at Françoise-Dupont, Rena Rouge continued to project the illusions of the entire class, including her own, while Miss Bustier was pretending to teach a lesson, in case anyone entered the room. Both were waiting for the bell to ring, so that Rena could order the illusions to leave the room and out of the school. She did not like being left behind, even though she knew it was necessary. And she was eager to join the rest of the gang and help them save the day. But time seemed to have slow down to almost a halt. The clock's hands were taking their sweet time moving; so much so that the fox heroine began to wonder if the clock was working properly. And she was not the only one. Her teacher was also wondering the same.
"Just a little bit longer, Alya." -Miss Bustier told the fox heroine, as she checked the time. –"The bell is almost ringing." -she assured her.
"I know, Miss Bustier." -Alya told her. –"I just hope I'm not too late." -she declared, with a worried voice.
"You won't. Have faith that everything will work out for the best." -Miss Bustier smiled at her.
"I'm trying, but it's not easy." -Rena Rouge admitted, as she looked at the time. –"Why is time moving so slowly?" -she asked, frustrated.
"Because you want it to move faster." -Miss Bustier told her, always smiling. –"That's what my grandmother always told me, when I was little. And she still does." -she said, trying to distract her. –"It's almost time. Just be patient, a little longer."
Without any other option, Rena waited. Looking at the clock, she counted the seconds left, while at the same time, looking at the illusionary copies she had created of herself and the rest of her class, all of them, in their respective seats. Just looking at them, made her wish even further, that the bell had rang, so she could go and help her friends. And when the bell finally rang, she dd not waste a single second. Playing her flute-staff, she ordered all of the copies to get up and head towards the door, while also making her own copy disappear, and placing an illusion on herself, that made her look like she was wearing her civilian clothes, instead of her superhero outfit.
"Good luck, Alya." -Miss Bustier told her, as she opened the door
Seeing Rena leave, alongside the copies of the rest of her class, no one would ever think they were not the real deal. Seeing them mingle with the rest of the students in the courtyard, as they headed towards the exist, Miss Bustier felt relieved, when they all crossed the door's jamb, meaning that Rena was on her way to help the others. Thinking about everything that happened in those last thirty seconds, she wondered just how all that felt so normal to her. There was a time when all that would have seemed strange to her; but not anymore. What had happened was now her normal, and somehow, she was already getting used to it.
"Things aren't looking easy for them." -Miss Bustier thought, as she scrolled down her cell's display. –"I didn't check anything, because I didn't want to stress Alya over what was happening. And maybe I did the right thing, because I would've gotten myself stressed as well." -she thought, while continuing to check the videos and photos of the battle. –"From all of these, it's clear that they need help. Maybe I should go and help them. No, don't say that. You'd probably get yourself captured, or worse, and how would that help them?... Then again, with that monster ravaging the city, they're going to need all the help they can get, until master Fu can get them the spell that will help them destroy the Amok inside that creature."
And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she ought to be by their side. Not wishing to be left in the side lines, Miss Bustier decided that she was going to help her students. Her training was quite incomplete, and she knew that if she had to fight La Paon, or any of her creations, she would not stand a chance in Hell. But she hoped that what she had learned with master Fu, would be enough for her to protect one of her students. Determined to not lose another minute, she quickly placed all her belongings inside her briefcase, and got ready to leave, when someone knocked at the classroom door, looking for her.
"Caline… a word, please." -Miss Mendeleiev said.
"Oh, it's you. Is there a problem?" -Miss Bustier asked, as miss Mendeleiev entered the classroom.
"Yes, there is." -Miss Mendeleiev declared. –"I did not say anything during lunch, because I thought I could handle the issue myself, without having to bother you. But unfortunately, the situation is a little bit more complicated." -she said.
"Is this about what happened between my student and yours this morning? Because of it is, I already know about it. Mylene told me, the moment I arrived, this morning." -Miss Bustier said. –"I need to get rid of her, and quick." -she thought to herself.
"Yes, it is." -Miss Mendeleiev said. –"Now, usually I would handle what happened on my own terms, without bothering about it. But given that one of the students is Jeanne Gagné, and that she threatened to tell her parents about what happened, and having them over to talk to me, you, your student and the principal, I thought I should warn you." -she explained.
"Yes, I understand. Like I said, Mylene told me what happened to her. She also told me that Jeanne and two of your other students threatened her, like they did back in London, before she ran away from them, and the incident happened." -Miss Bustier said. –"And as far as I know, she didn't even lay a finger on them." -she stated. –"From what she told me, your students chased her and ended up slipping and falling to the ground."
"Yes, I know. And I'm not here to accuse your student, nor to defend mine. I already decided to sentence Jeanne and the other two, to two afternoons in detention." -Miss Mendeleiev said. –"Like I said, I came here to warn you that Jeanne has threatened to have her parents coming to the school, tomorrow. I already prevented the principal too, who wants to talk to you about it, immediately. "
"Immediately?" -Miss Bustier asked her. –"I can't stay. I need to find a way to ditch this meeting." –she thought to herself. –"Is that really necessary? I mean, I don't mind talking with the principal., regarding this matter. But I don't know what's there to say. Mylene didn't do anything. And I'm quite sure that the security cameras in the corridors will have taped what happened."
"I'm afraid it is. I'm in as much of a mood to have this meeting with the principal as you are, believe me." -Miss Mendeleiev told her.
"Then, why don't we talk about this, tomorrow, before classes? I'm sure the principal and you must have other things to do." -Miss Bustier said, hoping to give them the slip.
"I admit, I do. But the principal wants to have this dealt with, today, just in case. He's expecting us in his office." -Miss Mendeleiev said. –"He wants to get both sides of the story, for when Jeanne's parents show up tomorrow. You know who they are, and just how they are. The moment she tells them that her outfit was ruined, they'll come looking for the one responsible for what happened, without even putting the possibility that it was their daughter who's at fault. And principal Damocles wants to cover all bases." -she said. –"I'm telling you, if it was just up to me, I would've expelled Jeanne from this school, a long time ago. Her behaviour is getting worse, every day."
"Yes, I understand your frustration." -Miss Bustier said. –"Guess I won't be able to ditch this one… I just hope everything goes well." -she thought, frustrated, as she thought about her students. –"Some parents just don't want to hear their kids are problematic. Anyways, I believe that if we explain to them what really happened, and make them realize that it was an accident, and that these things happen, they'll see that there's no need to punish anyone."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." -Miss Mendeleiev. –"Unlike what you might think, they aren't like the mayor, with whom you could easily reason with." -she warned her, as she remembered the times he was called over, because of one of Chloe's tantrums. –"Over the years, I had parents who are way more complicated, than their children, but the Gagnés take the cake."
Miss Bustier understood what she was saying. In the past, whenever Chloe caused any sort of problem or did not get her way with things, and forced her father to come to school to deal with it, she would sit down with the mayor and explained it to him what had happened, usually convincing him that whatever had happened was not as problematic as Chloe made it seem, while also telling him that Chloe's behaviour was the problem and not the other students. Because of that, she had become well-versed in the art of talking with parents with problematic children. But she also knew that not every parent was as understanding as the mayor was.
"I know that. And I also know that unlike the mayor, they might not be so open to the fact that their daughter and her behaviour is the problem." -Miss Bustier sighed. –"But I want to believe that I'll be able to make them see that Mylene didn't have any fault in what happened to Jeanne." -she said, as a thought came to her. –"I won't allow anyone to accuse or hurt one of my students, when they didn't do anything wrong, If I can't protect them in the battlefield, then I'll protect them here."
Hey, everyone! It's been nearly 3 weeks since I updated this fic, and I'm sorry it's taking longer for me to update, but between work and an art block that makes it hard for me to focus on writing, I'm actually impressed I was able to finish this chapter this earlier... but seriously, it's been hard for me to write. I hope that the next chapters will be easier to write.
Regarding the reader who talked about the Chinese Zodiac miraculouses and who will be their holders, some of the names that you wrote will be holders, while others, not so much. Still, we'll have to wait for the second season of this AU to see who will be chosen. I don't want to spoil the surprise.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions to improve this and/or future fics.
P.S. I recently went out to watch for the fourth time my favourite musical, Cats. And while there, I had a couple of ideas for one-shots involving a certain flamingo warrior. I don't know if anything will come out of this, but good ideas are hard to come by nowadays, so, I will take anything. xD
P.S. 2: I will be unveiling La Paon's second form, which is Amelie posessed by the peacock miraculou, shortly. So, be sure to check my page on DA, during the following days.
