A long time ago, an ancient being came to Earth with seven stones of power. Each stone was accompanied by an animal of his planet called a Kwami. The Kwami were to act as guides for those chosen to withhold the Miraculouses, as he called them. As years went on, heroes came and went, passing their powers on as they did. And the being was able to die happy knowing his creations were in good hands. Little did he know, the gifts he bestowed upon the humans were able to hurt as much as they were able to help. The case at hand being Gabriel Agreste aka. Hawkmoth; the holder of the butterfly Miraculous. He was not always bad of course. This only occurred when his lovely wife, former holder of the peacock Miraculous, became overwhelmed by the duties expected and left. Thankfully, every attempt he made at destruction was thwarted by Chat Noir and his partner, Ladybug. But this story isn't about them. This story is about two Miraculous holders from across the ocean.
Theodore sighed softly as he looked over the summer trip sign up sheet. There were several places to choose from- Japan, Greece, Italy, France, even Ireland. It was damn near impossible to choose. But, in order to get his scholarship, he needed to pick one. The last bell had rung a solid twenty minutes ago and he was starting to become frustrated. Thankfully, his choice was made for him by his best friend.
"No time. Robbery. We're going to France," Celine panted, signing both their names, "Come on Ted."
He let her drag him into a closet before they activated their Miraculouses. Hers was a comb in the shape of a bee while his was a necklace with a fox pendant. She combed her long black hair, the tendrils folding up into a bun while her body was enveloped in a bumblebee striped suit with white wings. A pair of goggles went over her eyes, hiding them behind red bug lenses. Theodore touched his necklace and a scarlet suit made its way down his body. A detachable tail and fox ears appeared alongside a red mask. Their Kwamis, a bumblebee and a fox, floated beside them.
"Go time?" the fox rasped, his voice gravelly.
"Yup. Let's go Vulp."
The duo rushed out of their hiding place and out the door, Celine flying while Ted made his way across town on foot. As predicted, there was a robbery going on at the bank. Chief Fontaine met them in front.
"Red Fox, Queen Bee, thank god you're here! They have six confirmed hostages."
"How many gunmen?"
"Four. Please, hurry."
They nodded and silently moved in. Fox climbed into the vent, his steps completely silent. When he reached the vault where the hostages were being held, he knocked out the robber keeping watch and helped them up into the vent to freedom. Then he set out upon the remaining assailants. Setting off his "Metamorfoxis" he changed into a giant bear that scared them out the door. There, they were met by a swarm of bees courtesy of Queen Bee's "Hive Mind" that allowed her to summon all bees and bee-like insects from the surrounding area. The bees stung the gunmen, taking control over them long enough for the police to arrest them. One of the hostages, an older woman with gray hair, hugged the heroes gratefully.
"Thank you two so much. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be alive to see my grandchildren."
"It was nothing ma'am," Theodore replied sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. "Just our duty to the community."
The duo took a quick bow, then took off into the sky with Celine's arms clasped tightly around his middle. Sure it was embarrassing, but this way they knew they weren't being followed. She carried them to the top of the old water tower on the edge of town. They changed back so their Kwami could rest and overlooked the now peaceful town. He sighed forlornly, catching her attention.
"What's wrong?"
"Do you think it'll be okay without us? I mean, we've become the protectors of this place."
"I think the police can handle a month without superheroes."
"By the way, why France?"
"Why not? It's home of Paris, the city of love!"
"More like the city of baguettes and mimes."
"You know me so well. So, when are we going?"
"The trip is set for next month. Think mommy dearest will approve?"
"Think mommy dearest will know I'm gone?"
She sighed and he slipped an arm over her shoulders. Celine's mother was a world class chef who cooked for stars around the world. Unfortunately, that meant she spent months away from home. This is also what caused her father, a Greek businessman, to leave. He had started a new family that was simply too small for her to fit in. Not that she cared of course. Theodore's family had taken her in as one of their own. There was a downside to this though, as her mother felt less guilty and became prone to leaving for longer periods. Currently she was away in Italy, teaching for six months.
"You could always change your name to O'Houlihan."
"Yeah, and then what? Dye my hair orange and bleach my skin?"
He chuckled, avoiding her hands as they attempted to muss his copper mop of hair. As they wrestled, she accidentally lost her balance and slipped off the tower. His hand caught hers in and pulled her up with ease.
"Saved your life."
"Yeah, yeah. Now I owe you a favor," Celine groaned.
"Don't worry, I'm not like you. Ms. Taste-all-my-pies."
"i asked you to taste one. One!"
"You know I'm weak."
They laughed, leaning against each other. Many would think that they were romantically involved. Hell, the newspaper wrote a story about a possible super-baby. But that was not the case. This relationship was of pure friendship. They'd been friends since preschool, when she stood up for him for being the poor kid who didn't always have clean clothes. Celine always stood up for him, even when he didn't want her to. And people listened. Hell, even he was intimidated. She was a goddess in disguise. Tall, six feet to be exact, with deep olive skin and a mane of black hair that flowed down her back. She almost solely wore yellow wrap dresses that flaunted her long legs. Modeling agencies begged for her alliance, but she refused. It was her dream to be a chef better than her mother.
Theodore, on the other hand, was her polar opposite. He stood a measly 5'3 and was paler than snow. His bright red hair was unruly, even with products. Being from a classic Irish-Catholic family, he had many siblings without enough money to go around. This meant that, most of the time, his clothes were hand-me-downs. The jocks would pick on him if it wasn't for Celine's intimidation. Her protectiveness actually cause a rift between them when they were in middle school; he was teased ruthlessly about her being his "girlfriend". When he said they couldn't be friends anymore, it was the only time he had ever seen her cry. Since then, he'd made it his sole purpose never to let that happen again. So far, he was doing a good job.
She played with his necklace gently, holding it up to the setting sun. It cast beams of scarlet across his shirt.
"Do you ever wonder where these came from?" she mumbled, yawning.
"A pawn shop across town?"
"Seriously. What if they're actually part of some evil ritual?"
"I honestly never thought about it. They haven't caused harm so far, so I think it's up to the wearer."
"Hey, Ted?"
"Yes Cel?"
"If I ever turn bad, I want you to stop me. And only you. Promise you will?"
"Only if you promise me the same."
Smiling, she held her pinkie up. He wrapped his around hers and she kissed them to solidify the promise before dozing off. Sighing, he hoisted her onto his back and climbed down the ladder of the tower as he had done a hundred times before.
