Chapter Six: Right In Front of Me
A/N: Okay, so I totally spaced out, but the Ch 4 title was inspired by none other than the Black Canary herself, Laurel Lance! (Arrow 2x21: City of Blood)
Reviews are always appreciated!
Bug Out!
"Volpina." Chat muttered bitterly.
"How is she akumatized again? I thought Ladybug already purified the akuma!" Marinette exclaimed.
"So did I." Chat said. "I guess she must be angry again. Stay here and stay low. I don't know if Ladybug & I our her only targets."
"She may look for Adrien Agreste again!'
"Oh, uh right. I'll go check on him and meet up with Ladybug!" Chat said.
"And Chat, be careful. You and Ladybug both."
"We will." Chat smiled, before leaping away.
As Chat lept away, Marinette opened her purse as Tikki flew out.
"Volpina's back. Do you think she's still mad at me from last time?"
"It's a possibility. But no time to ponder now!" Tikki exclaimed.
"You're right," Marinette chanted "Tikki, spots on!"
Chat Noir lept building from building, searching for Volpina. His thoughts were then directed towards Marinette, who seemed to think he was lying when he said he loved her. Did I? Do I love Marinette, or Ladybug?
"Chaton?"
"M'lady! Nice of you to fly by!" Chat winked, as Ladybug couldn't help but roll her eyes. Petit Chaton. He couldn't resist.
"Have you seen Volpina?" She asked, sticking to business.
"All I heard was her cries of anger, telling us to come out of 'hiding'."
"She called us out? I just got your call telling me you saw her. If you heard her, then where were you?" Ladybug slyly asked, knowing the answer.
"I uh, was with, uh, Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng." He admitted. "But it's not what you think! You'll always be mine, Bugaboo!"
Ladybug chuckled. "Okay, no time for games. Let's try to surprise Volpina. You take left, I got right."
Chat nodded as the two parted ways, only to once again converge in the future.
Volpina paced back in forth in front of the Eiffel Tower. Where are they?!
In the glint of her eye she saw, as quick as a cat, pass by her left.
Her lips curled, "Ladybug and Chat Noir, give me your miraculous before Paris is destroyed!"
After being met with darkness, Volpina blew a note on her flute, commanding a seemingly random flock of pigeons towards Chat Noir.
Chat Noir waited for Ladybug's command in a distant tree, hoping for the rare element of surprise. Just then, a flock of pigeons zoom past.
No no no no no…. Although Chat Noir tried to hold in his sneezes, his attempts were made futile as he let out a devastating blow.
It was as if the whole city was alerted, as Ladybug swung in, and destroyed the illusions with her yo-yo.
"Those birds were fake, Chat Noir!" Ladybug annoyingly exclaimed. "Are you sure you have an allergy, or is it a mental thing?!"
"Sorry M'ladybug. My bad."
"So the cat and the bug reveal themselves." Volpina taunts, flute in hand.
"You think the akuma is in the necklace again?" Ladybug asks.
"If there is one?"
"What do you mean?"
"The fox miraculous is real. How do you know Master Fu, I don't know, lost it?"
"Even if that's true, we have to try." Ladybug reasoned.
"Agreed."
The duo chased after Volpina, who had positioned herself on the Eiffel Tower.
"Just give up, Volpina!" Ladybug called. "You don't have to do this!"
"Yes I do!" Volpina screamed. "You both embarrassed me!"
"Just don't go after Adrien Agreste! He can't protect himself!"
"Adrien? Ha! My problem is towards the two of you." she turns to Chat. "Funny, you two took away someone I loved! How times have changed! The Baker's daughter is lucky to have someone like you!"
"WHAT?!" the two shouted.
"Well, had!" she cackled as she zoomed towards the bakery, in a puff of smoke.
Brushing the smoke away, her spandex was soaking wet in rain water as the spotted heroine spotted Volpina on a rooftop, heading towards the balcony.
The duo chased her until Ladybug saw an apparent rooftop party being crashed by illusions of panthers. Party guests ran in fear towards the railing, before to their surprise, was another lie and disappeared.
As citizens began to fall off the roof, Ladybug quickly swung her yo-yo, creating a net.
"Chat Noir, Go!" she strained, to which Chat Noir obediently followed.
As she struggled to keep the citizens from plummeting to their demise, she could only whisper, "Please don't make the wrong choice, Chat Noir."
Chat Noir chased Volpina to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, where the two were toe-to-toe in a standoff.
Volpina could only laugh as she held a so-called illusion of Marinette, dangling from the balcony.
"Give up your necklace, Lila." Chat Noir ordered.
"My name is Volpina!" she shrieked, "And I don't think so. You wouldn't want her to fall, do you? You think I don't see you visit this girl's balcony every night? And don't worry that Ms. Spots is going to feel left out. She's next!"
"Let her go, Volpina." He played along. "This is between the two of us."
As he was about to lunge forward and steal her fox tail necklace, Volpina dodged and dangled Marinette even more
"Tsk tsk tsk," She teased, "Take away my necklace, and I might just drop your little princess!"
As the standoff ensured, Ladybug was now hopping rooftop to rooftop frantically shouting at Chat, "Chat! It's an illusion! Don't trust her! Don't do anything rash!"
Unfortunately, Chat couldn't hear his lady. Or notice she was on the rooftop behind him, awaiting the result of the final battle.
"That's a lie. She's a lie." he gritted.
"And how can you be so sure, isn't this where you left Marinette before you went off on your little escapades?"
"The girl you are holding is an illusion." He stated. "Because Marinette is safe. Because she is right-"
Chat Noir pointed behind him, only to be surprised when he sees Ladybug stare blankly at him.
No… no way… Ladybug thought.
Taking the distraction to his advantage, Chat Noir lunged forward, and swiped the necklace right from Lila's neck.
As her transformation wore off, she let go of Marinette as she fell onto the streets of Paris, before disappearing in a puff of tangerine smoke.
Chat smiled at his win, as he placed the "miraculous" into a small, ornate box.
As Ladybug dropped onto the balcony, he greeted her, "Guess we won't be seeing much of Volpina anymore, right M'lady?" only to be returned with a cold, emotionless response.
A/N: BEFORE, you comment on how Volpina's reappearance made no sense, it will all be explained in the sequel I'm developing.
The final two chapters shall be posted in a couple of days...
Until then...
Bug Out!