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Alya pursed her lips, glaring at the screen. She observed the fight between the last akuma and Belle Bleue, an akuma that she had missed.
But Belle Bleue hadn't.
Alya watched the blue heroine jerk, dance, and jump around the hotel lobby, dodging a foe that Alya couldn't see. Though Belle certainly saw the akuma. At least enough to get around and swipe back. Alya narrowed her eyes, taking in the heroine's form, her hair, her features.
Just... who could that be?
Who was the peacock?
And how did she get her miraculous? She knows Tikki and Plagg had only mentioned one partner for them, no consideration for another partner. That it was only supposed to be Ladybug and Chat Noir.
Their kwamis were surprised by the blue bird's appearance, and Tikki even mentioned the peacock miraculous being lost for a near two decades.
How did Belle get it?
Who was she?
"Alya!"
The girl jumped, pausing the video and turning to the little red god, seeing her frown. "What?" Alya asked.
"You need to stop looking into it," Tikki scolds. "If Belle doesn't want to share, you should respect that."
Alya grumbled, "But I like knowing who I'm working with. And we're good friends!"
Tikki makes an unimpressed hum. "There are plenty of partnerships that have been ruined through reveals," Tikki said. "And there are times when it's best not to know the truth. It's a heavy burden to bear. Peacocks know this better than anyone."
Alya scoffs, "You really think I wouldn't get along with her if I knew? And how can knowing who she is be that bad?"
"I don't doubt that you and Belle will still get along, but it doesn't change that she doesn't want you to know. Not yet. And trying to find out will be damaging, Alya. "
Alya pouts, then turned back to the screen, resuming the video and watching the fight with the akuma play out. Belle had been tripped, her feet kicked out from under her. She was suddenly tackled away by an orange blur and Alya jerked to attention, drawing Tikki over. The camera followed and the two frowned when they saw an orange vigilante hovering over Belle, his grin cheeky and coy, green eyes lit up, and his cheeks flushed pink.
He looked so giddy and sure of himself.
Only to ruin it by sneezing in the surprised heroine's face.
Alya gaped.
Belle glared up at him, annoyed.
Alya paused the video.
"Vol, Volpina?" She repeated, aghast and confused.
Tikki shook her head and said, "That's the true fox."
"W-why is he here?!" Alya demands. Did Belle know him? She didn't look that surprised to see him. Alya narrowed her eyes, suspicious.
Tikki just hums, unconcerned. "I guess a balance was needed."
"Balance?" Alya repeats, turning to the kwami.
"It's like you and Chat, you two balance each other out, it's what makes you work so well together. Creation and destruction, order and chaos, good luck and bad luck. The peacock is apart of their own balance too. They're associated with truth and life."
Alya murmurs, "And foxes are associated with lies."
"And death," Tikki pipes in, earning an alarmed look from Alya. She turned to the screen, looking over the blond fox. "Belle will work better with him than she ever has with you or Nino. That fox is her other half." At Alya's frown, Tikki reassures, "If Belle trusts him, you can. Foxes... may be difficult to work with, and may be quite mischievous; but they can never trick or mislead the peacock." She nodded to the screen, requesting Alya to resume play.
Still unsure, Alya resumed it, watching the two intently
"Foxy" blushed and grinned cheekily, letting Belle push him off. With a twitch of his long ears, he grabbed her wrist and hauled her up, pulling out his flute and playing it, green eyes sliding around the room as he sought the akuma. In a flare of orange smoke, copies of Belle and "Foxy" stood about, with the fox tightly holding her wrist. All the foxes started to scramble around the room, dragging Belles' with them.
As Alya just gaped in confusion, Tikki chirps, "He's confusing the akuma." Contemplating, she adds, "Foxes will always successfully trick their prey."
And successful he was, Alya was constantly loosing who were the true heroes in the scrambling chaos of blue and orange bodies and smoke, born from broken illusions.
The only thing that gave away the real heroes was Belle, occasional tugging the fox around, eyes locked on the hidden foe. Her lips moved in a murmur and the fox's long ears twitched.
With an eager grin and an excited wag of his scarf like tail, the fox ripped away from Belle, tackling what Alya assumed to be akuma and creating an explosion of orange smoke as they tumbled through his illusions. Baring his teeth, he struggled with the akuma, claws locked with invisible hands, the orange fox necklace bouncing and swinging as they jerked and struggled. Belle dove at them, hand wrapping around something on the invisible body. She ripped it away and threw it to the ground, and followed it with a sharp stomp.
A black butterfly flew out and Alya tensed.
"She released the akuma?!" Why didn't she contact her?!
Tikki made no comment, watching the screen with a sympathetic frown.
Flipping her fan open, Alya watched as Belle swiped at the fleeing akuma. A static of angry purple sparks tore into her wrist, and Belle flinched, stumbling back and leaving a white butterfly to flutter away.
Gripping her wrist while it shook, Belle fled away from the scene, the fox pursuing, obviously worried. The video stopped, moving to interview all that were in the lobby and the victim, Sabrina Raincomprix.
Alya gaped at the screen.
Tikki sighed.
"S-she, she cleansed it..."
Turning to her chosen, Tikki asked, "Did you think we were the only way to cleanse akumas?"
"Ye-yeah?"
Tikki shook her head. "We're not." Frowning as she spared a glance at the laptop, Tikki states, "We're the most efficient and best way of cleansing and fixing. Especially for akumas. But we're not the only way... But the peacock isn't meant to heal like that though." Meeting Alya's wide eyes, the god stated, "We'll need to talk to Belle when she feels well enough to come back out. It'll be best for us all if she contacts us if there's an akuma and we're not there. Only time she should cleanse is when we're out of commission."
"W-well enough?!" Alya repeats worriedly, focusing only on those words.
Was Belle ok?
"Juuno can't absorb and cancel out that negativity like I can," Tikki explains, "he works better pouring out magic to heal physical damage to someone; not emotional. And that negative energy has to go somewhere." Sighing, Tikki said, "Both Juuno and Belle are going to be sore at least for a few days. But they'll be ok."
Floating off, Tikki dove for one of the Dupain-Chengs cookies that Alya was kind enough to get her.
They really were some of the best.
Grimacing after the kwami, Alya grabbed her cell, calling Nino as she slid the video back, pausing it to focus on the grinning fox.
The minute Nino answered, Alya said, "So, we got a new member on the team, and remind me to yell at Belle the next time we see her."
"...What?"
In the short time he's known her, Adrien has learned that an early Marinette was not usually a good sign. This morning was an echo of that.
Adrien stopped the instant he walked in, his greeting for the dark haired girl dying on his lips. She was hunched over, her face pressed flat on the desk, her hair wasn't in twin pigtails or even brushed, and he could see her right hand constantly fisting, while her left hand rubbed her wrist. Like she was trying to soothe it. Concerned, he dropped to a crouch in front of her desk with only his eyes set above the table top. "Marinette?" he called softly.
She shifted, looking up enough to squint at him. She offered a tight awkward smile. "Morning," she greeted, her voice sounding rough and tired to his sensitive ears.
"You doing ok?" he asked.
She made a confirming hum, dropping back down, looking like she was going to fall back asleep.
Concerned, he asked, "Do you need to go to the nurse...?" Just to be sure, he reached for her, cupping her forehead, her hair tickling his fingers. She didn't feel warm.
"Just tired," she mumbled to the desk. "...And sore."
He frowned and withdrew, coming around to sit next to her. "Is your hand ok?" he pressed, recalling the odd habit.
He felt the shift in Marinette. Slowly turned to him, she confessed, "I hit my funny bone this morning."
Adrien raised a brow. That sounded... off to his ears. Not that it wasn't impossible to think that she would but... did she really? Only, Marinette seemed done with answering questions, and reslumped on her desk.
Frowning, Adrien relented and came around to sit next to her, shooting her a frown. She didn't turn to him, just laying still and working on her wrist.
With Marinette not going to respond to him, Adrien pulled out is cell, checking the news on yesterday.
There was still no news on Belle.
Soft whimpers bubbled out of his throat, leaving him to slump in is seat, sad and worried.
It looked like she was in pain when she fled away.
Tucking his cell away with an unhappy sigh, he turned to spare another glance at Marinette. She looked so exhausted. Caving to his need for comfort and to give comfort, he leant over and lightly nuzzled her head, resting his cheek on her soft hair. He gave a slightly firmer nudge, trying to entice a reaction from her. She made a displeased sound and just leaned away from him.
Adrien followed, determined.
It was to a point that Marinette was at the end of her seat and Adrien was nearly laying on their shared bench. A few classmates spared them an odd glance but otherwise made no comment.
Adrien for his part ignored them. Instead he was more focused on Marinette, and the factor that she wasn't doing any better, despite his persistent effort to comfort her. "You sure you don't want to go to the nurse?" he asked again.
She shook her head no.
Adrien frowned, but backed off, sliding back into his seat. Just in time as Chloe to come in. Only there was no warm greeting from the blonde. She gave him a slight evil eye as she went by, evidently still a little sore about Belle fanning her tail at his appearance (Adrien was still reeling).
He offered her a small sheepish smile, but was unable to feel bad that Belle had given him such a lovely display.
It was still so amazing.
Only for his smile to melt into a frown. He still didn't know what was up with Belle. And Vixx wouldn't tell him anything. All he got from the little fox god was a grumble with no real bite to it. "Dumb bird."
Adrien sighed, miffed and concerned.
As awesome as it was to get a miraculous, and to finally get close to Belle, he wishes his kwami was a little more helpful. Vixx loved being vague and talking in riddles and just leaving him to figure stuff out on his own.
He bets Belle had a more helpful kwami.
"When did this guy appear?" he heard Nino ask.
Adrien perked, watching him and Alya slip in, the former holding her phone and frowning at it. "What's up?" he asked as they drew near.
Nino turned the cell to him, showing Adrien the fox hero standing right next to Belle, with his dark brown glove holding her silver wrist. It took all of Adrien's self control not to squeal out excitedly. "Who's that?" he asked, unable to stop the excitement in his voice.
"I don't know!" Nino stressed, frowning as he turned the cell around. "This guy just came out nowhere!"
Marinette shifts to life, and Nino turns the cell to her, letting her see this new fox hero. "He's very handsome," she murmurs tiredly before slumping back on her desk.
Adrien didn't resist puffing out his chest, pleased and proud.
Indeed he was a very handsome fox.
Squinting down at her, Alya asks, "You ok girl?"
Marinette hummed.
"Damn," Nino murmurs, handing the cell back to Alya, "you don't look good Mari."
"I asked if she wanted to go to the nurse," Adrien pipes in, turning to her with a frown.
"I don't need to go," she muttered aloud, sitting up with a grimace.
"Yeah," Alya said, "you should go home. What happened?"
"Rough night," Marinette said.
Now that sounded true to his ears.
Alya opened her mouth to interject again, only for the teacher to slip in, sending people to their seats. Adrien spared one last glance to the tired girl beside him, before focusing on the lesson for today.
Only to be cut short ten minutes later when screams erupted downstairs, startling everyone surprised. In the scrambling panic to get up and see what was going on, Adrien faintly heard Marinette mutter, "Seriously? Now?" Groaning, she just reslumped on her desk, seemingly content to just wait out the attack in the classroom. Adrien wasn't going to have any of that. He grabbed her wrist, ignoring her wince and pulled her out of the classroom with the other students.
He felt Vixx shuffle and shift in his inner jacket pocket, pressing against chest, anxious to go and toy with prey.
To get that first meeting with Ladybug and Chat Noir out of the way.
Adrien gave Marinette's wrist a nervous squeeze, unsure if he was ready to appear before them.
Vixx did slip out that the fox was the least trusted miraculous.
One of two least trusted.
"I could rival Plagg in how many times I've been misused." Golden eyes glinting, she added, "It's quite the game to see how long it takes before the fox gets caught."
Adrien wasn't expecting a warm welcome from Ladybug or Chat Noir.
He gave a start when he felt a reflexive squeeze back to his wrist, turning to meet Marinette's tired gaze.
She offered him a small smile, as if reassuring him that it was going to be ok.
He smiled back before turning ahead and pulling her along.
Ladybug and Chat Noir may be the more confrontal pair, and the peacock may stand guard and intimidate with a shield of colors; the fox will dance and chortle at his opponents, leaving them frustrated, scrambled, and lost.
He didn't have to confront anyone today, but he certainly will do what he could.
If that meant misdirecting his prey, then that's what he'll do.
But first he had to get Marinette out with everyone else. Now if only she would stop dragging her feet. Did she not realize that this was a critical situation?