It's been a long while since I've updated this, but I'm back for another couple chapters. If y'all haven't already guessed, I go through phases, and I'm back in another Swapped phase! I spent the past few days editing and updating my previous nine chapters and planning out chapters ten and eleven, and now I'm ready to write!
Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me and my sporadically updated fanfiction! I am grateful to you all for your support!
Now, without further ado, I present Stormy Weather pt 2!
Chapter Ten
Adrien Agreste
Chat Noire glanced around the bus then focused back on Adrien. "Should I use my Catacly—"
Without thinking, Adrien rushed forward and covered Chat's mouth with his hand, shaking his head. "No, we shouldn't waste your special power for this. We can just use the emergency exit windows."
Chat attempted to respond, but her words come out in a muffled hum. Adrien furrowed his brow, then realized his hand was still pressed against her lips. Flushing slightly, he removed his hand and stepped back. "Sorry, Kitten."
Chat waved off his apology with a smile. "Don't worry about it, Seigneur. Just be glad I didn't bite your hand. Anyway, what are emergency exit windows?"
Adrien raised his eyebrows. "Have you never ridden the city bus?"
Chat shook her head, a sheepish smile on her face. "I don't get out much."
Sounds like someone else I know, Adrien mused silently. I wonder if Marinette has ever ridden the city bus. His thoughts drifted to the girl he adored. A dreamy expression drifted across Adrien's face; Chat waved her hand in front of his eyes.
"Uh, Beetlebug? Aren't we in a hurry?"
Adrien snapped himself back to reality. "Right, yes. Let's get out of here."
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette tried to keep her thoughts focused on their current task—distractions were dangerous in their line of work—but her mind continued to drift back to Beetlebug's lovestruck expression. Who had he been thinking about? Certainly not her. As much as she wanted Beetlebug to love her, she was almost positive he saw her as only a partner and a friend.
She tried not to be jealous of Beetlebug's mystery love, but that was easier said than done. Her thoughts continued to swirl in an endless whirlwind of questions as she extended her staff to help Beetlebug climb out of the bus window. Once her spotted partner was safely situated on the outer side of the bus, he reached down, offered her his hand, and pulled her up beside him.
"Are you okay, Kitten?" he asked as he slipped his hand from hers. Marinette plastered a smile to her face and nodded.
"Of course, Seigneur. I'm with you. Everything's better when I'm with you."
Beetlebug shook his head, an amused smile on his lips, but Stormy Weather's thunderous voice filled the air before he could respond.
"Hello my wonderful Parisians. This is your weather girl speaking. Your weather forecast for today consists of a dreadful blizzard and an eternal winter. Stay safe and stay warm!"
"Guess we know where Stormy is now," Marinette mused, turning to her partner.
Beetlebug nodded, and the two heroes launched themselves into the air.
Adrien Agreste
Adrien landed in front of the KIDZ studio and raced inside, Chat right on his heels.
"The akuma must be in her parasol," Chat said, pointing to the giant photograph of Aurore on the wall.
"That makes our job a bit easier," Adrien replied as they rounded the corner and burst into the recording area, weapons raised in their usual defensive stance as their gazes swept the space.
It was empty.
Chat Noire lowered her hands and blinked. Her attention shifted to the screen. Stormy Weather's image was still displayed on the television as she continued to rage about her evil plans of eternal winter.
"Where is she?" Chat questioned. "She should be here, unless—"
"It was a pre-recorded forecast." Adrien whirled around to face his partner. "This has to be a trap. She's got us right where she wants us."
"You're right about that, Bug Boy." Stormy Weather was floating in the doorway, her parasol hanging casually in her hand. "You two are just as gullible as Hawkmoth said." Grinning, Stormy Weather slowly lifted her parasol and sent a blast of electricity towards the heroes, but her aim was too high. The lightening bolt hit the lights above them.
The lights in the studio flickered out, leaving the two heroes in complete darkness.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette hardly registered the lack of light as she watched Stormy zoom away from the doorway. Her nightvision, which she had been completely unaware of possessing until now, had kicked on the moment the lights cut out. Though everything was a bit darker than usual, Marinette was still able to see as clearly as she would with the lights on.
Beetlebug, on the other hand, was struggling. Crashes resounded through the studio as he stumbled into recording equipment and tripped over wires. Marinette tried to call out to him as he wandered, but the falling equipment drowned out her words.
Finally, after Beetlebug tripped over the leg of a speaker and landed sprawled facedown on the ground, the room went silent. Marinette carefully picked her way through the wreckage and grabbed Beetlebug's hands, helping him up onto his feet.
"Let me lead you," she said. Beetlebug squinted, trying to make out her face.
"What?"
"I can see. I guess I have nightvision or something, but I can see everything clearly. Let me lead you."
Beetlebug shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. I can handle this myself." He slipped out of Marinette's grasp and began walking, holding his hands out in front of him. Stormy Weather appeared with a fire extinguisher and raced straight towards Beetlebug, laughing manically. Beetlebug spun towards the sound, but he was still unable to see Stormy. The akumatized villian struck his side with the fire extinguisher and sent him flying to the left. Beetlebug crashed into a moniter, groaning.
Marientte had screamed the moment Stormy had appeared, yelling for Beetlebug to watch out. She had raced towards her partner, but Stormy had smacked him sideways before she could reach him and disappeared before Marinette could attack her.
Marinette ran to her partner's side. She pulled him as gently as she could from the wreckage. Glass shards fell from his body as he rose, clattering to the ground. Most of his injuries had been blocked by his suit, but he had a deep bleeding cut his left cheek.
"Oh, Beetlebug," Marinette murmured, gingerly touching his cheek. She glanced around for anything to stauch the bleeding but found nothing. The studio didn't have a single piece of visible fabric. The green screen wasn't even a sheet here. It was merely a painted green wall.
"Hey, Kitten, I'm okay." Beetlebug gently lifted her hand from his face; Marinette returned her attention to him and gasped. The gashing wound had morphed into a healing pink line. The earlier blood had disappeared too.
"How in the world..." Marinette gently touched his cheek.
"Magic?"
Marinette giggled. "That seems like the only logical explanation." Then, the heroine turned serious. "Please let me lead you, Seigneur. We can't beat Stormy if your sight is completely impaired."
Beetlebug sighed and nodded. "Okay. Lead the way."
Adrien Agreste
Chat Noire gripped Adrien's hand in hers and raced away.
"We're approaching a stairwell," she warned.
"Thanks for the heads-up," Adrien replied, though he still stumbled when they reached the stairs.
He trusted Chat Noire wholeheartedly, but he didn't like being led. He preferred to see exactly where he was going, but Stormy Weather had eliminated that option for him when she turned out the lights.
"Okay, we're at the top," Chat said, interrupting Adrien's thoughts. She pushed open the door. The sun had set nearly two hours ago, but the steetlights allowed Adrien to see again.
Stormy Weather was waiting for them, floating above the rooftop. "How lovely of you two to join me. What do you think of my eternal winter?" Neither hero responded. "Not impressed?" Stormy asked, raising her parasol. "How about a cyclone instead?"
The whirlwind appeared at the edge of the rooftop and began moving towards the heroes. Adrien reached for his yo-yo, but his hand was still trapped in Chat's.
"Uh, Kitten?"
Chat Noire's gaze whipped to her partner; Adrien flicked his eyes down to their joint hands. Understanding dawned, bringing a blush with it.
"Oh, sorry." Chat unwrapped her fingers from his hand and reached for her staff. She stepped behind Beetlebug, extended her hand, and twirled her baton above them to deflect Stormy's hailstones.
"Now would be a great time for one of your Lucky Charms, Seigneur!" Chat yelled over the roaring wind.
Adrien nodded and threw his yo-yo into the air. "Lucky Charm!" A bath towel floated down into his hands.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette watched as Beetlebug's head whipped from side to side, a plan obviously forming in his mind. After a moment, he turned to face her and smiled.
"That billboard is losing its touch, don't you think?"
It took only a moment for the raven to understand Beetlebug's implication.
"I think it would look a lot better as a pile of dust, don't you?" she replied, returning his grin.
"Care to do the honors?"
"It would be my pleasure."
Adrien Agreste
Chat Noire raced towards the billboard, calling "Cataclysm!" as she ran. Stormy's gaze fixed on the superheroine, obviously trying to figure out what in the world Chat was doing. The billboard cracked and groaned as it fell towards Stormy, who let out a shriek and blasted a bolt of electricity towards her new obstacle.
Adrien seized Stormy's moment of distraction to wrap his yo-yo around her ankle. He dashed under a group of pipes, hopped atop a crane, and pulled. The akumatized villain flew towards the floor, screaming. Stormy's parasol fell from her hands as she threw her arms up to shield her face.
"Got it!" Chat yelled, waving the akumatized object in the air. She snapped the umbrella in half, releasing the black and purple butterfly.
Adrien tossed out his yo-yo, capturing the akuma. A moment later, the newly purified butterfly was released into the sky.
"Miraculous Beetlebug!" Adrien shouted, throwing the towel up. His ladybug-themed clean-up crew fluttered through the city, magically repairing the damage from the battle.
Nino Lahiffe
Nino had taken off towards the KIDZ studio the moment he had seen Stormy Weather's forecast on his television screen, but the icy roads and piles of wreckage had made the city's streets nearly impassable.
When he had finally made it to the KIDZ studio, the giant cyclone forming on the roof gave way to Stormy's location.
The front door of the studio was warped and shattered, and so Nino had to pick his way through more wreckage to make it to the stairwell. And then he had to climb the bazillion floors to the roof.
By the time he shoved open the final door and burst onto the roof, Beetlebug and Chat Noire had won (as expected) and were performing their usual victory fistbump.
Nino sighed and turned around, his shoulder slumped in defeat. He held his phone up, flipped the camera to face him, and pressed record.
"Well, I'm on the scene of the latest akuma battle, but Beetlebug and Chat Noire have already defeated Stormy Weather. I disappointingly was unable to film any of the fight, but I'm sure Beetlebug's strategy was impeccable as usual. Tune in next time to hopefully catch the next battle. Nino out."
He stopped the recording and turned back to the rooftop. Both superheros were gone. Only a wobbly Aurore remained.
"Hey, Aurore. You know this studio better than I do. Could you help me get down?"
Adrien Agreste
After a quick dinner of leftover lasagna, Adrien crawled into bed. His thoughts immediately drifted to his usual distraction: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Adrien replayed their last interaction. Had Marinette not dropped her gaze so quickly, he would have thought nothing of her comment. But now the words repeated in his head.
Did Marinette have a history in professional acting or was her remark a reference to her personal life? What did her personal life really look like? He'd have to get closer to her to figure that out. But how would he accomplish that?