A/N: Thanks to Katherine for being my beta (in spanish).
They may be some mistake because something strange happened to the text.
National End of Secondary Assessment.
We are already in the week of final exams, which are decisive.
After this, we will enter lycée. I have chosen the general, although I know that some colleagues will go to other modalities. I still do not know what I will study. Fencing is not forever.
The first test is math. A good way to start, in my opinion, because we do the most difficult with a fresh and rested mind.
We are in the Assembly Hall, together with the other classes of the course, since we will take the exams at the same time.
I can feel the nervousness of my schoolmates. The bobbing up and down of their knees, the waving of their pens, the rustle of note sheets and calculator checks.
I am calm. I have studied and I have my pen. I have a silly superstition: ever since my mother gave it to me, I do all my final exams with this pen.
Although, with the heat that it is doing today, I do not feel quite well. The atmosphere is muggy and heavy.
The math teacher turns the pages. He is not the only one in the place, but there are several to keep an eye on all of us. It looks a bit like how exams were in Japan, if it were not for the temperature.
The exam starts and I find it easy. I write quickly and confidently, so that I am almost finished with a quarter of an hour to go before time is up.
But everything is cut short when my pen breaks. I do not know why, if I pressed too hard or it was hit and it is flimsy, but the pen my mother gave me breaks.
And not only that, which is worrying in itself, but the ink is spilled all over my test.
One of the teachers sees it and approaches. He tries to clean the ink with a tissue, but it does not work.
"Professor, can I repeat the exam?"
The man looks at me as if my question puzzled him.
"Of course. And we will give you more time. Take my pen, I'm going to bring you a new exam. And a rag."
Although I was not before, now I do get a little nervous, however, I control it quickly.
I look at my broken pen. I do npt know what to tell mother.
The breaking of my pen was sabotage. Or at least, that is what Longg says.
He was there and he knows my pen. He thinks someone cut it from the inside so that when I squeezed it, it split in half.
I have a list of suspects, although more than a list, it is a classification in a table of three columns: innocent, neutral and suspect.
In the first I have targeted Alix, Chloe and Adrien. In the second category is almost the entire class. And in the third, for a detail, is Marinette. She is the only person I know who has had it in her hands. That does not really say anything, however, it makes her different from the rest of her and the only one with a chance for now.
The problem now is telling my mother.
The course is ending and fencing has already done so. The only reason my mother let me out was for classes. If she finds out that the pen is broken, she will not let me leave the house and I will not have an excuse to do so.
I have to be able to get out, since the whole class will go to see the selection of the couple of gamers from our school that will appear in the video game competition.
I did not know about any of this until Alix invited me this morning because Max will be competing.
I am also worried about her. Two days ago she hit her head very hard and yesterday she missed school to have a CT scan. She was told that she had nothing serious, but for that test to be carried out, she had a great shock. Even teachers today have been more attentive to her.
I take a deep breath and look at Longg.
"Giving bad news to your mother and then trying to ask her for something is a bad idea, Kagami-san." he declares.
I am aware. However, I am already lying to her a lot about the whole being Ryuko thing and making excuses to see my friends. And I do not like it.
I enter the living room, where today my mother is and she listens to classical music on television. At least she is calm.
"Mother."
I get her attention and she turns more or less towards me.
"Kagami. I wanted to talk to you."
Longg looks from one to the other. I do not know what she might want either. I hope it is something good.
"Today you have started the exams for the National End of Secondary Assessment. How has it been?"
She just wants to know about my grades. That is something that has never bothered me. I have good grades.
"Good, mother. History and French have been easy. Although, in math" Those words make my mother's expression tense. I continue. "I had a problem. The pen you gave me broke and stained the test sheet, so I had to repeat it."
My mother frowns, showing slightly above her glasses.
"You will have kept the remains of the pen. Give them to me"
Fortunately, she is right. I have saved the bits the pen has become and brought them back.
"I would like to talk about something else." I say after handing her the pen. "The course has already finished and today there is a class meeting to see the classification of a video game competition, since there is a classmate who is going to try it. I would like to attend."
My mother conscientiously plays the pieces I have given her. She barely pays attention to me.
"You can go."
I open my shirt a little for Longg to get inside. It is awkward, but we cannot think of another solution for now.
The kwami looks at my mother. He doess not understand what is happening to her.
The video game competition is in the school library. Alix explains to me that it is because the schools are the ones that promote this.
I find it curious, because in Japan video games are for lazy people who do not want to study or work.
There are quite a few people here.
Not only does Max want one of the positions, but many other people, including Adrien.
"How could you come with skates? You hit your head a few days ago!" Exclaims the first of the two as he approaches us.
"I'm fine, dad."
Max frowns and looks at Kim.
"And you haven't done anything?"
"I have taken her princess style down the stairs." the boy smiles.
Adrien is a bit away, talking to Nino. I think I should go say hi. I did not know he liked video games.
"I didn't ask you to do it."
"You asked Kagami."
I am going to say hi. Anyway, I do not want to be here listening to Alix and Kim argue again.
"Kagami?"
Even less when they want me to participate.
Adrien sees me coming and smiles. Nino waves at me.
"How is that you are here?" asks the blonde. "I thought you didn't like video games."
I feel like someone is watching me, that strange feeling of being watched.
"And I do not. I have come with Alix." His expression changes completely when he sees her. He is still in love. And I am supposed to help him with that, so I get in the way.
"And you? I did not know you were interested in video games."
Adrien smiles again even though I have blocked his view of Alix.
"There are many things you don't know about me."
"I will have to remedy it."
His smile is so pretty, like the model he is, that it makes me want to return it and I accidentally do.
It goes out alone. As soon as I realize it, I delete it. Adrien frowns slightly.
"Do you like them too, Nino?"
I look at the boy, who seems surprised that I ask him. I do not know why. He is here and he is a person. I am not going to pretend that he just does not exist.
"Uh, not especially. I mean, they're okay, but it's not my favorite thing to do."
He is talking. What was the next step in my app to make friends?
"What it is?"
"Music. I make music and upload it to the Internet."
"He has many followers." Adrien comments.
If so, he must be good.
"Not so many. I still have a lot to improve."
"I would like to hear something from you."
"Sure, but at another time."
Nino smiles too. That is good.
However, I am surprised at how different it is from Japan. There, most of the students and parents prefer high grades to enter the university and get a degree that gives a permanent position in a company.
I will have to do it too. I do not want to live off my family's money all my life.
The time that the classification lasts, I applaud even if I do not fully understand what is happening. What I do know is that Max wins every duel he gets, like Adrien and, unexpectedly, Marinette.
It is in the duel against her that Max loses. It is the one that lasts the longest. Several times it looks like Max is going to win. However, in the end he does not.
After losing he stares at his command. Then he gets up and leaves without saying a word. Kim follows him.
Marinette celebrates with Alya winning her when Alix talks to her.
"Really, Marinette? You've never been into video games, and now all of a sudden you're into them so much that you have to take Max's chance on something he's been talking about for months."
The girl opens her mouth and takes her hand to her heart.
And in that moment I know. She is not a good person. She gives me the feeling.
I do not know why she did this, but she did not consider Max's feelings.
That turns my doubt about the pen into real suspicion.
"I didn't take it away. I won legitimately." Marinette says.
"And haven't you thought that, if you don't care, you could lose on purpose to make him happy?"
"But the competition is important to me! Much." she adds, looking at Adrien, who does not seem to notice.
Is that. She wants to be close to Adrien, so she has broken Max's spirits today.
A spirit that had never been so low in him, a boy from our school who has not yet been akumatized.
I leave the library and run downstairs.
Kim has gone with Max, so something will slow him down, but I do not think he is capable of reassuring anyone. Kim is not very smart and he could not give Max any reason as to why he should be quiet.
I find them not far from the school, arguing heatedly.
"How do you dare to tell me such a thing? You spent all day challenging everyone for any roll! You have tou support me!"
His screams can be heard from several steps away.
"I may love to challenge people, but I accept when I lose. If not, I would not have challenged Alix so much."
Max's face is red, and then I see a butterfly come closer.
I start to walk away. I have to find a place to hide to transform.
"Kim, run!" I warn him. He also has to acknowledge it, he has been akumatized before.
A few seconds pass before I hear him scream.
"Akuma!"
After that, all the people on this street are alarmed and they run from one side to another in complete chaos.
This should be a good way to hide without attracting attention.
But I cannot, as Kim tackles me and I hit the ground hard. I look up just in time to see a woman hit by a laser and she disappears.
That was for me.
Kim stands up quickly and pulls me. We enter a store, attracting a lot of attention, and we hide behind a display.
"Thank you." I tell him.
He nods.
"Thanks to you. I can't believe Max..."
"Do not worry, Triple Super will save him."
"I know, that's not what worries me."
I do not understand what it does, then. I would like to know, but we are not close enough to ask.
I have to separate myself from him, although I do not know how.
Everyone around us hides and trembles. They are terrified.
The door of the business opens with a bell sound, since this store is not from a commercial chain.
"The akuma has already passed through here. You can go."
It is Bunnyx's voice.
People run away the moment she says so. Except Kim, who wants to talk to Bunnyx.
I go out into the street, where there are no more people. Still, I do not trust they will not see me.
I hide in the alley where I first saw Bunnyx and here I transform.
I climb to the top of the wall, and from here, I move from one roof to another.
In time, Queen Bee joins me.
"You've seen?" she asks.
I shake my head. It is true, I have not actually seen him, despite finding myself right next to him.
"And you?"
"No. That's why I asked you."
I see a bright green light, and suddenly, a gray pyramid rises above the rooftops. It has a green window on one side and jointed metal limbs.
That big thing is Max.
"What's that?" Queen Bee is surprised.
"A kind of giant robot inspired by "The War of the Worlds"." Answers Bunnyx, who appears out of nowhere.
"You've seen?"
She nods.
"It throws lasers that make people disappear and it gets bigger."
"It absorbs them." declares Queen Bee.
"It seems."
How will we defeat him? Such an akuma seems like a very difficult opponent. Also, I do not see the akuma object, since there is nothing out of place, and it cannot be his weapon because this is everything.
I should have looked longer.
"Oh, and the Dark Cupid boy has told me what the akuma object is, since that one is his friend. They are... glasses. I have no idea where they might be, but I don't think he was lying."
Glasses? There are no glasses there. It can hardly be said that he even has a face.
We get a little closer to the akuma, and then I see Alya hiding behind a corner, recording.
What is she doing there? How reckless can this girl be? I know you do not like me. Still, I cannot leave her unprotected against an akuma. All civilians deserve to be protected, so I am going to move her away from the place.
I jump off the building with little force, not wanting to wreck the sidewalk again. My partners do not say anything. Bunnyx is probably making a plan with my impulsive action.
"What are you doing here?"
The girl turns camera in hand.
"Engrave the akuma."
"You cannot stay here. Everyone runs away and you are still. You put a target on your head."
Alya ignores me and points the camera at the rooftops, looking for my partners.
If she does not listen to me, I have no choice but to take her by force.
I grab her legs and sling her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes so it is hard for her to let go. Also, I have a lot more strength than her.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"Hold your camera well."
A garbage can and a lamppost are enough combined jumps to get to the balcony of a house and from there, up to the roof.
Alya screams as she starts to jump, drawing the akuma's attention. Now we are a target.
Max fires a laser at us and I dodge it, although with Alya in tow it is more difficult.
"Lady Wifi, you tell where he points to. I cannot look back all the time."
"Okay. I can do it."
Rather than confirm it, she seems to be trying to convince herself, but I do not say anything. I just hope she turns out okay.
Alya gets it a couple of times. The rest of the time we do not receive any more attacks, because Bunnyx and Queen Bee. I think she wrap the spinning top wire around it, though I cannot quite see it in the distance.
Now I must decide what to do with it. In my opinion, it is best to leave her at home and have her parents watch her.
"Where do you live?"
"I am not going to tell you. I want to film the akuma. My blog needs action footage where you save people and beat Hawk Moth."
"You already have them. If you are not going to tell me where you live, I will leave you somewhere else."
Like the police station, with professionals who can keep it at bay.
We are just over one right now.
The policemen are surprised to see me. We do not have much of a relationship with them.
"I have brought this girl because she refuses to leave the akuma. Therefore, I ask that you keep her here until we finish the matter."
I place her on the ground and a familiar looking man comes towards us.
"Hello, Mr. Raincomprix." Alya greets him. He is Sabrina's father. Then he turns to me. "It's not fair that you bring me here."
"Yes it is." I affirm forcefully. "My duty is to keep you and everyone safe. I am doing that."
This is my role. This is why I have the miracle. It would be impudent on my part to have it just for the fun of it and to do what I please.
Finding the akuma is easier than before, as it is now even larger. I thought my partners took care of him. Obviously, I was wrong.
The scene I find is curious: Queen Bee has him tied up by his legs and Bunnyx is jumping around his head while the robot tries to catch her.
"What are you doing?" I ask the bee.
She tugs on the cable with an effort. She has a tight face.
"You help me?"
I get next to her hers and pull the cable too. Do not prickle. Queen Bee lied to Mylene's akuma.
"We have discovered that this is not the akuma." she explains. "He is inside that pyramid, we saw him through the window. Bunnyx has been trying to break it ever since."
The robot moves and we wobble to keep holding it.
"And if you electrocute him? You could leave it without power."
How can she suggest that? I could kill him. I almost killed Darkblade's victims. Max is also wrapped in metal. I will not use it.
Neither does the water, since he is a robot and could have his own electricity.
"No. Bunnyx will get it."
The moment I say it, the akuma throws the girl so far that we do not see her fall. Then he easily unties the cable from her legs and throws us in the opposite direction.
The force with which he throws us causes us to go through the tops of several buildings. When landing my back stings.
It is not the first time that an akuma has thrown me against larger objects, although the other times it has not affected me, since the walls are not magical. But the akuma does. It may depend on the force you apply.
"Did you have to jinx us?" Queen Bee says as she gets up.
Magic exists, but I do not think a simple desire of mine will influence the results.
"We must find Bunnyx."
Queen Bee grabs me around the waist and uses her spinnig top to get to the roof of the nearest building.
"Has it stung you too?" She asks.
I nod.
"That means we're not as immune to non-magical items as we thought."
And Bunnyx may be worse off than us.
We found her in the middle of the street, looking at nothing in particular.
"Bunnyx!" calls the bee.
She shakes herself and jerks her head in our direction.
"Gamer has gone to the Paris Saint Germain stadium."
I am not going to ask why she knows, but how they got in touch with Max.
"He talks?"
"That he talks? He is one of the most prima donna!" Queen Bee complains. "That robot has speakers. And he started talking I don't know what about him being the best and he's going to defeat us his way and with an audience."
"I don't know what right you call someone else prima donna when you name yourself queen." Answers Bunnyx.
They are going to argue. Now, of all times. I would go ahead if it were not for the fact that I do npt know where the stadium is.
"Do any of you know how to get there?" I interrupt them. The two nod. "Lead me, then."
The stadium is far. Arriving, we see that Gamer sticks out a bit above the stands.
"Does he want a gladiator fight?"
Gladiators were slaves forced to fight to the death with each other or against an animal for the amusement of the people.
It is an indirect way of telling us that we are slaves. Slaves of Paris, and still they reproach us. He is too, from Howk Moth. Or maybe he is an autoracti and our enemy is his lanista.
"This is about a show. If we give him one, he'll be happy." says Queen Bee.
"First, let's go inside. I'll think of a plan. I don't think that's his only rule."
Bunnyx grabs each of our hands and jumps, high and far. Much more than my maximum four meters.
The sensation is a tug at first. Then I feel a moment of almost weightlessness, as if we were floating in the middle of Paris. It lasts for an instant, followed by the irresistible rush to the ground, my body a dead weight.
I see the green of the grass, the stadium full. Bunnyx lets go of us and prepares to land. I also. We would not make a good impression by coming in inelegantly. And this time, we have an audience.
Knee on the ground, lean forward a little and support my hand. I draw my sword in one swift movement. My partners do the same with their weapons.
Gamer is at a certain distance, more from here I can know that my sword does not cut its limbs. It is too small compared.
The audience, from what I see are fans of the team, since they are dressed in blue. That means that Gamer uses people who have absorbed for another matter, related to it size.
Another reason for not using it.
"No. Not like that. My fight, my rules."
Gamer triggers a laser in our direction, which the three avoid and overlook.
From the place where it has given that kind of smoke that transforms the Akumas. We move away, however, behind us there is also the same blackness. A circle that surrounds us.
Black magic seizes us and a wave of anger and sadness blinds me for a moment.
Although it leaves, leaving a cabin with three windows that show that we are up to high. In front of each one there is a seat. Under them, there is a series of controls and buttons.
We have to imitate and fight through a giant robot.
"I know what we are going to do." Bunnyx declares.
"Yes? Don't tell me. I can also figure it at this point. A giant robot fight. His name is very suitable, because he goes geek."
"Have you already stopped complaining?" Queen Bee crosses her arms. In my application it says that is a barrier. "You and I will stay here, handling this thing, while Ryuko sneaks into his cabin and deakumatizes him."
Bunnyx turns around and looks at me. She will explain how to enter there, because I cannot think of a way.
"I don't know how to use this. You?" Queen Bee replicates. Bunnyx ignores her.
"Gamer must have a ventilation system, if not, he would die of suffocation. You just become wind and enter there."
"And to get out of here?"
"Use water. We must also have one. Gravity will take you to the ground."
I cannot. This robot is electric. If I do, I will not only spoil it, and therefore to the plan, but I will kill them by electric shock.
A stab of chest pain crosses me when I think about it.
"Is there no other way?"
"Quiet. You won't hurt us."
How does she know?
I do not have time to ask, because a blow shakes us. We fall to the ground, but as much Queen Bee and Bunnyx recover quickly and sit in the two seats of the ends.
I look for the ventilation rack, which I find at the bottom of the cabin.
We receive another blow, which makes me lose balance again.
I hope it is enough distraction.
"Water dragon."
On my way to the ground I feel it collid with something cold several times. The black magic metal of the robot, which seems to oxidize where I play it.
In this way, I find it easier to know that I get to the grass.
I move away everything I can, with enough difficulty, since if I recover my shape and crush me, I will die.
I hope none of these civilians shout when they see me. That could alert Gamer. It once happened with Reflekta and was a great obstacle.
I reinforce and observe the akuma. It does not seem to have any outer ventilation rack.
It has to be otherwise. I must hurry. He is crushing them.
And I see it, there, just when it stretchs its arm back to give another blow. There is a gap in the shoulder joint.
"Wind Dragon."
Gamer does not expect it. He accuses me of playing dirty, without respecting the rules. I snatch his glasses, which have a butterfly shape, easily.
To end this akuma would have been much faster if Alya had not been in the middle.
Several days have passed. The exams are over and I have a strange burn in my hand, from which I did not realize until I got home for the adrenaline of the fight. My mother did realize, since she had concluded that the pen ink was toxic.
For now I am fine. We went to the doctor and a treatment prescribed.
"Come on, team M!" Alya shouts. It is noisy. I can hear it without difficulty, despite the crowd and the considerable distance that separates us.
But I do not like to encourage the girl I think guilty. Although, since I have no evidence, I cannot judge it. Innocent until the opposite is demonstrated.
Adrien has renounced his position in the duo. He knows that for Max it is very important and for him not so much. He just wants to make him feel better.
He is so kind. I am reaffirmed the idea that not everyone moves for their own interest and that there are really good people.
He is.
And I do not believe Nadja. I am not so far from reality. She has the option of not supporting evil and chooses to do it. The decision not to do so always exists, but for this, you need to have real principles. Something that in my opinion lacks.
I observe Adrien, his smile for making others happy. A smile other than his photographs, authentic. Contagious.
He opens his mouth as if he is going to say something and turn towards me.
For a moment it stands, but then smiles again. Raise a hand and bring it closer to my face.
I move away a little.
"What are you doing?"
Adrien tip his head. Quite possibly he did not hear me with so many shouts and leans closer to me, to whisper my ear.
"You have lipsticks on your teeth. My hands are clean."
"Do you have so much confidence to touch my teeth?"
"Of course! Don't you know I'm a dentist?" He separates just to wink an eye, joking. "Now seriously. It happened to me before and is very uncomfortable."
That was. He is a model and will have helped companions. Or it will have happened to him. The models put a lot of makeup.
I show him my teeth and he does it. Once again, I feel uncomfortable confidence, and for its blush, Adrien too.
After a moment, he separates a little and looks at my teeth before nodding.
I look around. No one is looking at us with strange expression, so they have not seen us.
"I am thinking of stopping makeup."
My face is almost cured: the bruise of my cheek has a slight yellow color. And I have never liked makeup, it is like hiding your face behind a mask. It is false.
"Why?" Ask my friend.
"Because I am ugly. People's reaction tells me."
That is the third reason. I do not like that they laugh at me, and although I am not vain, I prefer to be pretty.
"You are never ugly. Although if you want to remove the makeup, do it. Anyway, it is bad for the skin and I know what I am talking about."
"You are never ugly." That makes my cheeks warm up. Does not he realize what you have said?
A lot of applause and mess explodes around us.
Max has won.
A/N: 1: High school in France and is divided into Collège and Lycée, which even if it has a different duration to the Spanish, correspond to ESO and Bachillerato. This exam is the passage from one to another. I don't know the equivalence in other countries.
2: I don't know where the exams would be done there, so I put the place where they were done in my school.
3: Volunteer and his coach.