Thank you to Khanofallorcs for beta-ing!
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"So, what do you think?" Crimson Beetle finished, looking at his partner expectantly.
They were up on the Eiffel Tower, sitting up on one of the higher beams. It was a cool March morning– the temperatures just inching into the warmth of the coming spring, but still betrayed you whenever a cold breeze would rush by.
Lady Noire blinked slowly at him, his partner's electric blue eyes locked right at him. "If you think it's a good idea, then let's do it."
"Well, I'm not sure if it would be or not," Crimson replied, looking out at the city. "The media... it's always a gamble, to say the least. We don't know what could come from giving an interview." His eyes shifted towards her. "But most importantly, I want to know if you would be comfortable with this. I don't mind sitting in front of a camera and some reporters, but it most certainly isn't part of the job description."
A smile tugged on the corner of Lady's lips. "No threat that you can't face, hmm?"
"Well, this is one that we don't have to face if we don't want to," Crimson said, shrugging. "But the longer we go without directly saying anything, the more their information will be drawn from inferences and what they can see– basically, blind guesses presented as truths. If we do put our word out there, then we actually have some say in what's being discussed about us." He sighed. "Not that it will stop people from twisting it whichever way they want... but hey, at least it's a start."
"Alright," Lady said after a moment. "Let's do it."
Crimson blinked. "Just like that?"
The feline heroine shrugged. "Everything you said has really good points. If you think we should, I see no reason not to. We'll just have to figure out how we're going to do this. Vault down and talk to whatever reporters happen to be in the streets?"
"Too chaotic," Crimson said, shaking his head. "Others would probably interfere, whether it be civilians or other media, and we have no control over what's being said or asked." He frowned. "There's also Monarch to consider; everything we say, she can hear."
"We need to know what exactly we can and cannot say beforehand."
"Also, we need to decide who we're going to talk to," Crimson said. "Who's going to present our words to the world, and how that will reflect on us. Who... who would you be comfortable talking with?"
Who would you be comfortable talking to, with the way Paris looks at you?
Lady bit her lip for a moment, before looking away. "...BeetleBlog."
This answer surprised him– because with the way some of the recent articles on the blog discussed Lady Noire, he did not think that would be the one his partner would want to give their interview to. Yes, Alya's article about the akumatized victims had been wonderful and had done so much, and she kept hinting at some other major article... but he didn't know if she was the one he wanted to go to. Alya was a dear friend, but still...
"Too risky," Crimson Beetle said after a moment. "She's one person, and I think any sign of favoring her could make her a target for Monarch. Same reason why I don't think we should do Alec, either, even with all the great things he's written about akumas recently– but he's running solo at the moment. I think we should be working with a professional organization, both for civilian safety, and just for how the information will be handled."
"...Nadja Chamack?" Lady Noire suggested after a moment.
"The news reporter?" Crimson asked, blinking– again surprised. Nadja was the one doing weather reports or akuma reports out in the field; she was not really known for doing sit-down interviews.
"I'd be comfortable talking to her, I think," Lady shrugged. "She... she's familiar with akumas and stuff. Common ground, you know?"
"Alright, an interview with TV 5, given by Nadja Chamack it is, then," Crimson Beetle said. He had seen plenty of what Paris had said about Lady Noire, so if she wanted to do this interview with Nadja, then that's who they were going to do it with. "We'll need to find a way to contact the station, and find a time this can be done..."
"Definitely not during a school day," Lady Noire said with a smile.
Crimson laughed. "Yeah, rather not add more to my plate than we need to."
"Arlette from TV 5 news, correct?"
Crimson had to hold back a grin as he watched the blonde jump, before turning to face Crimson Beetle, her eyes widening at the hero in front of her, who was hanging upside down from his yoyo.
"Crimson Beetle!" She gasped, still staring at him for a moment, before swiftly moving to compose herself. "Um, to what do I owe this honor? A hero, knowing my name..."
"That would be thanks to Google." Crimson said with a smile, and Arlette blinked. "So, Mme. Arlette, would your broadcast be interested in doing an interview with me and Lady Noire, by chance?"
"An interview?" She echoed, eyes widening. "With you? You mean, you are actually going to do an interview! That's... that's huge! No one has been able to, yet..." Arlette shook her head, sitting up. "Yes, M. Beetle, we would be honored to be able to interview you– what an opportunity–!"
The woman fell silent as Crimson flipped right side up, dropping to the ground as he recalled his yoyo, taking a step forward. "One moment, madam; I do have some conditions if your station will be interviewing us– if you don't agree to any of them, then we can consider this whole thing off."
"Of– of course," Arlette said swiftly, nodding her head. She dug around her purse, pulling out a notebook and a pen. "You just name your requirements, and I will personally make sure all of them are met."
Crimson smiled. "Wonderful. First and foremost– this cannot be a live broadcast, nor can you advertise that you will be doing this interview until after it's been recorded. You cannot tell anyone who is going to be interviewed except for those who need to know– and they cannot say anything about it." The woman opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "This is for your and your crew's safety– if Monarch got word of a time and place where I and Lady were going to be, that could risk an akuma being sent out."
Arlette considered this, before nodding. "That... that is very fair. The less people who know, the less chance there is of someone telling."
"Exactly," Crimson Beetle said. "My next requirement for this interview is that I and Lady have the right to refuse to answer any question, for any reason. If we say pass, then move onto the next question or topic. Don't press. Don't come back to it– or else we will leave. On that same note, there should be no questions relating to who we are under the mask– so don't even try."
"As much as I would love those answers, that is, again, fair," Arlette said, writing something down in her notebook.
"Third of all," Crimson Beetle said, his tone dropping lower. "I want to make sure that Lady Noire is treated with the utmost respect. I'm not going to pretend not to notice the way you've yet to mention her throughout this conversation, or how your station has talked to her in past reports. This will be an interview with both me and my partner– and I will leave if I feel Lady is not being treated with the respect she deserves."
"...Of course."
"Good. As for a time this could take place, both me and Lady have decided that weekend evenings would be the best time for us, assuming there are no akuma or emergencies otherwise. Feel free to pick a day and time that works best for you and your crew, as long as it falls within that time frame."
"For an interview like this?" Arlette said. "We can make this work next Saturday– 7:00 o'clock sharp."
"I'll let Lady Noire know," Crimson Beetle said. "We have one more request for this interview, however– and that is that it will be conducted by Nadja Chamack."
"Nadja?" Arlette asked, pausing. "Well, she has been a great asset to our team, no doubt, but we have some other employees who are much more suited to this type of interview–"
"Nadja Chamack, or else the whole thing is off."
"...Very well, Crimson Beetle," Arlette relented– though she still looked nothing but excited regardless. "I will personally ensure that all of your requirements will be met. For our modest station to be the first to be granted an interview by you... this is a huge honor."
Crimson Beetle nodded, though he wasn't sure if 'modest' was the word to describe them– maybe not as big as TVi, but TV 5 was still pretty popular. "My Lady and I look forward to it," he said– before throwing his yoyo. "I hope you have a good night, madam, and I will see you soon."
With that, he swung up towards the roof, vanishing from sight. Arlette watched him go, a smile on her face– before hastily scrambling for her phone. She had just scored what could possibly be their biggest story of the year– and she didn't have a moment to waste.
"Marinette, please," Nadja was practically begging. "Alec already can't watch Manon that night, and I have a very important interview. I don't want to interrupt your plans, but I just don't know who else to call."
"I'm so sorry, Nadja," Marinette said. "But these plans have been in place for weeks, and it's not something I can back out of. It... it would cost me money."
Marinette didn't like lying, but it wasn't like she could just tell Nadja that if she babysat Manon there wouldn't be an interview for her to do. She hated that she was leaving the woman hanging, as she was usually fine with babysitting Manon at the last minute, but this time she just couldn't do that.
"What if I compensate you for that money?" Nadja offered, and Marinette's stomach twisted in guilt. "Along with what I normally pay you, of course. I can't say much, but this interview could be very important for my career. I'm not normally the one they go to for these types of things... and I just don't think I could find a reliable babysitter I'm comfortable with that isn't you, Alec, or my sister on such short notice."
Marinette paused for a moment. "What if it was someone that I knew was a good babysitter?"
"Huh?"
"My best friend has two twin sisters just about Manon's age," Marinette explained. "She watches them all the time, and she's fantastic with them. She's even helped me watch Manon a few times when she's wanted to hang out while I'm babysitting, so it's someone that Manon has met before. Plus, Manon would be able to play with some girls her age, too."
"And who is your friend?"
"Alya," Marinette said, before pausing. "The same Alya who runs the BeetleBlog; I know you've seen a few of her videos before."
"I have," Nadja said, voice slightly musing. "She's done a lot for someone her age, she has a lot of potential."
Marinette laughed. "She'd probably love to hear you say that, she wants a career in the field of reporting. If you'd like, I could call her up and see if she'd be willing to watch Manon, if that's okay?"
"If you would, that would be wonderful," Nadja said. "I know this is such a last minute thing, though, but if she could... I'd pay the same as I do with you. Heck, I'd even let her shadow me for a day– I just really need someone to watch Manon."
Marinette smiled. "She'd hold you to that, you know. Let me just call her real quick and see what she says, and if she can, I'll give her your number, okay?"
"Thank you so much, Marinette."
Marinette's reply was short, ending the call with the woman, and quickly calling up her best friend. The phone barely rang twice before Alya answered, the girl immediately jumping straight into a conversation, before Marinette could say much.
"So..." Alya said after a minute of her rambling. "What's up?"
"...How would you feel about babysitting?" Marinette asked.
"Babysitting?" Alya echoed, before giving a short laugh. "I already have to deal with the two terrors– I don't really need much more on my plate."
"Manon's mom really needs someone to watch her on Saturday," Marinette said. "I absolutely can't do it that day, and this is really important for Nadja. She pays really well, too, it'd be worth your time."
"Tempting, but can you imagine the chaos another kid could cause with Ella and Etta?" Alya said, chuckling. "I'm sorry, girl, but I just might have to pass on this one."
"Nadja said she'd let you job shadow her for a day, as well."
"...Tell her it's a deal."
"You've been awfully quiet," Marinette said, eyes flickering over to Plagg. The kwami had settled himself onto her vanity, watching with wide green eyes as she 'got ready'.
There really wasn't much to do, unfortunately. In any other circumstance, the idea of going on TV would probably have her trying to get an outfit together, worrying about hair and makeup, making sure she had everything she needed, all while mentally panicking about being on TV– but all those distractions weren't an option this time around. Hair, makeup, and outfit would all be covered by the words 'claws out', meaning that the only thing left to do was panic.
"...I don't like this," Plagg muttered, fur slightly raised. "You shouldn't be trying to get closer to the city, they can all rot in a pit of mayonnaise for all I care."
"Mayonnaise?"
"It's an evil food," Plagg muttered, ears going back at the thought. "What gave it the right to look like cream cheese...?"
Marinette chuckled. "Never change, Plagg."
The kwami gave her a quizzical look, one ear going up, and Marinette had to resist the urge to get out her phone– no matter how many times she took his picture, he didn't show up; no matter how much she wanted to preserve the adorableness the kitten-like being had. Instead, she reached out, using a single finger to scratch him between the ears, and she was rewarded with a short purr.
"I still don't think you should go to any interview," Plagg said, watching as Marinette stared at her reflection.
"I'm just nervous."
"Yeah." Plagg said. "If you don't go, you don't have anything to be nervous about."
"Ever heard of the guilt of not fulfilling a commitment?" Marinette asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Guilt's overrated," Plagg said with a snort. "Ever heard of making too many commitments?"
Marinette just picked up Plagg's black purse. "Come on, hop in, there's some camembert for you to snack on while we head out the door– and we'll transform as soon as Mom and Dad know we're gone, so they won't come up here looking for me."
With the promise of cheese Plagg became a black blur, zipping into his 'room' of the purse without hesitation. Marinette shouldered the bag, took one last look around the room, before shuddering. There would be no going back after this– sitting down for an interview that she knew that she was not ready for.
But Crimson had wanted them to do this. She could do this for Crimson.
So, forcing a smile onto her face she headed downstairs, hands tightly clasping her purse as she said goodbye to her parents, telling them that she'd be out with a friend. It wasn't quite a lie, since Crimson was a dear friend, yet she still managed to feel guilty.
Crimson Beetle stood on the building across from the TV 5 station, worriedly pacing. Lady had yet to show up, and they were supposed to be inside right now. Yes, sometimes Lady Noire ran a bit late for patrols, but right now they had more people waiting on them. His green eyes scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of a figure in black leaping over the buildings, but he saw nothing.
"Come on, Lady..." He whispered. "Where are you...?"
"Sorry."
Crimson heard the voice the same moment he sensed the hum of Lady Noire's energy, crackling and churning, and he couldn't help but jump as he heard the small voice behind him, and he turned to see a pair of unnaturally bright blue eyes regarding him. Lady was perched on the edge of the building, probably just having climbed up, near the ground on all fours, sitting almost like a cat. She pushed herself to her feet, eyes flickering across him uncertainly.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Crimson said, smiling as his heart pounded. Lady shifted, and he took in her presence– her energy, her scent, things he couldn't sense unless he was transformed– but it all felt so natural in the moment.
"Sorry for startling you," Lady Noire said softly. "And for running late. It's... it's a bad habit of mine."
"We're not late," Crimson said dismissively. "Just not as early as we could be. And it's my fault for being surprised, I should have sensed you much sooner. Usually can, actually." He grinned. "Well, are you ready to get to our interview before someone spots us?"
"Whenever you are."
Crimson's smile fell slightly when she didn't comment on the pun, though he tried not to let it show. He wasn't quite sure when this had become his and Lady's normal... but she seemed so different nowadays– and he wasn't sure when that had changed. There had always been uncertainty with her when it came to heroing, but this wasn't that. She just seemed so... reserved. Unnaturally collected in expression, though her eyes showed nothing but hesitation.
He wasn't sure when the last time was that she had made a playful comment like they used to.
"Race you?" Crimson offered.
"If you'd like."
He threw his yoyo, while she drew her baton. He pulled himself up into the air, swinging towards the TV 5 station. She was right behind him, but was making no effort to get the edge like he knew she could. They both silently landed on the roof, Lady Noire following after him as he headed towards the roof entrance they had been instructed to enter through. She hooked her baton to her hip, her braid curling around her leg as she looked about. He opened his mouth, but decided not to say anything– she was probably just nervous for the interview; that was daunting, no matter what.
They descended into the station– and it took less than a minute for them to attract attention.
"Crimson Beetle?" A man said– doing a double take as they walked down the hallway. "Is– is there an akuma? What's–?"
He smiled warmly at the man. "Don't worry, sir, no akuma. We're just here for an interview. Could you direct us to studio 3?"
The man bobbed his head. "I heard there was a special guest being interviewed today– I had no idea it would be you two, um, just follow me–"
"Make sure you don't let word about this interview spread to outside the station," Crimson said, following the man as he gestured for them to follow. "While there may be no akuma right now, we don't want to risk there being one."
"Of course, of course."
It didn't take them long to attract attention as they descended down from the higher levels to the more busy floors. Crimson Beetle couldn't help but hold back a laugh at several reactions people had upon seeing them– a few polite nods as they walked past, only to quickly look up at them as they realized it was a hero walking by. Most people's expressions were eager, but unlike whenever he and Lady found themselves down on the streets, no one was stopping them, either them having their own jobs to get to, or knowing that the heroes had somewhere to be.
He looked back towards Lady, smiling– only to find her ears flat against her head as she walked, farther behind him than he had realized. His eyes flickered to those they were passing in the hall, who were skirting around Lady as they walked by. His eyes narrowed in on them, slowing his step down by a pace, allowing Lady Noire to catch up. He reached out, taking her hand, and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Lady stared at him with wide eyes, and he smiled– her attention didn't need to be on those that didn't know a thing about them.
"Crimson Beetle, there you are!" A voice called, and he looked up to see Arlette making her way towards them. "We were getting slightly worried– the studio is all set up waiting for you two. Come along now. Thank you, Dave, for bringing our heroes this far."
With that, they were ushered farther into the building, being led towards the studio where the interview would take place. It looked a lot like when they had been at the TVi studio, but still, Lady Noire was glancing around at the studio. The stage was set up so it looked like it was a room, two red seats set up so they were facing each other, one of them a couch, with a small table between them. Nadja was sitting in the single seat, looking slightly on edge.
"It's such an honor to have you two here tonight," Arlette continued, leading them up onto the stage. "Ruby, get some water for our guests. Pierre, see if there's anything else they need. You two get settled, we'll start recording as soon as we're all ready." The women beamed at them. "I'll be up in the sound booth if any of you need anything." Arlette turned towards Nadja. "Remember everything we talked about, this interview is one you cannot mess up."
Nadja smiled. "Don't worry, ma'am, I got this."
A woman came up to them, two glasses of water in her hands as they sat down. They both accepted the water, and Crimson was quick to drain the whole cup, knowing that they were probably going to be here for a good hour or more just talking. Ruby took the glass right back, while Lady had only taken what looked to be a few small nervous sips.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Crimson asked quietly.
"Of course," Lady Noire replied, giving him a tight smile.
"Is there anything else you or your partner need before we begin, Crimson Beetle?" Pierre asked. "Anything to eat? Touch up on makeup?"
"I'm good, thank you," Crimson said with a smile.
"Of course," the man said, before hurrying off before Lady had the chance to answer.
Crimson glanced around the studio, watching as everyone hurried about. Several cameras were already aimed at them, a few people with boom mics standing nearby, everyone in a general bustle. Crimson forced himself to relax as he felt his shoulders tensing up, reminding himself that this wasn't live. They just needed to take this interview one question at a time, edits could be made, the pressure shouldn't be that high.
"Alright," Arlette's voice came over the speakers. "Everyone get into place."
"Before we begin, I just wanted to thank you for this opportunity," Nadja said, smiling at Crimson. "I was surprised to hear that you personally requested to have this interview with me."
"You know what it's like to be out there when an akuma's raging," Crimson said with a smile, eyes squinting for a moment as a bright light was aimed towards them.
"Not as well as you do, Crimson Beetle," Nadja said, glancing at Lady Noire for a moment, but she didn't say anything.
"Alright," Arlette said. "If everyone's ready, we're going to begin now in three, two, one..."
A red light the closest camera flickered on, and the recording began. Nadja was sitting up, her body angled towards the camera, glancing for a moment at the tablet in her hand, before smiling towards the camera with a grin.
"Hello, Paris, and welcome to this week's addition of Face to Face. I myself am a new face to this little segment, but can I say that I am glad to be here, and to introduce you to our two very special guests tonight, Paris' very own heroes: Crimson Beetle and Lady Noire!"
Crimson allowed his polite smile to spread to one of greeting, giving a small wave to the main camera as it panned over to him and Lady.
"Thank you, Nadja," Crimson said, beaming. "It's an honor to be here tonight."
"The honor is all mine," Nadja said, leaning forward slightly. "Ever since you two have appeared here in Paris, we've all had so many questions we wished we could have answered. Of course, I have a feeling that we won't be learning any names tonight, hmm?"
"No, you won't," Crimson Beetle said, trying to stay polite, though there was a slight edge in his voice with identities being brought up right away. "It would be a waste of airtime to even bother asking, so let's jump right into the good questions, shall we?"
"I suppose the biggest question is in fact on the existence of superheroes in the first place," Nadja continued. "I grew up on the classics like Majestia and Knightowl, but learning that such a thing can be real... where do we even begin with that information? Where did you guys even come from?"
He was surprised by this question, as it was similar to what he heard months ago when they first appeared– something he didn't expect to be posed now. But considering there had never been a chance for them to answer these types of questions before, it made sense they were being asked now.
Crimson glanced at Lady, but she didn't seem to have anything she wanted to say for the question, so he took it. "I think 'superheroes' is a very modern term. Abilities such as ours have been around for a long time, but 'superheroes' are how it is viewed today."
"I suppose that leads into one of the next most popular questions out there: magic, science, technology, aliens, I've even seen claims of CGI– what is the origin of your powers?"
"Magic," Crimson replied after a beat, long enough to give Lady a chance to answer instead, but swift enough so that the pause wasn't long. "I know there are going to be plenty of people that outright reject that possibility; I have seen many posts online addressing that– but that is the best way to describe the powers we wield. We are humans with access to magic."
"Would you say it's something that this is beyond science, Crimson Beetle?"
He considered this for a moment. "Well, seeing as science is just a means to describe and understand the world around us, I do think that there could be ways our powers could be quantified as such, but for now what powers we do have do not currently fall into any field of science that I know of. I guess what's important is to stop seeing magic as an impossible force, and more as an unknown one. There's even a lot that I have yet to know. How about you, Lady?"
Lady Noire gave a slight smile. "I learn more everyday."
Nadja turned her attention back to Crimson. "My next questions won't be regarding you, but rather the shadow who has been hanging over our city– Monarch. What kind of threat are we truly looking at? What are her goals?"
This type of question had been one he was expecting, and an answer had been something he had rehearsed with Tikki– so this time he didn't pause. "I'm afraid that we're operating under limited knowledge as well, in terms of her goals. She is after power, but what she wishes to do with that power, I don't know, and I don't plan on finding out. She is abusing the powers she has, and as such, Lady and I will stop her and remove her powers."
Nadja paused for a moment, seemingly listening through her headset. "What exactly do you mean by 'removing' her powers, Crimson? Is there a power source? Is it the same for you? Could she access it again afterwards?"
"Pass."
"We–"
"Pass."
The question was about Monarch, but it applied to him and Lady as well, and he wasn't sure if he was ready with letting the world know exactly how their powers worked. If they knew that the power solely came from the jewelry and that it didn't have to be them using it... well, Monarch was probably not the only person who would want their Miraculouses.
Nadja hesitated, but then continued. "Multiple times, akumas have declared their intentions of taking 'Miraculouses'. There have been several theories regarding this; such as it being a name for magic, but I think the most popular theory is on the BeetleBlog, which theorizes that it is your earrings and ring– something else akumas have declared an interest in taking."
It was only from his training with his father's PR team that he was able to keep his expression even. The very thing he had been avoiding talking about by dodging the last question was right back up in the spotlight. Passing again would draw more attention to it than he liked, but he didn't just want to give any answer. Crimson Beetle looked over at Lady Noire, wondering if they should simply lie. Lady leaned forward slightly as he looked at her, for the first time answering one of Nadja's questions.
"Yes, we do call our ring and earrings a 'Miraculous'," she said. "Monarch has one as well– a brooch. They are simply a means to help us channel our powers."
Short, simple, and to the point– an answer that didn't reveal everything– much better than what he could have come up with.
Nadja swallowed. "Well, about your powers, Crimson Beetle, is there anything you can tell us about yours and Lady Noire's? Your abilities seem to be based around healing and destruction respectively?"
Crimson's stomach twisted at him being directly addressed– speaking as if Lady Noire was not even present despite the fact she had last spoken.
"You're only half right," Crimson said with a tight smile. "Lady Noire here indeed represents Destruction, meanwhile my powers are based around Creation. Unlike what most people think, I wouldn't call my powers healing at all."
"But you always restore the city after each battle."
"Correct," Crimson replied. "I restore with my Cure– I recreate the city to what it was before the attack. If someone was injured before the fight took place, my Cure would not reverse that. It's... it's an amazing ability to have– but the incorrect assumptions I have seen may be giving the wrong impression. The steps I go through to cast my Cure are just beyond saying my key phrase– when my Cure is cast, the city and those in it are restored to the state they were in before. No more, no less."
"And we could not thank you enough for what you are able to do," Nadja said. "And about your Lucky Charm, how exactly does that work? When recording some of your battles with the akuma, there have been some Lucky Charms you create that leave me scratching my head, but you always manage to change the course of the battle with it, no matter how useless the item seems."
"My Charm is not just me creating an object, it also creates a solution when summoned," Crimson said. "The trick is figuring out just what that solution is– because I actually have no idea what item I am getting when I summon my Charm." He smiled towards Lady Noire. "If it wasn't for Lady here, I'm sure half of my Charms would fail– she always manages to find a way to use them, even the most random ones."
"W-well, if you didn't summon them in the first place, we wouldn't have them to work with," Lady replied.
"I probably wouldn't summon them unless you were around," Crimson said with a grin. "If I were on my own, I'd probably end up with a fork against a dragon– I would have no idea even where to begin!"
"You're not giving yourself enough credit, Crim," Lady Noire said softly. "You're amazing."
"Nope– you're the one not giving yourself enough credit," he smiled over at the camera, throwing an arm around Lady Noire, pulling her close. "She's the reason this city is still standing. There's no Cure unless we can defeat the akuma, and she's the brains of this whole operation!" He smiled at her. "Well, I talked about my powers– so why don't you talk about yours now?"
No chance for Nadja to change the subject.
Lady hestated, her eyes flickering from Crimson, to Nadja, to the crew surrounding the stage. She then closed her eyes, before sitting up straight. "Compared to Crimson's abilities, my power is very straightforward. When I summon my power, I summon a wave of Destructive energy, which destroys whatever it touches. How much is destroyed depends on how much of this negative energy I summon."
The silence in the room that followed felt tangible. Crimson could hear a faint voice coming from Nadja's headset, and by the way Lady's ears immediately went flat against her head it seemed she could hear the exchange. Nadja looked nervous as she looked towards Lady, smile strained.
"Er, miss Lady Noire... would you be willing to discuss the C-cataclysm used in the fight against Stoneheart?"
Lady seemed to shrink back in her seat, but her expression stayed the same. "...Yes."
There was a moment of silence, and Crimson was tempted to say something– but Paris' thoughts on Lady's powers were something that needed to be addressed. When Nadja saw that Lady Noire wasn't going to expand, she continued with her questions.
"With the akuma attacks that took place at the beginning of last September, there seemed to be a pattern with your Cataclysms used," Nadja began slowly. "Resulting in a wide-scale... wave of destruction. As time went on, this pattern changed– with there being times where you either did not use your powers, or used them on a smaller scale. What prompted this change? Was it a realization of the danger your power brings?"
One of Lady's ears twitched, but she kept her expression neutral. "It was simply... experience. I became more confident in the use of my abilities, I felt more comfortable with using it."
"Do you feel that you have a right to use it?"
"H-huh?"
"Your power brings destruction," Nadja said. "When in use, it is affecting public property, private property– things that people would not want destroyed. Do you feel it is appropriate to use your powers in such a way."
Lady Noire watched Nadja for a moment, and the woman seemed to shrink back at her gaze. "I, in fact, do have the right. At the end of last year a law was passed that allows Crim and I to legally be the ones to fight akumas– and it is stated within that no damages would be held against us as long as the Miraculous Ladybug restores it all."
"Akumas are destructive," Crimson added. "We have no choice but to fight them in an area and way that does create damages. But if our focus was on making sure a window wouldn't get broken, instead of stopping the akumatized victim, more harm would be done in the long run."
"What would be done if Lady Noire were to use her Cataclysm outside of an akuma situation then?"
"Why would I?" Lady snapped.
"There is no sort of regulation on your powers," Nadja replied. "And with what it's capable of doing, don't you feel that there is a need for something to be in place? What reassurances do we have as bystanders?"
"I..."
"As we saw with the akuma Copycat–"
"Enough," Crimson growled as he watched Lady's ears go back. "Pass. Next question."
"The city has the right–"
"Lady and I have no answer on regulations or the city when it comes to our powers," Crimson snapped. "We are not associated with the government. Our job is to stop Monarch– and that is what we will accomplish. Any ability has the ability to be used for good or for evil– it doesn't matter what it is. Monarch is the one misusing her powers, not me, and not Lady Noire."
Nadja blinked. "And how could your powers even be used in such a way?"
"What?"
"Your power is Creation, didn't you say? How could Creation ever bring harm?" Nadja asked, sitting up slightly. "On the other hand, isn't Destruction inherently dangerous? Are Lady Noire's abilities even appropriate for the line of work you two are doing?"
Silence fell in the studio, and Lady's expression was one that couldn't be quite read. She opened her mouth for a moment, but no words came. Her gaze flickered over towards Crimson, then down to her ring.
"...What?" Crimson asked quietly.
"Do you feel powers of destruction are appropriate for protecting a city?" Nadja asked. "When destruction is the exact opposite of that?"
"I..." Lady whispered.
"Enough."
Crimson's voice was a growl, and his green eyes seemed to burn as he pushed himself to his feet. Nadja pulled back slightly, looking surprised.
"This interview is over," Crimson Beetle said quietly, turning away from the stage. "I said one of the conditions of this interview was treating my partner with respect– and harassing her is the complete opposite of that. We're leaving."
"M. Beetle, wait–" Nadja began.
"No," he snapped. "Come on, Lady."
"Crimson, it's fine–"
"No, it's not," he muttered, already making his way across the stage, and after a moment Lady Noire followed right behind him. The cameramen and crew scrambled to get out of his way as he headed toward the exit.
"Crimson Beetle, wait!" A voice cried, and Crimson looked over his shoulder to see Arlette rushing towards them. "Let's discuss–"
"There's nothing to discuss," he snapped. "Not when Lady Noire is putting herself at risk with every fight– and you think you have the right to ask her if it's appropriate for her to protect the city? What makes you think that question is appropriate!"
"Crimson Beetle–"
"I know I gave you a lot of requirements for this interview, Arlette," Crimson said softly. "But you agreed to all of them. You have no ground to stand on– we have every right to back out of this interview when you backed out of this agreement."
"Crimson Beetle, wait," Nadja said, having made her way down from the stage. "Let's start the interview over, okay?" She sounded desperate. "I won't ask that question this time around– in fact, you could look over every question we have–"
He wished he would have done that in the first place, but he had thought his ground rules would be enough. Crimson hesitated for a moment. "...No. You guys crossed our boundaries once, we have no guarantee it will not happen again. The interview is over."
Crimson didn't stay to listen to their protests, just heading for the exit, and no one tried to stop them. Lady was right as his heels, and they took to the hallway. There were people behind them, probably Arlette or Nadja, but he didn't slow down. As soon as a window came into view he wrenched it open, a cool breeze blowing by, and even being several stories up he jumped out with no hesitation– throwing his yoyo as he fell.
Lady Noire followed him onto a nearby rooftop, a baton in hand. They paused up there as they put their weapons away, and Crimson realized he was panting. Not from exhaustion, but from sheer frustration.
What had he done wrong? He wanted this interview to be something to help Lady, for her to be comfortable– yet the opposite had happened.
"...I'm sorry."
He jerked at this wording, turning to face Lady, who was staring down at the ground. She looked up at him, ears back and eyes regretful, and he could only stare. "What?"
"I know this interview was important to you," Lady Noire said softly. "And it didn't go the way you wanted. I would say just do one without me, but..." She shook her head. "It would be just as unfair to leave you alone for one..."
He stood there for a moment. "...Lady, you did want to do this interview, right?"
She shrugged.
"Lady," he repeated, worry seeping into this voice. "Please, please tell me you did not just agree to this because I said we should."
"You thought it was a good idea," she said with a slight shrug. "Besides, you're better at this type of thing, so..."
Crimson stared at her for a moment, guilt swelling up in his heart– and he reached out and pulled her into a hug. She seemed slightly surprised as she was suddenly pulled into an embrace, but he couldn't help it. Tears stung his eyes as he held her close.
"Chatonne," he muttered. "I only wanted to do this interview to help you. I'm... I'm so sorry if you felt pressured into this. I'm sorry."
"Crim–"
"M'lady, please promise me you'll tell me if you're not comfortable with something in the future," Crimson said, pulling back slightly, his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. "It doesn't matter why– we're partners– and we're never going to walk into a situation that neither of us are comfortable with. Never again."
He wasn't quite sure what emotion was in her expression– it looked almost like awe, but he couldn't imagine why she'd look at him that way. Perhaps gratitude, mixed in with understanding. She watched him for a moment, before swallowing, giving a slight nod.
Crimson pulled her back into his embrace, and this time she returned it, leaning her head against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. He felt a vibration against his chest, and after a moment of confusion he realized it was coming from Lady Noire.
She didn't seem to notice the silent purr she was letting out, just holding him tightly. Crimson smiled softly, before closing his eyes as well. His partner was the most amazing person he knew– but despite being a hero, nothing seemed to go her way.
He had to make things better for her.
"So much guilt, so much bitterness, taking the blame for a mistake you didn't even make."
"She said that I cost the station this interview, yet the question that drove them off was the question she told me to ask them!"
"Well, Prime Queen, I can give you the power to seek revenge on your dear boss. She shouldn't get away scot-free for punishing you for her mistakes. You can conduct this interview once more– this time doing things your way."
"Really?"
"Of course. I understand the pain of needing to correct a mistake beyond your control. All I ask, once your little interview with the heroes is over, is that you give me their Miraculouses."
"Of course, Monarch."
Lady Noire had very mixed feelings when she learned that Nadja Chamack had been akumatized shortly after the interview had been canceled– but much to her surprise, the akuma didn't seem to be making a beeline straight for them– instead having gone after her boss Arlette, kidnapping the women by moving through screens and electronics with ease– making it a difficult akuma to track.
Any pity she had for the captured woman was lessened when she learned that she had fired Nadja after the woman had done exactly as Arlette had instructed.
Prime Queen had been difficult to track, because while she had made plenty of screen-based portals for her and Crimson to pass through, they had refused to use them knowing that there could very easily be a trap on the other side. Prime Queen seemed desperate for another interview with them– the trick was finding a place to 'meet up' with her that didn't involve her portals.
In the meantime Prime Queen was more than happy to expose her boss' actions on TV– how she had been told that she had to take an interview or be fired, but had been promised a promotion in return. Having been fed every question she was supposed to ask through the headset, having no option to explore the interview in the way she had wanted– but despite having done everything she had been asked, she had still been fired since the interview had flopped.
Lady Noire felt so guilty, knowing that this was her fault. She had told Crimson that Nadja should interview them, simply because Nadja was a family friend. And with Crimson having gone out of the way to keep the questions from being concerns about her powers, Nadja had been backed into a corner of not being able to ask those without them walking out– yet being told she had to, for the sake of her job.
She shouldn't have told Crimson any preference for who interviewed them.
Unfortunately, the interview that had taken place was being broadcast as they fought– Prime Queen having happily aired what had been recorded of the interview, alongside what Arlette had been telling Nadja through the headset.
It was the headset that had ended up being the akumatized object, which Lady Noire had managed to Cataclysm after she and Crimson agreed to meet the akuma in the same studio where the first interview had taken place, with the promise of another one. Instead, Prime Queen's technology based-powers hadn't reacted too well to the giant magnet-Lucky Charm Crimson had summoned, allowing them to free her from Monarch's control.
Backlash towards Arlette from the public had gotten Nadja her job back.
It seemed to be an akuma fight that ended well– but Lady Noire couldn't help but be on edge. It was almost like when Copycat had struck, a general sense of unease when it came to her alter ego in the air. When Alya had mentioned she was working on an analysis of the interview Prime Queen had shown, she couldn't help but feel sick, and Plagg's stares from her bag hadn't helped.
A week later, the BeetleBlog released two new articles, the one Marinette had helped Alya with: Magic in World War II, and her analysis based off of the interview with Nadja Chamack: What is Lady Noire's History?
"So, who's Citrine Húlí?"
Tikki dropped the chocolate bar she was eating, staring at Adrien in shock. "Wh-where did you hear that name?"
"Technically since the Cameraman fight, apparently," Adrien said, scrolling through his phone. "But Alya dug up quite a bit of information in one of her newest articles. Citrine Húlí, Pfau– apparently fox-themed and peacock-themed 'users of magic' from the World War II era. Somebody named Amber, mention of magical monsters... there's a lot, actually."
Tikki zipped over to peer over Adrien's shoulder, trying to read the article. She looked slightly on edge, antennae up and alert as her eyes flickered across the screen. "Oh... wow. And I thought she found a lot when she dug up Pfau's name..."
There was a video interviewing a veteran, and also a clip from the Cameraman fight, and despite both having transcripts written out, Adrien still played out the clip from Cameraman, listening to Monarch's comment about Citrine. Tikki didn't say anything, but the kwami was watching him with an expression he couldn't quite read.
"So, if this Citrine has something to do with Lady Noire's ring, does he have something to do with my earrings, and you?" Adrien asked– and there was a slight edge in his tone, as if he already knew the answer the Tikki was going to give him.
Tikki's antennae fell. "...I'm not allowed to talk about that."
"...I see," Adrien said, more coldly than he intended.
"I'm not trying to keep things from you," Tikki said swiftly. "But this isn't something you're supposed to be told yet. It was supposed to be a little bit at a time, not all at once, I didn't know people would go digging things up."
"Yeah."
"Adrien?" Tikki asked, drifting closer.
"...I really don't like secrets, Tikki," Adrien muttered. "People act like I don't notice anything, but I could tell when Mom, Dad, and Nathalie would go all quiet when I entered the room. I notice when Father's employees brush me off. Or fans think they're being all subtle as they follow me. I'm not stupid."
"I would never think you are!" Tikki cried.
"Then why can't I know something that involves me?" He asked, emerald gaze steely.
"You will," Tikki promised. "When it's time."
"Hooray," Adrien said dryly. "Something else people get to decide for me."
"Adrien–"
"Not now, Tikki," Adrien muttered, turning away from Tikki and settling his phone down. "I'm just not in the mood."
"Adrien, wait–"
"Tikki, please," Adrien snapped. "Not now. I'm... It just hasn't been a good week, okay? I was hoping to make things better for Lady, but I messed that up. Now that interview has been broadcast everywhere, Alya's written an article about it that, honestly, I don't even dare look at right now, and I just... gah– I'm allowed to have a bad day– okay?"
Tikki looked away. "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you?"
"Yeah," Adrien said, abandoning the phone and the kwami on his bed, heading over towards his computer instead. He joined the group chat he and Marinette were in, hoping that she was online and that maybe a few rounds of UMS would take his mind off of things. It was only EagleWing that was on, though, so he played a few rounds with her instead.
She beat him easily.
'What is Lady Noire's History?'
Marinette didn't like the article title, Plagg told her not to read it, and Alya had texted her in excitement on her latest posts– the one about Citrine Húlí quickly gaining views, and a part of Marinette hoped that would bury whatever the second article said. However she needed to know what was being said about her alter ego, and she wanted to support Alya with what she wrote. Besides, who knew, maybe it would be something more in her favor unlike others in the past.
So she found herself looking down at the BeetleBlog on her phone, slowly reading through the article Alya had written:
I'm bringing back an old theory of mine, the one about Lady Noire being a former villain. When I first proposed this, I was of course looking at it with the idea of classic comic book superheroes in mind, and now I want to take a more straightforward approach, as 'heroes' and 'villains' may be too much of a trope for reality, but I felt the idea was worth looking into.
Two things in the interview conducted by Nadja Chamack (who I get the honor of job shadowing next week!) with the heroes stood out to me– Lady Noire discussing the Miraculouses, and Lady Noire discussing 'experience' in relation to her Cataclysm.
When Nadja brings up the 'Miraculouses', Crimson Beetle looks straight at Lady Noire, as if she would have the most knowledge on this. I find this the most surprising because throughout the rest of the interview, it was Crimson Beetle that took the lead, just like in their battles, following a classic hero-sidekick dynamic. During this part of the interview, however, he clearly expects her to take the lead.
And she does so– confirming one of my other theories that the jewelry helps channel their powers– but I notice that interestingly she points out that Monarch has one, too, in the form of a brooch. If you go back and look at the footage from the akuma fight with Cameraman– an akuma I am now finding gives us a lot of information– you can indeed see if you look closely there is a brooch on Monarch's chest. (Picture below.)
This is the only time we have ever seen Monarch, and it seems it may be Crimson Beetle's only time as well, as he says in the interview with Nadja: "I'm afraid that we're operating under limited knowledge as well in terms of [Monarch's] goals. She is after power, but what she wishes to do with that power, I don't know..."
Crimson makes it clear that he is here to stop Monarch, but it does not seem to be personal– not a sworn-enemies kind of situation, something more out of duty. Yet if we look back on Monarch's and Lady Noire's interactions from Cameraman, we get this exchange instead:
Lady Noire: "Don't you dare! Don't you dare try to pin this on us– not when you're the one transforming these people! Making them attack the innocent!"
Monarch: "And are you talking about yourself when you say innocent, little lady? I saw what you did yesterday– impressive power, though it makes me wonder why Citrine would pick a Black Cat that can't even control their Destruction. It's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt from such influence, Lady Noire."
(There's a clip below if you wish to listen to the exchange.)
This is just inference at this point– but doesn't this feel like a conversation between people who are more familiar with each other? There seems to be a personal jab coming from Monarch, and she has a clear knowledge of how Lady Noire's Cataclysms reacted during this time: out of control, like she had seen it firsthand before. Now, while I am still trying to learn more about Citrine Húlí (check out my article here for what we currently know about him), this exchange established that Monarch, Citrine Húlí, and Lady Noire all seem to know each other in some form.
My final piece of evidence comes from a recording that is not my own, but the clip below is from a local news station that was recording the fight, you can watch the link, but what happens in the clip is again from the Cameraman fight, this featuring Crimson Beetle and Lady Noire watching the projection of Monarch and her speech. It is a short exchange between the two heroes, and it may be hard to make out, but they say:
Crimson Beetle: "The Butterfly?"
Lady Noire: "Undoubtedly."
Just like in the interview, this is another instance of Crimson Beetle looking to Lady Noire– in this case Lady Noire confirming that this was indeed Monarch– showing that she could recognize her on sight.
So, as I said, viewing what's happening here in Paris through classic movie and comics' hero and villain dynamics might be a bit much, I still think Lady Noire may have former ties to Monarch, and perhaps any group she could be part of. My theory is that the "Miraculouses", which channel power, were in the hands of Monarch and her potential allies for a time, and they used them to enhance their magic. They were out of the hands of the heroes, which explains Crimson Beetle's lack of familiarity despite using one. Lady Noire, on the other hand, is more experienced with them, noting: her familiarity of what they do, of her conversation with Monarch, and the fact that she knew that Monarch had one.
In the interview, when asked about her Cataclysm, Lady Noire cites the word 'experience' to explain how this ability functioned when akumas first appeared. This is vague, but perhaps a mention that she had more experience with channeling larger waves of destruction? What use would that be, but to ones seeking to bring harm– like Monarch?
In an older article here, I take notice that the energy surrounding akumas and Lady Noire's Cataclysm look very much the same. Let's say that this means they have the same origins– a hypothetical group, perhaps, that specializes in magic, and abuses their powers. They have Miraculouses, which seems to be an artifact that enhances magical powers. Members of this group could be Monarch, with the power to control people; Pfau (more about what we know of them here) who could summon monsters; and perhaps Lady Noire? With destructive powers. Because of the Miraculous, she is more experienced with larger and more powerful destructive magic.
Then you have those with magic who are trying to stop those misusing their powers, such as Citrine Húlí, Amber, and what I would assume to be a young Crimson Beetle in training. Lacking a Miraculouses they still use their powers, but can't access the same wide scale abilities their enemies can (I mean, something like a Miraculous Ladybug would have probably been reported if used before).
While the exact ages of the heroes are unknown, it is generally accepted that Crimson Beetle and Lady Noire appear to be younger, ages as young as fifteen to as old as twenty-five being suggested, but the most common predictions seem to be in the eighteen to twenty-two range. Compare that to Citrine Húlí, who was fighting in World War II, so we know that he would have to be older, most likely in his eighties or nineties, if not older. Because of this, I think Crimson Beetle and Lady Noire were trained from a young age, and now as adults are officially 'in the field'.
But I digress– as we can see Crimson Beetle has a Miraculous, and I theorized that he didn't always. I think this is where Lady Noire's role comes into play– her bringing Miraculouses over from this other group to the ones we call heroes. In my old theory, I had the idea that perhaps she was a villain brought to the light, or maybe the child of a super villain making their own path, and I want to poke at that idea again– with Lady Noire going from one side to the other, in the process bringing Miraculouses over to the side trying to stop those from misusing their magic.
This would explain Lady Noire's familiarity with the Miraculouses, Lady Noire's and Monarch's familiarity with each other, Lady Noire's "experience" with using larger and more destructive Cataclysms, the similar energy of Cataclysms and akumas, and finally Crimson Beetle's defensive persona with Lady Noire. Someone who betrayed one group would probably be targeted by that group, and Monarch seemed to be launching personal comments in her words to Lady Noire.
Lady Noire being the one to take the Miraculouses to the heroes would also explain why Monarch seems determined to reclaim them with her akumas, which always seem to be targeting the heroes' Miraculouses. The question that remains, though, is why are these attacks occuring in the first place?
The heroes seemed to be on standby, ready to jump in when the first akuma struck. If Lady Noire was indeed familiar with this other side, perhaps it was information she brought as well, not just the Miraculouses, leading to these young heroes being ready to jump in with the first attack. But what is Monarch's goal, then? Not even Crimson Beetle could provide us with that answer. Power? Money? Domination? The mere thrill of the fight? Something far more, perhaps linked with magic that we don't understand?
All in all, a closer look into the interview and the interactions of our heroes and 'villain' provide some interesting observations and insights, but leave us with just as many questions as we had before.
At the bottom of the page there were some links citing the other sources she used, along with a few video clips she referenced in her post, but Marinette didn't really care for what they showed. She just stared at the end of the article for a moment, hesitating, before slowly scrolling down to the comments.
The top one simply said: "Can we trust a former villain, though?"
Marinette stopped reading after that, closing her phone– she was not looking forward to school tomorrow.
Apparently, Marinette wasn't the only one not eager to head to school, because as she headed towards the school from her bakery, she noticed a girl her age lingering outside of the school gates. There was a backpack slung over her back, eyes flickering up between the school, and a piece of papers in her hands. Her expression was less than happy, lingering right outside the school grounds.
"...Are you alright?" Marinette asked as she approached– because in her time from crossing the street to get to school, the girl had not moved, many other students having moved past her to head inside.
Olive green eyes turned towards Marinette, the sharp gaze softening as her focus shifted. The girl had long brown hair that was almost red in hue, and she offered a small uncertain smile.
"Hello," the girl said meekly, and Marinette instantly recognized the Italian accent. "I, um... I'm new here? And I'm just not sure, where classes are, or anything..."
She trailed off, her eyes looking down at her papers, then up at Marinette– expectant. Marinette smiled warmly. "Well, welcome to Collège Françoise Dupont," Marinette said. "I know most of the teachers here, so I can help you find your homeroom– what teacher do you have for your first class?"
"Um, a Miss Bustier?" The girl said, holding out the papers she had for Marinette to see.
"Oh!" Marinette said, brightening up. "Well, that works out well– that means we're in the same class." She offered the girl a smile. "Come on, we're on the second floor. I can show you right where to go."
"Thank you so much," the girl said, looking relieved. "It's just all..." she trailed off, as if she wasn't sure of the word. "Brand new school," she finally settled for. "It's just a lot of pressure."
"I get that," Marinette said with a nod. "Well, don't worry, our class is more than welcoming. Except Chloe, but..." Marinette shook her head. "You can sit with me and my friends at lunch, and we can all show you around, if you'd like."
"That would be amazing," the girl said enthusiastically. "Thank you so much, um...?"
"Marinette," Marinette said with a smile. "And you are?"
"I'm Lila. Lila Rossi."
