"This fencing gear really does suit you!" Tikki compliment as Marin finished putting on his fencing gear. He folded his jacket, placing it inside his bag as he moved towards the helmets.
"Thank you, Tikki." Marin said trying one on. "Let's hope wielding a saber is a lot easier than finding a helmet that fits."
"You've been researching this for weeks, is this a passion of yours?" Tikki asked curiously as Marin took off the helmet as it was too big.
"Little bit? I've been following the sport for a few years and D'Argencourt is the most prestigious fencing academy in all of Paris. Think of the fighting experience I could gain by training here." Marin said as Tikki smiled smugly.
"Not to mention that Adrien is here as well."
"Yeah, I hope he's doing alright. Last time we talked he seemed pretty nervous about this instruction thing." Marin said as he placed another helmet on, it was a little too snug. When he tried to remove it, a sudden panic overcame him; it was stuck. When he tried to force it off he accidentally hit the table behind him, knocking over almost all of the sabers and gear onto the ground.
"This is fine."
At the school, Adrien stood with his class as Mr. D'Argencourt paced before them.
"I am the fencing master, Mr. D'Argencourt. As I'm sure you're aware, we have only one open spot on the team this year. So, in order to select the best possible candidate, I will observe the beginners performing a number of attacks on the experienced students." His teacher signaled for his students to partner up. Adrien spotted one of the taller candidates, walking up to him as he looked rather nervous, despite the mask.
"Seems like you're looking for someone?" Adrien asked.
"Yeah, I thought my friend Adrien was here..." He said shyly, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
Adrien smiled almost immediately, lifting up his mask. "Marin?" He asked as his friend yelped in surprise. "I didn't know you were into fencing."
Marin averted his gaze, despite his face being hidden. "Just a little bit..."
Adrien chuckled, "Well," First off you need to get into position." He said and was pleasantly surprised when Marin stepped back almost perfectly.
"Not bad." Adrien complimented walking up to his friend, placing his hand on Marin's arm to adjust his grip. "Just put your saber forward, like this.
"Greet each other!" D'Argencourt called out as everyone crossed their saber arm over their chest, and then snaped it to the side, the traditional fencing greeting."En garde! Prêt, allez!"
Adrien got into position but was confused for a moment as, Marin stood still. "Go on, Marin. You're supposed to-" He said as suddenly Marin lunged forward, Adrien did the same but his slash was deflected as the next thing Adrien knew Marin had already won the point.
" Attaque! Touche. Point!" D'Argencourt announced, walking towards the next group as both of them backed off.
"Touch you?! Yeah..." Marin said, finishing off Adrien's earlier thought as Adrien smirked. His heart was racing with excitement/
"You think you're so cute don't you?" Adrien chided playfully as Marin laughed.
"Lil' bit." He said as they continued. Marin swiftly deflected on of Adrien's attacks gracefully, landing a counter-attack as Adrien tried to be more aggressive.
"You've got good reflexes!" Adrien complemented, revealing his face as Marin stepped back. "Attack, parry, riposte, counterattack. The point goes to you, Marin." He praised as his friend only nodded. "You sure you don't have any training? You're really good."
Marin faltered for a moment, "Oh, no...I'm just a fan." He said as a shout grabbed everyone's attention. Someone in bright red fencing gear walked in with a matching red saber at her side.
"Hey, you! Are you Mr. D'Argencourt, the fencing master? I wanna join your team."
D'Argencourt hummed for a moment. "Only the best are admitted here."
The fencer nodded, " And I was, everywhere I went."
D'Argencourt smirked, amused at the fencers' tact. "All right! I may consider your admission, if, you defeat one of my students." He said, stepping to the side as the fencer walked froward.
"Which one of you is the best combatant?!" The fencer demanded as everyone started glancing towards him.
"Adrien, please give our visitor the proper greeting."D'Argencourt requested as Adrien smirked in anticipation.
"I shall, Master." He said walking up towards the fencer who was already attached to the point machine.
The match was tight as Marin watched in amazement as he observed the skill of two highly trained fencers against each other. It was an intense, tight bout.
"Wait." The red fencer called out. "I request that we do it the old-fashioned way. We'll be much more at ease without the machine."
"Adrien?" D'Argencourt asked.
"Fine with me." Adrien shrugged as they both removed the cords. The Red fencer flexed her skills, clearly a force in her own right as Adrien stood calmly.
"En garde... Prêt... allez!" D'Argencourt called out as the two sabers clashed. Both of them attacked each other aggressively, making their way up the stairs as Adrien was then pinned to the railing vis the red fencer's blade.
"Is this safe?" He asked in concern.
"Part le fer! This IS what fencing's all about!" D'Argencourt remarked excitedly as Marin stared at him in confusion. As everyone ran up the stairs to view the match Marin used the other set not wanting to get crowded. The fight was taken to the library as the two stood across from each other.
"Let's finish this off!" The red fencer said as the two lunged at each other, their blades clashing as at last impact was made.
"Who got the first hit?!" The red fencer and Adrien demanded, both of them looking at Marin who stood like a deer in the headlights.
"Uhhh, I...!"
D'Argencourt panted as he had a large bruise on his head, "Who touched first? Tell us now!" He demanded as Marin wondered if he needed medical attention, panicking as all eyes were on him.
"I don't know! I think... It was... Adrien?" He mumbled out as D'Argencourt cheered.
"Ah-ha, wonderful! This victory is an honor to D'Argencourt Academy!"
The red fencer stabbed her weapon into the ground, sighing in defeat. She shook hands with Adrien respectfully as she walked out.
Adrien then removed his helmet." Are you sure, Marin?" He asked picking up the red saber.
Marin only shrugged his shoulders.
Adrien then glanced towards his teacher, "I think she touched me first."
"The referee has the last word," D'Argencourt said simply, returning to his reserved nature as Marin watched Adrien race down the stairs. The older man then placed his hand on Marin's shoulder. "Congratulations, it appears you now have a place within my school." He said as Marin looked on with a guilty expression on his face.
Adrien ran towards the red fencer as she was about to enter a red car. "Hey!" He called out running up to her, as she turned towards him, he was stunned for a moment. A steely gaze paired with natural beauty, she was stunning. "Let's do a... decisive match?" He asked hesitantly as he noticed the brand on her ring.
"What's the point? You won. There's no such thing as a second chance in my family. Goodbye." She said bluntly as she entered the car, driving off as Adrien was still stunned. He suddenly snapped to attention as he realized the red fencer was almost out of his sights. He then ran up to his car as his bodyguard was driving.
"Follow that car!" Adrien pointed out as he then sat back to put on his seat belt, setting the red saber to the side. Adrien then pulled out his phone, searching for the symbol that he recalled seeing during his studies. He finally found the article containing the symbol. "She's the only daughter belonging to a family of prestigious fencers. Her mother and grandfather were both world champions. I've read about them before! She and her mother just moved to Paris! What an incredible coincidence-" He was explaining to Plagg as suddenly the car was cut in half. Adrien was stunned for a few moments as he immediately undid his seat belt, now being faced with a new akumatized villain standing atop the broken car.
"Who are you?" Adrien questioned as he looked up to a silver armored young woman with a sword for an arm.
"I am Riposte, and I'll be taking you up on your offer of a decisive match!"
Adrien gripped the saber in his hand. "I- I can't fight you like this! You're not... yourself." He tried to reason as Riposte scowled at him. She jumped up, thrusting her weapon down towards him.
But Adrien felt himself being pulled back, next thing he knew, he blushed furiously as he realized he was in the arms of his partner.
"Are you alright?" Ladybug asked, stepping before him defensively, holding his yo-yo.
Riposte smirked. "Ladybug, you standing between me and my duel." She remarked as she lunged towards him. Ladybug gracefully evaded each of Riposte's slashes, able to hook his yo-yo around the wrist of her sword hand. However, he realized he may have made a mistake as Riposte grabbed the yo-yo pulling her towards him with great strength.
Time seemed to slow down as Ladybug tripped forward, almost slashed by Riposte's blade as at the last moment he was pushed out of the way. Ladybug looked up to see Adrien hovering over his face with little distance between them. Both of them quickly looked away as they noticed Riposte gearing up for another attack. Ladybug wrapped his arm about Adrien's waist as he used his yo-yo to lift them both onto the rooftops.
"Ouch!" Adrien winced as he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Ladybug stopped for a moment, setting him down as he noticed a cut on Adrien's leg.
"That was reckless ." Ladybug remarked, removing his scarf, noticing it was sliced down. Secretly he felt an underlining fear as his scarf was made from the same material as his uniform.
"You don't have to-" Adrien said as he saw Ladybug wrapping his scarf around his ankle.
"I don't have anything to brace it but you're going to have to stay off of it as much as you can." Ladybug informed as he thought for a moment, trying to think of a place where Ariend would be safe until Chat Noir could show up. "I need to get you as far away from that girl as possible. It's going to be hard for me to fight and protect you at the same time." He informed as he tried to call his partner. But to no avail, as his partner didn't pick up.
"You can leave me anywhere, I'll be fine-" Adrien was about to saw until Roposte sliced through the wall they were seated behind.
"Allow me to explain the rules to you-" Riposte remarked as Ladybug jumped back, cradling Adrien in his arms. "You're not allowed to call it quits at any time! Once I cut you down Ladybug, Adrien is mine!"
"Friend of yours?" Ladybug asked as Adrien chuckled dryly.
"That's kinda a loaded question." He said.
"Riposte!" Ladybug called out, "No one's doubting your skill, but you must realize that there's no honor in attacking an injured opponent! Leave Adrien out of this!"
Riposte pondered this for a moment, "Alright, I'll deal with you first, and then, I'll take Adrien for my own!"
"That's fine with me." Ladybug answered as he followed Riposte, jumping away.
"What are you doing?!" Adrien harshly whispered, but Ladybug ignored him.
At the Louvre Palace, Ladybug placed Adrien on the ground with his arm over his shoulder to act as a crutch for the smaller boy. He alerted the authorities to the situation, then walking down towards the Egyptian exhibit. He guided Adrien towards the sarcophagus, opening it up as he placed him inside.
"Wait, don't I get a say in this?!" Adrien demanded.
"I'm sorry, but you'll be safe in here until Chat Noir shows up." He said, "I'll leave part of it open for you."
"Wait!" Adrien called out. He hesitated for a moment as for a few moments he admired his partner's handsome face as he then handed him the red saber. "Please be careful, Ladybug."
Ladybug nodded. "Don't worry about me. You stay out of harm's way, okay?" He asked as he left part of the coffin open. For a moment he pressed his forehead against the stone coffin as he knew that he had to face against Riposte.
Riposte stood in the center of the museum, looking composed as she lifted her head. "Where did you hide Adrien?"
Ladybug took out his yo-yo, which made the villainess angry.
"Can't cut it? Fine. I'm going to defeat you and take your Miraculous! Then I'll go and find him!"
Ladybug narrowed his eyes, "I won't let you lay a hand on him." He said as the two lunged towards each other.
Within the coffin, Plagg flew out as Adrien held up his ring. "It's time we went and joined Ladybug." He said.
"You're sure taking some major risks today." Plagg observed.
"Don't really have a choice do I? My partner needs me." He said as Plagg grew more distressed.
"Didn't you hear what he said? He said to stay out of harm's way! You can't disobey him!" He said in concern.
"I'm not going to just abandon him. Plagg, claws out!"
"Stop running!" Riposte said angrily as she slashed the ceiling, knocking unbalancing Ladybug as Riposte slashed at him, knocking the saber out of his hand. Ladybug was slammed against a wall, falling to the ground. He groaned in pain as Riposte lifted up his head using her blade.
Riposte smiled victoriously as she was slammed back.
"A fencing tournament at the Louvre? How come I wasn't invited?"
Ladybug turned his head towards Chat Noir who was walking up with a smile on his face and the red saber in his hand along with the staff.
"Let me guess: you were late because you were at the groomers again?" Ladybug joked.
Cat Noir shrugged his shoulders, holding out a hand to his partner. "I was preening myself, my lady. You know how long it takes cats to get ready." He said as Ladybug gripped his hand. As he tried to stand up, Ladybug held his side painfully, falling back down against the wall. Chat Noir took notice of the cuts all over his partner's body, preventing him from moving too much. Ladybug held his side as Chat Noir held up the saber in his hand towards Riposte who was laughing victoriously.
"I took out your partner, you're next Chat Noir!" Riposte called preparing to lunge as Chat Noir scooped up his partner. Managing to hit the lockdown alarm just as he bought some time. He jumped down the stairs, but almost tripped due to the added weight of his partner. Quickly he looked around and escaped towards the Egyptian exhibit as it was the closest one that had dim lighting.
Chat Noir placed Ladybug against the wall in the sarcophagus room, hoping that his partner wouldn't take notice of the fact that the coffin was open. He knelt down to his partner's side, gently pushing away Ladybug's hand as he took a closer look at his wound. Chat Noir's face grew sullen almost immediately, something that Ladybug picked up on.
"Sorry." Ladybug murmured, somewhat shamefully.
"Huh?" Chat Noir asked lifting his head in confusion.
"It's because of me that you hurt your ankle, isn't it?" Ladybug asked, giving Chat Noir an unintentional out, but he just sighed supping his partner's cheek.
"Don't worry about that, we have to find a way to defeat Riposte."
Ladybug looked away for a moment, thinking as he then spotted the coffin. "Adrien!" He said panicked, then grabbing Chat Noir's hand, "You have to get him out of he-" He was about to say but then felt a wave of pain as his breathing shallowed.
Chat Noir frowned at him, "Adrien's a smart kid, he won't get caught so easily. We need to worry about Riposte, trust me." He said, his voice calming Ladybug down as he sighed heavily.
"Okay." He then threw his yo-yo up as well as he could. "Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called out, and both hero's looked up in a panic as a radiator almost fell on them.
Riposte followed the trail of blood leading to the Egyptian exhibit. She smiled victoriously as she spotted the coffin already open.
"Of course!" She said victoriously, speedily jumping off the walls and landing before the coffin. Just as she was about to impale it, she heard a noise from behind. Instinctively stabbing as she recoiled in shock as her blade was trapped between the bars of a radiator, and bound by a belt. Ladybug then looked up fro a moment as Chat Noir fell from above, destroying the blade with his cataclysm and releasing the Akuma.
"No more mischief from you little Akuma. Time to purify!" Ladybug said as he swung his yo-yo towards the possessed Akuma, capturing it in one motion. Then opening it once more, watching the newly purified Akuma fly away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!" He said and everything turned back to normal.
The red fencer was turned back to normal as Chat Noir and Ladybug's injuries disappeared. Along with Ladybug's scarf reappearing, no longer ripped. The two heroes bumped fists as both of their Miraculous beeped.
"You go on ahead, I'll take care of her." Ladybug said as Char Noir nodded, needing to leave first anyway.
Ladybug walked towards the red fencer who looked at Ladybug in confusion. "What happened?" She asked as Ladybug placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Everything's alright, you were just possessed by an Akuma."
"An Akuma..."She questioned for a moment as Ladybug helped her to her feet. Immediately she took a step back, bowing apologetically. "I'm so sorry for the trouble I caused you Ladybug."
But the hero waved his hand. "Don't worry about it, Ms...?"
"Tsuguri, Kagami Tsuguri." She said introducing herself.
Cat Noir hastily ducked out of sight behind a nearby cat statue, whispering. "Claws in." As Plagg fell on his hands, wriggling around.
"Ohhhh... All this sport has made me hungryyyyy!" He complained as Adrien placed him in his pocket for now, far from any camembert. He observed Ladybug saying something to the red fencer that made her smile, guiding her to the front of the exhibit.
"You go on. I have to find someone."
"Thank you Ladybug." She said gratefully as she left.
Ladybug waved for a moment, then started to look around the room in worry, picking up the fallen red saber. "Where could he have gone?"
"Ladybug?" Adrien asked, stepping out into the light with a smile on his face.
The black-spotted hero sighed in relief. "You're safe. Is your leg okay?"
"Yeah..." He then looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry I disobeyed your orders. I figured it would be better to escape before Riposte came along. Besides, I..." He said, looked embarrassed for a moment. "I hate to be locked up."
Ladybug's expression grew somber as surprisingly he gave Adrien a quick hug before pulling back. "I'm sorry! You did the right thing." He said reassuringly as he placed a hand on Adrien's shoulder. He then looked away for a moment before handing Adrien the red saber. "I think we both need to correct a wrong today."
"Huh?" Adrien asked in confusion as Ladybug's earrings beeped. The hero then ran up the stairs out of the exhibit as Adrien haze lingered on his back, unable to stop himself from blowing a kiss towards the person he cared for very much.
"The Akuma Alert has been called off. The Louvre will soon be opening. Thank you for your cooperation."
A voice said as Adrien ran towards the red fencer just about to step into her car.
"Excuse me?" He asked as he noticed the girl was surprised to see him.
"Listen, I-" She said, faltering for a moment.
"I'm sorry!" They both said together much to their surprise.
Adrien then presented Kagami's weapon towards her, holding it in both hands. Perhaps you'll agree to take this back now?
Kagami looked like she was about to take it back, but hesitated. "No, I lost. You keep it."
"I personally think the point was yours," Adrien admitted as Kagami looked at him in surprise.
"Your friend didn't seem to think so." She said.
Adrien spoke honestly, "Marin can get flustered easily when under pressure. But he's extremely kind, and would never go out of his way to hurt anyone. Today was his first-ever experience with fencing actual sabers as far as I know."
Kagami hummed for a moment, "You must really like him a lot, huh?"
Adrien grew flustered for a moment, "Marin? Yeah, of course! He's one of my best friends. I'm sure you'd really like him too, once you two get to know each other." He said.
"But it doesn't matter, it wasn't a clean victory. I lost the moment I couldn't take you down in one strike. I'm a disappointment no matter what."
"That's not true! You're one of the greatest fencers I've ever seen. Anyone would be lucky to have you on their team." Adrien said as he faltered for a moment, seeing that he wasn't making an impact. Then perked up again. "My name's Adrien. What's yours?
"Kagami." She introduced just before she walked into the car. Adrien watched as it drove away with a content smile on his face.
"Please, sir. Kagami deserves the spot." Marin said with the helmet still stuck on his face even after transforming back.
"Oh?" D'Argencourt inquired as he was putting away the equipment. "If I recall, you've attempted to become part of my school more than once, why the change of heart all of a sudden?"
Marin didn't hesitate. "It was a misjudgment on my part, I'm unfamiliar with the specified rules of fencing. From what I saw Kagami is just aggressive a fighter as Adrien, you would be remiss if she wasn't part of your team."
"Interesting." He remarked, walking towards the equipment. "You realize that by nominating someone else, then you forfeit the spot for yourself?"
"Yessir. It was my mistake-"
"I do not accept that." D'Argencourt said cutting him off. He then picked up a saber in his hand. " -Cheung, if you want me to listen, then you must show me your resolve."
"Sir?" Marin asked as he suddenly caught a saber being thrown at him with ease, feeling uneasy as D'Argencourt smirked, placing his mask on, stepping back into a fighting stance. Marin mirrored him, his expression turning serious as he mirrored the man.
Both of them held out their weapons. "I want to see what you can offer," D'Argencourt said as he was the first to attack, Marin evaded his slashes, parrying his blade as he stepped into D'Argencourt's proximity. Marin's saber bent as he pressed it against his chest while D'Argencourt was still stepping forward. The two reflexively jumped back as D'Argencourt smiled, dropping his guard.
"You, Mr. Dupain-Cheung, have something that Kagami, nor Adrien has, something that I believe would be quite valuable if properly refined," D'Argencourt said sincerely as he removed his mask. "You have finely honed instincts as well as strong reflexes. It appears that despite your appearance, you could be a force to be reckoned with if given the proper training. That being said- "
Marin looked up at him, gripping the saber in his hand.
"You fear what is placed before you." D'Argencourt said.
"Sir, I-" Marin was about to speak but was silenced by D'Argencourt lifting up his hand.
"True, your skills and determination are quite possibly unmatched, but you fear the negativity of others. Possibly due to your empathetic nature. It doesn't hinder your fighting, however, it will hinder your mindset outside the ring heavily if left unchecked. So I ask you again," D'Argencourt said sternly. "Do you wish for Kagami to take your place?"
Marin didn't hesitate. "Yes. I do."
D'Argencourt nodded. "Very well, I shall phone her immediately. However, I hope you take away something from this lesson today." He said simply.
"Yessir Marin nodded respectfully. But then his serious aura turned more shy as he rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, can I have some help taking the helmet off? I think I'm stuck."
"Oh, of course,"D'Argencourt said, quickly placing his saber away as he walked over.
Notes:
- Riposte has extra piercing damage.