Upon opening the doors, the team was met with a cold mist. Unlike the first floor that was an enclosed cave, the second floor was a foggy evergreen forest on a cold wintery evening.
Ladybug stepped ahead, scanning the area but to no avail. Despite the open space, it somehow felt more constricting than the cave maze. The fog was so thick, one can barely see five feet ahead. Their only guides were the bright stars above and the whisps lining the trees.
The whisps flared up and converged into one spot until it formed a huge fiery monster fox.
"Ah. This is Blake's floor," Calico said.
The fiery fox let out a scream before charging at the group. The party scrambled to get out of its way.
Ladybug tried to lasso the thing by the legs while Calico threw her baton at it like a boomerang. Both of their attacks only went through the flaming beast.
Its tail lashed out in retaliation.
Carapace leapt in front of Calico to cover them both with his shield. Ladybug pulled Ryuko closer to her as she spun her yoyo to protect them. The snow melted and the trees were singed. Dropping his guard a second too soon, Carapace hissed as the flames grazed his arm. Ladybug noticed it.
"We can't hurt that thing but it can hurt us?! You can't just keep changing the rules as you please! That's not fair!" Ladybug yelled, shaking an angry fist at Gamer 3.0's hologram.
"I noticed your group somehow finished the first floor maze so smoothly, you didn't make a single wrong turn. The odds of that happening is as low as 15.68%, unless you somehow found a way to cheat. That wouldn't be fair now, wouldn't it?" Gamer 3.0 spat that word like it's a curse.
"Or maybe we're just that lucky,~" Calico said. She received a withering glare from the akuma hologram.
"If mazes are too easy for you, it's only appropriate I set the difficulty to match your levels."
"'Cause an unkillable fox monster that can kill us is a totally fair challenge for us," Carapace said, recovering from the light burn.
Gamer 3.0 ignored Carapace's sarcastic complaints. "Your goal for this floor is to get the keys, not to fight the mini boss."
The fire fox screamed once more and attacked the party. Ladybug directed the team to split up.
"Keys. There is more than one?" Ryuko dodged a swipe of the fox's fiery claw.
"Two, to be precise," Gamer 3.0 stood unfazed as Calico ran through him to retrieve her baton.
The fox whipped its tail at Calico, who protected herself by spinning her staff.
"The second you get your hands on the two keys, the foxes will disappear and the fog will part to show you the path to the floor boss. The mini boss will chase you down as you get there. If the mini boss catches you, it's game over and your Miraculous will be mine!"
With his instructions delivered, Gamer 3.0 disappeared.
The team took this as their cue to retreat. With the fox between them making it impossible to regroup, they ran by pairs towards opposite directions.
Seeing this, the monster fox split into two.
And so the hunt began.
0-0-0-0-0
Perched high up on the tree branches, Ladybug and Ryuko caught their breaths after all that running away from the monster fox. Ladybug checked in with Rena Furtive.
Even with the fog, Rena Furtive was still able to direct them to where the keys are. The catch is, they're located on opposite ends of the field. The fox relayed this to Ladybug and Calico.
"Then we each take a key. The sooner we get the keys, the sooner we can get out of this floor," Ladybug said.
Through the comms, she heard a "Roger that, Lady!" from Calico's line before it went dead.
"Are you done relaying intel with Calico?" Ryuko asked.
"Uh, yeah! Calico!" Ladybug responded with an overly eager nod. "I was talking to Calico… She figured everything out."
No mentions of Rena Furtive being their middlefox here. Simply credit all of Rena Furtive's findings to Calico. She can't let Gamer 3.0, and by proxy, Shadowmoth, catch on to the fox. She hopes Calico understands what she's getting at and plays along on her end.
"Let's go get our key before the mini boss finds us."
Ladybug scanned the area, considering which branch to swing to next. Wherever it is, it has to be covered to keep them from being seen, too high for the fox to get the jump on them…
"Before we go, may I ask you something?" Ryuko asked.
"Sure," Ladybug absentmindedly answered, more focused on looking for a safe path.
"What is your problem with Calico?"
That was a blunt way to put it - as typical from the girl who never hesitates. Words caught in Ladybug's throat. It's a simple question with plenty of answers.
Perceiving her silence as hesitance, Ryuko pressed on.
"I understand she is not your partner. No one can replace him. But Calico is still a smart and capable teammate who is eager to help with what she could. The way you minimize her role in our team could become a hindrance for the success of our mission. What is it about her that made her so unworthy to be relied upon like any other hero?"
"W-well…"
Where could Ladybug even start and how much can she actually tell Ryuko?
Calico's use of her powers reminding her of Chat Blanc? Nope. Nuh uh. She hasn't told Alya more than a crumb about it. Heck, she hasn't even told Tikki the full scope of it. Only the future Alix knew everything. It feels like if she talked about it more, the realer it gets. Ladybug would rather not talk about it when she could take steps to prevent it altogether.
Blair's demeanor reminding her of Lila? Then again, she hasn't really done anything wrong if Alya would vouch for her. Alya isn't the sort to get intimidated into silence. No. She would've found a way to fight back rather than get cowed. Then again, Alya's not immune to trickery. Ladybug is well aware of the silver tongue Lila has on her. From what she's seen so far, she can confirm Blair has that in common with Lila. But still, she can't mention any of this to Ryuko.
"… It's personal. I can't tell you and risk exposing my identity to you."
Ryuko shot her that sharp, unflinching glance. She's observing her for any signs of deceit like she'd observe an enemy for openings in their stances. For once, Ladybug was confident Ryuko wouldn't find any. What she said was as honest as it gets.
"Understood. But let me tell you one more thing. Do you remember that friend I mentioned to you before? Marinette?"
"… Yes."
Ladybug turned her head away like that would help obscure her identity further. This is awkward. Ladybug still remembers their conversation during the Hearthunter incident.
"You were in love with the same boy, weren't you? How did that went?" Ladybug said, pretending she didn't know and that she never tried to get them back together as Marinette.
"It's over. Adrien Agreste is not as perfect as I expected him to be. We weren't made for each other as I thought. In hindsight, it was callous of me to set aside friendship over a boy. But that's not important," Ryuko frowned with her arms crossed. "I misjudged Marinette."
Le gasp! What does she mean by that?
"I thought her love for Adrien could never be deeper than mine… That she was simply one of his many fans, only admiring him from afar. She couldn't even string two words without stumbling in front of him, let alone hold a proper conversation with him. She always hesitated to tell him how she felt. She gives up too easily. Her 'love' for him was weak."
Ouch. Ouch. Ouchity. Ouch. Ouch.
"Recently, she's proven me wrong," Ryuko's frown turned into a wry smile. "While it's still true she struggles to speak to him and approaches him with hesitance, that doesn't mean her feelings for him were weak. She is strong enough to throw away her shot at happiness with him for his sake. His happiness is the one thing she would never give up on. I've never seen someone love as selflessly as her."
Ladybug resisted the urge to cry. Just barely. She is not Marinette right now. This has nothing to do with Paris' superheroine.
"I've learned from Marinette to not be too hasty to judge others. If you close your heart to them too soon, you might miss out on someone admirable as a friend."
It's a lesson Ladybug understood too well. She felt the same about Ryuko… About Kagami. Once upon a time, she saw her as this emotionless unfettered ice queen who doesn't have a heart when she's the farthest thing from that.
"Please understand that I didn't mean to burden you with my personal struggles. I only said all this to prove my point. Just like Marinette, Calico deserves a chance. If not as a friend, then for the sake of the team."
Ah. So that's where all this points back to. When she puts it this way, going as far as to put herself out there for Ladybug to understand…
"You're right. I may have been too harsh with how I saw Calico…"
How she treated Calico up until now clawed back to the forefront of her mind. She didn't want to listen to her until she absolutely had to. She kept her participation to a minimum to avoid her… She yelled at her… Blamed her for things that aren't her fault…
"Yet she still continued to help us. That's what a real team player should be… what a real leader should be," Ladybug looked down in shame. "I'd be surprised if you'd still be willing to help me after all this."
"Making mistakes is not a reason to give up fighting."
The words burned with so much conviction, it got Ladybug to look back up at Ryuko. Admiration was written all over her features… All of it directed at Ladybug. It made the bug heroine feel so unworthy.
"You once told me that when I was ready to give up. You gave me a second chance when I thought no one would. I'd be honored to continue fighting side by side with someone like you."
Ladybug gave herself a minute to take it all in. She's not gonna stop seeing all the bad she saw in Calico overnight… But she should try harder not to let it blind her to who Calico really is. Don't misjudge her the way she misjudged Kagami.
Once Ladybug found her composure, she called out to Ryuko to start moving towards the key. The two of them proceeded to jump along the branches.
0-0-0-0-0
Calico and Carapace were having a much worse time with their mini-boss. It's a good thing Rena Furtive relayed where the heck the key is to Calico. All they have to do now is to run straight towards the key while dodging the fox's attacks. Carapace's shield came in pretty handy during their run.
When they came upon an empty clearing, that's when the panic set in. Smack in the middle of the clearing was a blazing bonfire. The key is in the middle.
"What do we do now?" asked Carapace. "Does Ladybug have any ideas?"
Calico checked with Ladybug. The answer she got made her frown.
"She hasn't reached the spot where the other key should be yet."
The fox's screams grew louder behind them. There was no running away now. The fog glowed brighter and brighter until the fiery fox monster leapt out.
Calico and Carapace jumped out of the way. The fox growled at them before it pounced again.
"Let's try to get the key!"
To give Calico a chance to try, Carapace stood his ground and repelled the fox with his shield.
Calico tossed her baton at the key to knock it out of the bonfire. The flames flared up and the baton was knocked off course. Tsk.
Seeing as Calico's attempt failed, Carapace took it as his turn to try by charging at the fire with his shield up. He didn't get too far before needing to get out, his HP bar draining a bit.
In Carapace's attempt to get the key, the fox followed him. As Carapace got out of the fire, the fox swerved as its long tail swished into the bonfire. Calico noticed it. This must be the answer to the floor's puzzle for the key.
"Carapace! I got an idea."
Calico and Carapace made a lot of noise to call for the fox's attention. Just when the fox was about to pounce on them, Calico pole vaulted them over to the other side of the bonfire. This baited the fox monster to charge through the flames…
Taking the key out of the bonfire along with it.
Carapace kept the fox at bay with his shield as Calico took the key. Once she did, the fox monster disappeared.
The two heroes cheered. Their little celebration was cut short with a childish wail.
The last of the fox monster's data vanished and all that's left was a little girl with auburn braids, crying her eyes out. They estimate her to be around six, maybe seven years old. The two heroes slowly approached her. The girl stopped bawling for a minute, sniffling, and raised her head to see them. Her face made both of the heroes stop in their tracks.
She looked like a younger Lila Rossi.
The second she met eye to animalistic eye with Calico, she flinched away. This prompted Calico to push Carapace forward. The turtle awkwardly knelt down to the girl's eye level.
"Uh… Hey little dudette," Carapace said in a gentle unsure voice. "What's your name?"
The girl stared up at the turtle hero with wide glassy eyes recognizing him. "I-I'm Violette."
0-0-0-0-0
Carapace drew on all his experience dealing with Chris and Alya's little twin sisters to handle Violetta. After a few minutes of talking to her, Carapace can confirm Violette isn't a gremlin like the other three. No, she is an angel without wings.
They've also learned she's from a good few decades into the future. Miraculous and Magic were more commonplace during her time. It's why she's not too surprised when they tried to explain the situation to her. It's also why she was more trusting of Carapace. She's heard of him, though she's surprised at how young he is.
"You're so much nicer than that mean turtle lady I met. She always looked at me and Papa like this."
Violette made a face that Carapace guesses is meant to look judgy. But with her chubby little baby cheeks, she looks more like a petulant child who was told to eat her veggies.
Carapace couldn't help but snicker.
Somehow, Calico found it even funnier as she was clutching her stomach in laughter.
Violette leaned away from the hysterical cat.
As for Calico, Violette was expecting someone blonder. And older. Much older.
"Okay kiddo, that's enough of the future out of you," Calico said, once she sobered up. Though she said it gently, the little girl still flinched away. It made the cat heroine sigh in exasperation. "Carapace and the others are not meant to hear about your time," she cupped a hand over her mouth like that prevent Carapace from hearing her and playfully stage-whispered, "You'll spoiler him."
"I understand. The adults said the same thing," Violette grumbled.
Calico smirked proudly. "Smart girl."
After calming her down, the two heroes were going to set out for Ladybug when Violette clung to Carapace's leg.
"Please don't leave me alone! This place is scary!"
To be fair, this floor also gave Carapace the heebie jeebies. Think of that creepy forest Snow White had to run through before finding the dwarves… That's just the most kid friendly example Carapace could think of.
Sympathy paired with puppy dog eyes made it impossible for Carapace to leave the girl be. He took his shield and attached it to his arm to allow him to give the girl a piggy back ride. Hey, it's not like he could leave a descendant of his friend hanging.
"You know we can't keep her with us if there's still a fight, right?" Calico said.
Calico's cat-like eyes observed Violette, which made the girl hide her face with Carapace's back.
"… We'll figure something out when we get there," Carapace adjusted his hold on the girl.
Calico casually crossed her arms behind her head, the very picture of chill. "I suppose we could ask whoever is behind fox number two to look after the kid once Ladybug is done with them. At any rate, we can't take her with us into the floor boss's room. Unlike Princess Honey, my twin is no pushover."
Twin…?
Carapace felt a shift of weight on his back. Violette let out a gasp.
"You've got a twin?" Violette asked. "That's so cool! Do you and your sister do twin switches?"
"… Yes. Somehow. But not with a sister who looks exactly like me. Just a brother with a knack for illusions," Calico rolled her eyes. "An older twin brother by fifteen minutes."
Violette giggled at that. "It must be nice to have a sibling."
"Ugh… On top of an older twin, I also got an adopted older brother.
… Adopted brother?
"Honestly, older brothers are a pain," Calico whined.
Carapace couldn't stifle a laugh. "Hey, older brother here."
"Not you, Carapace. You're cool," Calico said.
"Yeah," Violette said, patting his head. "I wish I had a sibling… Maybe Papa could adopt someone once we get back. We got warped together…" But then she let out a sad sigh. "But the mean adults kept us separate. He's the only family I have."
"There, there. Don't cry," Carapace said, soothingly.
"I'm not crying!" Violette denied unconvincingly.
"When this is all over, I'm sure Ladybug will have something to say about it," Carapace reassured. "It'll get better. You'll see, little dudette."
Violette hummed in understanding and huddled closer to Carapace's back, shaking. Well, he said all he could. There's nothing more to say about her situation.
He hopes whoever they leave her with would be patient with her.
0-0-0-0-0
Thanks to Calico and Carapace figuring out how to get the key, Ladybug formulated a plan long before she got to the other key's location. Let's just say, there was a lot of logging involved, which boxed the fox into only one path, forcing it to go through the flames.
Dungeon crawls may not be Ladybug's forte, but puzzles are a different story.
Once Ladybug snagged the key, it was all over. The fog parted just wide enough to make a visible path. Further ahead were Carapace and Calico making their way towards them. On Carapace's back was the child they mentioned over the comms.
"Violette…" said the man behind the monster fox.
This must be the girl's father.
0-0-0-0-0
Once Ladybug, Ryuko, and the man came into view, Violette got off Carapace's back and ran up to the man, calling out to him as her Papa. The man caught the child in a hug, father and daughter reunited.
Calico couldn't help but smile at the heartwarming sight. Carapace shared the same sentiment, looking happy for the kid he piggybacked. Even Ryuko melted a little with that small upturn to her lips.
But Ladybug wasn't affected by the warm fuzzy vibes the little family was radiating. Instead, she was staring wide-eyed at the little girl. Then she shook her head and approached Calico, all business. Sigh. At least she's not mad anymore.
"We've got a floor boss to defeat. Come on, you can fill me in on everything you know about Renard Rouge on the way."
Ladybug then marched ahead, facing resolutely towards the path to the floor boss. What's her problem now? Ryuko followed Ladybug down the path, then Carapace reluctantly went after them. Before Calico can leave to follow her, she was stopped. Violetta hugged her by the leg.
"Uh… Not that I don't appreciate hugs, but what brought this on?"
"I-I saw the way that bug lady looked at you… She looks at you the same way the turtle lady looked at me and Papa… Like we're bad people. It hurts."
Ah. That look of reluctant tolerance. Calico knew that look.
"Cat lady, you're lost in time too, aren't you?"
Calico stared at the girl with mild shock.
"… Yes, I am."
"I always feel better whenever Papa hugs me. You don't have a papa or your brothers to hug you… so you're gonna have to settle for me."
Calico wanted to refute the kid's hunch that Calico's feelings are hurting and she needs a hug. But none of the heroes are here. Just this girl and her papa who Calico never has to see again after this. Calico had nothing to prove to them. So she gave in and hugged Violette back.
"Thanks, kid," Calico whispered. Then she got up, gently removing herself from the hug. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a floor boss to beat and an akuma to help purify. We'll get you two out of this tower in no time.~"
The cat heroine did a two finger salute before running after Ladybug and her team.
0-0-0-0-0
Once Calico caught up to the group, she fell into step with Carapace. The team was walking in pairs, each member keeping an eye out for danger on their side of the formation. Sure, the foxes were the only enemies of this floor and there didn't appear to be much traps, but one can never be too careful.
After Calico answered all of Ladybug's questions about her brother and how he fights as a fox, an intense silence fell on the group. Carapace was the first one to crack.
"Sooo… You're not Lila Rossi?"
Ladybug stiffened at the mention of the name.
"Carapace, keeping one's identity a secret is an important rule amongst superheroes. You shouldn't be asking Calico those kinds of questions," Ryuko scolded, to which Carapace raised his hands in surrender.
Calico could only smirk as she stepped between Ryuko and Carapace.
"Nah. No harm no foul since he's wrong. I am not Lila Rossi.~"
This is her chance to rectify the stupid lie Lila pulled to get clout out of her heroic efforts! First, Carapace, then the rest of the class will realize-
"You're lucky this slip-up had no real consequences," Ladybug said in the most gentle strict tone Calico's ever heard. It's similar to the tone her Bugsy tended to use around certain akuma victims - not ignoring what they've done wrong, but trying to be understanding. "Next time, be more careful with what you say and where you say it. Sometimes, to protect someone is to protect their secrets."
That brought down the mood quickly. The group marched on the path a little faster. Carapace was chewing his lip. Calico could only guess what's running in his head. There's nothing Calico could say to him though, because Ladybug is right.
Calico's hands instinctively went over her bell – where her locket should be. She knew better than anyone the consequences of her secrets not being protected. Granted, he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
0-0-0-0-0
"I am not Lila Rossi.~"
Such a simple phrase that Ladybug knew was true. Yet she doesn't always act like it. Seeing Calico with that girl that looked like a mini-Lila, the resemblance was definitely there… But Calico - no, Blair - isn't Lila. Neither is that little girl, though she looks even more like Lila than Blair does. That was when Ladybug decided to draw the line. They clearly lead different lives than that liar.
Ladybug refused to let her hatred of Lila taint her views of these girls any further.
Seeing an arch of trees and thorny shrubs with the emblem of the fox on top, took a deep breath in before stepping forward. Her imagination conjured up an image of a boy with Blair's red hair and emerald green eyes. Here's yet another thing Blair has that Lila doesn't. Thinking about it that way made what Calico said all the more real.
Would Lila Rossi have memories of a team that has yet to exist?
0-0-0-0-0
Once they stepped through the arch, the boss music started. Instead of a room, this floor's boss battle is set in a clearing, boxed in by pine trees all around. The ground was smooth evenly levelled dirt, no obstacles in sight. Moon light beamed down on a space between two trees. There was a tangle of vines forming a swing where a certain fox boy sat. His feral, glowing green eyes traced the group as they approached until they met a matching pair belonging to his twin.
"Welcome, sister! I've been expecting you," he sneered with a sharp canine-toothed smirk.
The fox boy stood on his seat and the swing went down like an elevator with the moon shining down on him like a spotlight. His wild red hair with white tips was styled in disarray, similar to Calico's. His suit's front is dominantly white and other than the zipper, there was no other visually interesting element to his suit's torso. Black extended from the tip of his claws, all the way to his bicep like a pair of jagged ended opera gloves. His fox ears were tall and fluffy-looking. Around his waist was a sash fashioned like a tail. The foxtail necklace was there around his neck, standing out against the white on his chest.
His suit reminded her of Volpina.
By her side, Calico froze up, breathing heavily, her leather cat ears folded back. White-knuckled claws gripped her staff tightly as she stepped forward, standing between the fox and Ladybug.
"I'm sorry Ladybug, but this isn't Renard Rouge."
Calico disappeared. It wasn't just her, but so did everyone else- Ryuko, Carapace, even the fox boy.
The fight has begun.
Ladybug took out her yoyo and pressed a button on the comm to signal Rena Furtive to tell her what she sees. They're dealing with a fox here. Ladybug's prepared counters in case Volpina ever returned.
"Switching to thermal vision," Rena Furtive said over the comm. "Everyone's still where they were… but no sign of the fox."
Because he's made of data. He's not a real person. He has no body heat.
"Wait, maybe I should try electromagnetic field vision-"
Ladybug was hit on her side, which made her fall over. Her comms fell out of her ear, lost in the fog.
She is truly alone now.
The air was getting thinner, the world was spinning… No! Ladybug slapped herself. No, this is not the time to panic! She's dealt with worse odds before. She got back up, waiting for the pain to fade. She spun her yoyo once again, raising her guard. From the corner of her eye, she saw the line of trees wavering. She threw her yoyo at it, but her yoyo was smacked away. Bingo.
"Lucky shot, Ladybug."
Her intuition predicting another attack coming, Ladybug took a step back, but she tripped and fell on her butt. A rock? Ladybug could've sworn that wasn't there. She ran her hands around the ground, revealing it isn't as flat and clear as it initially appeared. Rocks and grass and ice and puddles littered the area. How far does the lie go?
"Not so tough now without Chat Noire to protect you, huh?"
Stepping out of the shadows, the fox boy reappeared. He twirled his flute as he haughtily looked down on Ladybug with eyes the same emerald shade as his sister's. This is Calico's twin brother alright… but there's something not quite right about him based on what she's said on the way here. Before everyone disappeared, Calico told her this isn't Renard Rouge. If that's the case, then…
"Who are you…?"
The fox boy clicked his tongue. He dramatically put one hand over his chest – over his foxtail necklace.
"I am Volpino. It's because of you that my sister kept throwing herself into danger. I'm here to put a stop to that."
After a quick melody, the end of the fox's flute glowed and he pointed it threateningly at Ladybug. The light made the fox's pupils turn into slits, giving his glare a feral edge.
"Now hand over your Miraculous or I'll take it myself."
0-0-0-0-0
Camouflage
Just as Mirage can make people sense something that isn't there, Camouflage does the opposite. It makes people unable to sense something that should be there.
It requires a different concentration of detail from Mirage. Mirage focuses on the subject they want to appear, make it move around like a doll and it can pop away if something disturbs the illusion. Whereas Camouflage focuses on everything around the subject they want to disappear, wrapping around the subject and making the illusion follow its every move while staying intact despite the contact with the subject.
This is why Camouflage is considered to be more advanced than Mirage.
It also requires mastery of at least three of the five senses to work, whereas Mirage can work with just one or two. Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste, the first three in particular being the most important. Just like with Mirage, the more of these senses is applied in the illusion, the harder it is to break as the more the mind believes it is real.
An advanced enough fox can fool even technology… But not a Mirakung-fu practitioner, as qi isn't sensed through the five senses. It was something Rena Rouge just had to test out and met the business end of Ryuko's sword.
