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Master Fu's P.O.V
Knock knock
"Come in," I called.
I turned away from the window I was looking out of. It was such a beautiful day out. There were children outside playing some sort of game. I had even gone to visit Marianne earlier and spent time with her. I very rarely got to since I have to stay decently hidden.
It was just such a lovely day!
The creak of the door opened and the holder of the bunny miraculous entered.
"Bunnyx, what a wonderful surprise! I hardly ever get a visit from you. It is so nice to see your face around here," I chirped.
Bunnyx's ears drooped in sorrow and gave me apologetic eyes.
"It is alright. I know you are not very fond of people," I reassured, "What brings you here, my child?"
Bunnyx's face morphed into one of seriousness but I could see into the windows of her eyes. There was an uneasiness in her tortured soul. One, I have come to understand very clearly without her saying a word. I instantly knew what she was trying to tell me with just her stare.
I smiled.
"I see," I said, wrapping my arms behind my back.
"It is time."
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Marinette's P.O.V
"...and that is how my father discovered the lost temple of Kushim. If it were not for me correcting the mistranslation, he would never have found it," Lila finished her delusional fairytale.
I stared blankly off into the distance, occasionally taking sips from my chalice. I did not come back down to earth until Lila finished her story.
I was unfortunately dragged to yet another party. Luka had visited earlier and invited us to Lila's party, explaining her absence from Luka's side. Mother thought it was a splendid idea to redeem myself for my past failures at other parties (and threatened me to be on my best behavior).
I did not want to go but I did not have a choice in the matter. What made matters worse, Chloe was also invited.
I do not even know why Lila invited me. She and Chloe hate my guts. Of course, the feeling is quite mutual.
"Well, my daddy just gave me a temple made of gold for my birthday," Chloe replied, sloshing her chalice of wine around. I merely rolled my eyes and yawned.
"Oh, did I bore you, Lady Dupain-Cheng?" Chloe snarled, "Do you have something better that is more worthwhile? Of course with your track record, you never have anything special. It is no wonder why nobody likes you."
I raised an eyebrow, thinking, "If only you knew."
I let out an unamused scoff, "The only reason why I have nothing to say is that I merely do not lie nor waste my breath trying to. It is pointless and annoying."
"Marinette, we are aware that you are just jealous of our successes. You do not have to feel ashamed of yourself for being a slow learner. We could teach you to be ladylike if you wish. Such as me inviting you to my party even if you have been...throwing some temper tantrums is a good example of hospitality," Lila explained in a sickeningly sweet voice.
My eye twitched. I held in the urge to sock this slimy imp in the face. As if I would ever look for guidance from these two jokers.
"I would not waste my breath on a failure such as Dupain-Cheng. That is a waste of my precious time and energy," Chloe said, gently fanning herself with her golden fan, "In fact, I am doing so right now when there is much better company. Au revoir, échec."
After Chloe departed, I tried to use her snobbish farewell as a distraction to get away from Lila.
"And where might you be off to?" Lila asked me, "It would be rude to run off now when your fiancée is approaching."
I paused in my escape and cursed my rotten luck. I hurriedly turned and was going to make my way over to Luka. Maybe, I could use him as an excuse to get away from Lila.
Unfortunately, Lila had other ideas and decided to trip me.
Of course, the wealthy section being the dramatic queens they were had to let the entire room go silent. Then, they filled it with unpleasant whispers and dampened my already bad reputation even more.
To be honest, I am surprised with how lowly everybody looks at me that I have not been sent to the poor section. Usually, the instant someone's name starts rotting out like an apple, they are tossed into the garbage.
I sat on my knees before a hand came into my vision. My eyes were drawn to the person attached to the offer for help. Luka gave me a sympathetic smile.
I reach to grab his hand when a thought struck my mind.
I forgot that Luka was a walking corpse. It had not occurred to me until just now and have been with him hours earlier. It was difficult to imagine that this adult male was actually a trapped soul in a puppet for a wicked magic user to toy around with.
A churning in my stomach made me hesitate to grab his hand. Instead, I stood up on my own and wiped the dirt off my dress. Luka placed his offered hand aside, "Are you alright, Marinette?"
"Yes, thank you," I said a little too quickly, "If you will excuse me, I need to...uh...powder my nose."
With that, I made a hasty break into a hallway while every eye was on me. I was used to it by now.
"Marinette?" Luka called but I did not listen. I just prayed that he would not follow after me. Fortunately, he was wise enough to stay away or not commanded to follow me.
Why did I leave when I should have been searching for Luka's puppeteer? They probably would have been in that very room with me! Maybe, the idea of Luka being a walking dead person drove me off. It gave me the shivers just thinking about it.
"How could someone be so cruel?" I wondered.
"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki whispered from her hiding spot in my dress pocket.
"I am a bit wheezy and that room where the party is quite stuffy," I replied. Tikki flew out once noting that the coast was clear.
"We will save that tormented soul from his purgatory," Tikki comforted. The Kwami must have some kind of mind-reading power or I am just an open book.
"How do you believe this?" I questioned.
"I believe in you," Tikki answered, simply, "I have faith that you will save that restless soul. That is all the assurance I need to know that he will be okay. But you have to believe that you are capable to."
"She is so sweet," I could not help thinking. Carefully, I brought the tiny being into a hug. She nuzzled my cheek.
"I am most grateful for you, Tikki. Even when everyone, including myself, is doubtful of me, you are here believing I am capable of doing wondrous things. I thank you for believing in me even when I am a mess up," I softly spoke, genuinely.
"You are no mess up, Marinette. You are merely human just like many. It is a part of life to make mistakes," Tikki corrected.
"Indeed," I agreed before looking out the large window. I let out a breath, frowning when a thought occurred to me, "I do hope Rena is doing okay, especially with the threat on her shoulders. I wish we could do something."
"She will seek help when she is ready to receive it," Tikki replied.
"And if she does not?" I questioned.
"That will be her decision to make if she truly wants it," the red being said, "She may feel as though she does not deserve it."
I thinned my lips out, not saying a word. I wanted to say that she does deserve the help but she may not think she does herself. I cannot even say if she does or not, considering I do not know her past.
The only one who is capable of doing anything is Carapace. They were together in that house and experienced each other's trauma.
I was brought out of my thoughts when an explosion rang throughout Paris. The floor shook for a moment. A few objects fell off the wall or stand.
"What in Paris was that?" I exclaimed, scanning the city for danger. There must be an Akuma attack. I looked over at Tikki and spoke the magic words.
"Tikki, spots on!"
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Alya's P.O.V
"Alya..." Carapace called.
I shrunk away from him when he tried to approach.
"I-I am a monster. I deserve no forgiveness, especially from you. I am okay with that. I am aware of it...j-just please..." I shakily said. I felt my heart caving in on itself. The pressure weighed heavily on my chest, pushing me further under.
This burden. This lie I have kept for so long.
Now, Carapace knows it all in the worst possible way. Why had I not told him sooner? It was probably due to fear. I was afraid. Many say I am a brave hero but I am just as cowardly as my old self—wealthy me.
"Alya," Carapace sternly said but there was still no malice in his tone. I do not know how but he stood in front of me, gently gripping my arms.
"Hey, please look me in the eye," he added, tilting my head up. I wanted to look away so badly when meeting his gaze. Yet, I was already walking on thin ice with him so I obeyed.
"I will not deny that I am greatly upset with your decision," he started, making me want to run away. I tightened my hands into fists, very close to shrugging off his grip.
"I did question why you would do such a thing. But I decided to put myself in your shoes at that time. You probably felt so alone and scared. You had no idea how I would react. You did not even know who I was!
"I know the wealthy section is...very strict. You would have been looked down on by your entire family and treated terribly. The infant...our child...would possibly have been killed. You were probably not in the best state of mind and resorted to drastic measures."
Carapace let a weak smile etch his face, "For that, I am terribly sorry you had to go through that crisis all alone. I wish I would have noticed sooner so I could help in any way I could. Besides, I got to thinking...that it was my fault to."
This grabbed my attention. My eyes widened and shook my head in denial. Of course, this idiot would reroute the blame onto himself somehow.
"That is nonsense!"
"It is," Carapace cut me off, "We had played the part of a fool together so we face the consequences together as well."
My mouth went dry. I wanted to continue denying this dimwit of such nonsensical claims. He should have had a say in what to do with the baby to. It was his child as well but I messed up.
I do not regret sending my family to the poor section. They desperately needed an attitude adjustment and living in the poor section has opened their eyes to a new perspective. Now, we live a better life than we did in the wealthy section.
Yet, our child being stolen away was my biggest regret. It was all my mistake and I should rightfully take the blame.
"I am to blame," I told him, "I was the one who played with fire and was burned. It is my burden and my burden alone that I shall carry to the grave."
Carapace frowned, squeezing my hands.
"Then, I shall help you carry it."
I gave him a narrowed-eyed look. Why could he not get it through his thick skull that he is not to blame? He has done nothing wrong! Yet, he continues this blasphemy!
"Nino," I seethed under my breath, "You have none of the blame. You have been nothing but honest with me since the day we met. Even if I did not know your true identity at the time, you hid nothing of yourself. I have wronged you for so long. I lied and kept secrets. You should hate me."
"Alya...I love you," Carapace confessed, "There is no one else I would rather run through the fire and back with than you. You made an awful mistake and have been tortured by it for so long. You are remorseful for your actions and are trying to own up to them by helping people.
"I would like for you to try helping yourself too. It will be a long and rugged road to recovery but I will be there every step of the way. I am not leaving you and I will always remind you of my love. And when that day comes—if you are up for it—I would not mind trying to start a family with you."
I stared at him, feeling my eyes grow glassy. I could feel my barriers start to crumble. I sniffled. I bowed my head and let out a sob. I cried, feeling something of relief settle on me. How did I ever deserve such a wonderful partner? It was almost not fair.
Am I dreaming right now? This cannot be real. He should be yelling at me. He should be criticizing me for my redundancy and never wanting to see me again. I should be the bane of his existence. The thing he hates most in the world.
Yet, here he is trying to put the blame on himself to and getting me to forgive my sins. He really is too good for me.
Carapace drew me into his arms and combed his fingers through my hair. He pecked my forehead before resting his cheek there. I placed my head on his chest, soaking in his warmth.
How did I get so lucky to be partnered up with Carapace? The way the stars had been written worked its mysterious ways. As selfish as it sounds, I am glad he is still here.
If Carapace can forgive me, maybe I can begin forgiving myself. It will take some time but I know I will not be alone on this healing journey.
"Can we go home?" I asked, quietly.
Home. What once was such a foreign concept is now a reality.
"Of course, my darling," Carapace answered. I raised my head and gave him a weak smile. Sniffling, I wiped away any stray tears that had shed.
"You are adorable when you smile," Carapace cooed, making me let out a watery laugh. I playfully shoved him a little out of embarrassment.
Carapace smiled before perking up. He frowned and looked around for something I was unaware of.
"Is there something wrong?" I questioned, wondering what he was sensing. The danger must be afoot. I have to go transform. Yet, I was unable to run away when Carapace pulled me into his arms.
"SHELTER!" he yelled, quickly forming his barrier dome. An object hit the top of Carapace's shield. Before I could even get the chance to see the object or even think, a massive explosion was set off.
A bomb.
A crater was left in the place of the explosion. I was on high alert now.
"Are you okay?" Carapace asked.
"Yes, are you?" I questioned, scanning him over.
"Yes," he answered, taking down his dome. He kept up his green, disk shield and kept on alert. He extended an arm out to protect me. We were far from being out of peril yet.
This was only the beginning.
I helped him search for the Akuma or possibly some terrorists. Who knows where they could be lurching and when they decide to strike. We are in a very vulnerable position. I am unable to transform and Carapace is too busy trying to protect me.
Hopefully, one of our teammates heard the explosion and are on their way. Although, we are on the other side of the city. It might take a while for them to find us or know what is currently happening.
Bang!
A gun was shot. The bullet ricocheted off of Carapace's shield to somewhere else. Then, another and another rained upon us from different directions. Carapace was doing his best trying to block them but was growing harder.
"I may have no choice but to transform if this keeps up," I thought, still looking for the threat, "Where are these blasted buffoons coming from?"
Suddenly, a guy that was hiding in an alleyway was yanked out by the leg with a string. He lost his gun in the process. The man went flying across the road and pulled up to the rooftop.
The owner of the string was none other than Ladybug.
I was relieved that there was someone in the area.
"Carapace! Al—citizen! Are you both alright?" Ladybug asked. Carapace moved to protect Ladybug from another oncoming bullet. Ladybug began swinging her yoyo as a way of protection.
"Do you know how many there are?" she asked.
"We do not," I answered. I believed the enemy was using some sort of stealth magic to conceal their locations. But it does not seem that all the terrorists had one if Ladybug saw one of them. If only I could transform, I could see through their tactics.
"Alright, Carapace, I need you to buy me some time to call for backup," Ladybug said, halting her yoyo.
"I will," Carapace agreed.
"But what if nobody is transformed," I wanted to say but could not. If nobody is transformed, they would not get the message.
Yet, they had to be. I am sure that explosion was heard from miles away. My ears are still ringing from the sound assault.
"Ladybug, did you hear the loud explosion to?" Chat Noir reached through communication.
"Thank goodness," I thought.
"Yes, we are at the current spot and need some help," Ladybug explained.
"I have backup. I just need a location to give Pegasus," Chat replied.
"Do not get too close. Have Pegasus drop however many of our teammates around the area to surround it and trap the enemy inside. We do not know how many there are and possibly using stealth magic," Ladybug explained.
That was a brilliant idea. She also picked up that they may be using stealth magic to. She truly is a wondrous Ladybug. I smiled at her, proud of the hero she was turning into. Chat Noir's training was really paying off.
"Will do, just give us five minutes," Chat Noir said.
Before Ladybug had the chance to say anything, a very shot rang out from behind her. Ladybug and I jumped along with Carapace. We snapped our attention over.
There stood Gabriel Agreste with a gun in his hands. His stealth magic was wearing off but gawked just as the rest of us were.
In between him and our group stood Master Fu with his arms spread out. Next to him, a familiar portal was closing.
Yet, the scene was still processing as Master Fu fell to the ground in a heap.
I covered my mouth in shock, feeling my eyes well up. My breathing grew shaky as the world seemed to stop spinning.
Ladybug let out a strangled screech. Her yoyo clattered to the floor.
"Ladybug?! What happened?" Chat Noir questioned in distress.
We were all frozen—petrified. We could not answer back, could not look away from the horror before us.
Master Fu had been shot.
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