Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir

Stranger in Town, Chapter 20: Walls of Air

Kagami and her mother are just now getting used to life with their new...friend. But danger is on the horizon. Some are prepared; some are not. And a person from Damien's past shows up to add to the mix.

The Fire is coming.

…

A short chapter, but necessary.

Don't own, etc.

…

The Tsurugi's: Kagami had just finished feeding the creature with the food pellets Damien had provided. VR glasses on, Tomoe Tsurugi watched from a nearby chair. Her attitude towards the creature, and, to a lesser degree, towards Damien, had mellowed somewhat since their ride. She still made no secret of her hesitancy to believe Kagami's denial that Damien had played any role in her recent predicament. Every time he'd come, to bring supplies, she'd managed to be there, situated firmly between her daughter and him. She clearly did not trust him. Or perhaps it was Kagami she didn't trust. Or both.

But every time he'd come, he'd made no effort to engage Kagami herself in any form of conversation, instead directing all his comments to Ms. Tsurugi, and directing any questions he had of the matter at hand to her. He didn't even acknowledge Kagami's presence, except for a brief nod. Of course, she understood. Tomoe Tsurugi had instructed her daughter to have nothing to do with him, and he didn't want to cause any trouble between them.

But it still seemed…a trifle insulting.

The thought brought her up short. Insulting? He was simply being courteous. And from what she'd learned, in her time in Hell, demons (and although he'd not definitely indicated so, she was certain he was one) were very big on courtesy. Honored Morax had given her a book, The 57 Laws of Power, the primary guide to shadonai behavior and interaction, and fully one-third of it dealt with courtesy. She found it a fascinating read. If humans could follow these rules, the world would be a better place.

But didn't he have any backbone whatsoever?

But what was she thinking. She knew, or deduced, that he'd been instrumental, somehow, in her return from Hell; he owed her nothing. Quite the other way around, if anything.

Still she found herself wishing they could just talk. Talk, as friends would normally talk. Kagami didn't have many friends, and it would be interesting to hear something of his life story. How had he ended up here, in the Earth realm?

Well, perhaps someday, when her mother became convinced he wasn't out to despoil her in some way. But given her mother's stubborn nature that might not be this century.

….

Damien returned to his apartment, to find Dee sitting, knees drawn up under her, on the couch. Her expression was one of determination. "Bro," she said, "Sit down. We have to talk." And she indicated a spot next to her.

Given his current state of mind, and what his intuition was telling him she wanted to talk about, that was the last thing he wanted to do. But ever since arriving, his little sis had effectively taken over. After pronouncing the place reasonably clean and orderly, (though it sounded as though the words had to be pulled out of her with power tools), she made her way to his bedroom, grimacing when she saw what was left of his shrine. "Are you sure," she'd said, "that a little payback isn't in order?"

"Positive. Well," he'd said, gesturing around the room, "this is where I sleep. Over-*"

"Slept," she said.

"Oh, now, Dee, you aren't gonna kick me out my own-*" That was when his pajamas had hit him right in the face. He'd sighed. "I guess you are." The Irresistible Force had taken over.

Not that he minded all that much. He'd always practically worshipped her; that hadn't changed. And he'd slept in worse places than the tiny loveseat.

But now…She motioned for him to sit beside her and, surprisingly, slid her hand into his. "Dame, look. One of the reasons I got leave to come up here so readily…" she paused, "The Black Throne is wanting some answers. About…Akane. And they're being unusually insistent about getting those answers. More so than ever before. I don't know why, but they are."

He stared stonily ahead. "I've already given them all the answers they're going to get."

She jumped up and began pacing, angrily. "Dame! What is wrong with you? You know what happened last time! I know you're, you're innocent of any wrongdoing, but they don't! And all it would take would be a few words!"

"A few words they're not going to get. I'm sorry, Dee, but you made this trip for nothing."

She slid back down beside him, held onto him, burying her face in his shoulder. "Not for nothing," she sniffled, "Not for nothing. I got to see my big brother again.

"Maybe for the last time."

….

The next day: Marinette and Ayla met Nino and Adrien at the bistro after school. Ayla noticed that something seemed to be bothering Adrien; a glance at Marinette showed the girl far too deep in "adoration" mode to notice anything. "Adrien? Everything okay?" She noticed Nino give out a sigh of relief. She'd noticed that that had become a favorite tactic of his: whenever Adrien got all secretive, or reluctant to talk, just bring him to the Inquisitor General. Her.

"It's…really nothing. It's just something I don't understand. It's Father."

"Oh?" That and a raised eyebrow was all the inquiry she had to make.

"I mean, more than usual. Normally, he works, like, twenty-four seven. But lately, he's been having the house," meaning the Agreste Mansion; it could hardly be called a "house," "modified. Practically rebuilt. And in ways I don't really understand."

"What sort of ways?"

Adrien hesitated, whether from reluctance to discuss family matters or simply trying to put his thoughts in order, she couldn't tell. "He's been having the walls, ceiling, and floors reinforced. They were already pretty strong, but…this is going above and beyond."

"Above and beyond how?" Ayla glanced at Marinette. From the rapturous expression on Marinette's face, she doubted the girl had heard a single word he'd said. If she could emit floaty pink Valentine's hearts, Ayla had no doubt but that the room would be half-full of them by now. "What's he been doing?"

"Installing huge slabs of some sort of thick, black material. I don't know what it is, but it looks like something they'd put in a nuke shelter. I mean, really heavy gauge stuff. And…" Again a pause, as he deliberated as to whether or not to share the rest-or if it was worth sharing. "He and Natalie have been having these, well, quiet conversations. Conversations that quit abruptly when I walk into the room."

The Agreste Mansion: Gabriel Agreste was standing by the window, personally supervising the workmen as they installed the reinforcing slabs. He did, after all, have certain secrets he wanted kept. Nathalie stood nearby, growing concerned.

For three months now, Gabriel had been surprisingly inactive in his alter ego as Monarch. Nathalie knew how important such a role was to him: he hoped to restore his beloved wife. His choice not to do that, and instead pursue his revenge against Ladybug, had produced a major schism between them, with Nathalie going so far as to-more to less-resigning her position as his helpmate, stating she would remain on solely for Adrien's sake. That had driven a wedge between them, but she had no regrets.

Well, almost none.

At one time, she'd virtually idolized the man, in his dedication to restoring his family, but when that dedication proved, well, flawed, she had come to realize that perhaps her admiration of him was also flawed. She still respected him immensely, and hoped for nothing more than his success in restoring his wife to good health, but she'd come to realize that, like all humans, he was multifaceted.

And sometimes the facet most visible was not one she found she could admire the way she once had.

"Nathalie," he said, suddenly, making her jump. She hadn't been aware he even knew she was there, such was his apparent concentration. "You once told me you'd remain on for Adrien's sake. Well and good. Here's what I want you to do. Consider these standing orders, no exceptions." He waved his hands, indicating the massive rebuilding. "If anything should…happen…," he paused and drew a deep breath. "I want you to take Adrien-and his bodyguard, but Adrien, certainly-and get him, somehow, to his friend, the one they call Damien. Let nothing stop you, let nothing and no-one stand in your way. And I do mean no one.

"I'll give you security access to the kwamis. Don't hesitate to use them…if you need to."

That was unexpected. Get Adrien out of this fortress maximus and take him to a friend's tiny, flimsy apartment? And…give her his power? Was there any way any of this made sense? She couldn't think of one. But…"Very well, sir. But what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. Adrien is everything. Get him to safety. That is all."

"Safety?" she echoed, glancing around at the massively-reinforced walls. "Safer than here?" Some of the walls had been reinforced multiple times.

Now why did it occur to her that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't just the walls that needed reinforcing?

For a long moment, he was silent. Then, he walked over and brushed his hand along one of the finished walls. The reinforcing slabs, now the wall, had been covered over, and had been decorated to appear the same as it had before. She was about to come to the conclusion he wasn't going to answer when he spoke. "I tell you, Nathalie. Don't ask me for particulars, or how I know this. But there is a very good chance that forces will soon be unleashed here, in Paris, against which these walls, no matter how strong they are…

"...Will be as effective as walls of air."

To be continued…