{+}{+}{+}
Ladybug's P.O.V
Two days.
It has been two days since Rose, Alya, and I talked. Alya notified Chat Noir (as her superhero persona) later that very night. The miraculous heroes had met the next morning and devised a plan for the "surprise" attack.
We assigned teams and schedules to monitor Gabriel Agreste. While a team of two guarded the prisoner, the rest of us scoped out for any signs of trouble in the poor section.
Chat had trusted a poor woman with watching the baby girl until this whole fiasco ended. However, he was very reluctant to leave the little one at first. I finally convinced him that she would be safer there than at the hideout and it would probably only be a day.
A day turned into two and it would soon be the third after the sun had set upon the horizon.
We were getting anxious and antsy, waiting for something that had yet to happen. It has been keeping us all on edge and on high alert.
"When is this "rescue" supposed to commence?" I wondered. Mother and I did not have much time left until we moved to the poor section. Time was running thin until there would be none left.
"What is taking her so long?" I thought, "There is only a day and a half left until we are kicked out of the wealthy section. Could it be, that she is waiting after we move? But it made no sense.
Mother can go into the poor and wealthy section as she pleases as a wealthy folk. She would not be allowed any access back into the wealthy section for five years once we live among the poor and have a clean record. The only way to get back into the wealthy section after that would be for work.
No matter how good of an assassin she is, she would not be able to get back into the wealthy section any other way. The wall separating the sections is far too high for any normal human to get over and the guards are elite that even us heroes have to sneak past them.
There is just no possible way without super abilities. And as far as I know, mother does not use a single ounce of magic.
So, the easiest solution to recapturing Gabriel and bringing him back would be to use her temporary status while she has it.
"Unless...she found another way?" I thought, scratching my brain for any answers. Mother is a topic-ranked assassin. She would have studied every escape route she could possibly take.
"Patience, Ladybug," Chat Noir said, having noticed my nervousness, "We have to be ready. If what Rena said was true, we have to keep an eye out. Even with our heightened senses, they can still manage to sneak up on us or shoot us from afar. We cannot be dozing off for a second."
"I know," I replied, "I am just trying to figure out how they will strike. You would not think they would just run in head first if they could just sneak past us, right? I do not want anyone to get hurt."
"Not unless they plan to cause a scene somewhere in the poor section and send the rest of their group to rescue Gabriel while we go stop the distraction," Chat explained.
"I hope not," I grumbled, "We do not need anyone getting hurt."
I would not think mother would do such an obvious plan but I would not know. That woman is a mystery to me. I do not understand how she even works or thinks. Honestly, I do not believe she even knows herself.
"Is everything alright? You are acting quite strange," Chat Noir questioned.
"I am quite lovely," I responded, not meaning to add the venom in my voice.
Chat Noir raised an eyebrow at my behavior and seemed like he wanted to call me out on my obvious lie. Yet, he was cut short when he perked up as if on alert.
"What is it? Is something amiss?" I asked, tensing. I readied myself for fight, preparing for an attack to come from any direction.
"That smell..." Chat Noir trailed off.
"Smell?" I urged him to explain.
"There is a strange smell I have been trying to track down but I always lost the person in the crowd," he said, looking over the building's ledge, "But I believe I can see the culprit behind this odor."
I joined his side in search of the person he was talking about but a few people were strolling around the marketplace.
"That woman has a peculiar smell that I cannot quite decipher," Chat Noir answered, pointing over at a blonde woman and a very familiar one.
Rosemary.
She was going from stall to stall buying food with a bright smile.
I understood why Chat Noir might have been lured in by Rose's peculiar smell. She is the witch of perfumes, after all. She must stick out like a sore thumb to Chat's senses with her unique magical smell.
"Chat Noir, I thought you were more of a gentleman than that," I teased, "Calling a woman smelly is very rude."
"I did not mean to imply it in such a rude way. I-I just meant there is something...off. My sense of smell has been heightened and can tell-"
I snorted, making him stop rambling when realizing that I was just joking.
"Do not worry, I understand what you mean," I assured him.
"You do? Is your smell keen too?" Chat asked.
"No," I answered, "but I assume she smells strange due to her...abilities."
"Abilities? Are you implying that she is a witch?" he questioned.
"Sort of," I explained, "She is a magic user holder and her powers are based on smells."
"And you know this how?" he asked.
"Would you not like to know," I joked, "This is sounding more like an interrogation but I cannot reveal more due to the first rule of being a hero."
Chat sighed, "Right."
I looked at the blonde woman for a moment before deciding to go see her. Rose has been posing as me while I play my superhero role without anyone at the mansion realizing my presence was not there. She may have learned more while I was gone.
"I will be right back," I told Chat before leaping off the rooftop, "Continue keeping watch, will you?"
Chat Noir had said something but I did not catch a word. I landed in the alleyway and peeked around the corner. Yet, I did not see Rose at the stall anymore.
For a moment, I was confused as to where she went. I was not expecting a tap on the shoulder, making me practically jump out of my skin. I swiveled around only to meet with my said friend. The smile she had on earlier was now a sly smirk.
"What might the spotted heroine of Paris want with someone like me?" Rose joked.
"I thought I might drop in and ask a little birdie if anything...odd is afoot?" I questioned.
"Ah," Rose started with a nod, "Well...your mother has been a bit more careful. She has been quiet and has not been in contact with anyone. It has been difficult learning anything. I am honestly not sure how much longer I can keep an eye on her. She is getting closer to discovering me."
"That is not very reassuring," I mumbled under my breath.
"Why do you think she will strike soon? You have never said your reasoning," Rose questioned.
My eyes widened, surprised that Rose especially did not know. This made me wonder if any of the other servants knew about me and my mother going to the poor section. Why has mother not informed them?
"You do not know?" I questioned.
"Know what?" Rose urged me to answer.
"Mother and I are going to be banished to the poor section in two days," I explained, "I theorized that she will try to rescue Gabriel sometime this week. It would be easier for her to get past the gate that way since the rich can go in and out."
"Cannot she get a job as a servant?" Rose asked.
"She would have to live in the poor section for at least five years before she can get that kind of job and have a clean record," I answered.
"I see," Rose acknowledged, "Then, I will have to try investigating deeper into this."
"Please do not try getting yourself into too much trouble. I do not want you getting hurt," I worried for Rose's safety. Mother would not hesitate to kill Rose if she ever found out that she was the spy. By the sounds of it, Rose already had a few close calls and only digging herself a deeper grave the more she gets closer to the truth.
Rose may see it as a worthy risk but I do not if it means losing my first friend.
"I will do my best," Rose said, determined, "but I unfortunately cannot promise you anything."
As much as I disliked her answer, it was at least something.
"Okay," I replied, still very concerned. Rose was all alone in the mansion after all. She is risking her life to gain information and making sure nobody notices my disappearance by disguising herself as me. If she shows any signs of oddness while looking like me, the spell would break and expose herself.
Rose may be a good, strong witch but I have to face the music. Mother is a top-class magic user assassin. It was no secret who would win in a battle if the two ever faced off.
Rose's smile never dimmed before a look of realization dawned on her.
"Oh! I almost forgot to ask you but did you by chance take one of my potions?" Rose asked, "I have seemed to misplace one. I am still looking but I was just wondering if you by chance took it."
"No, I did not," I answered, "What potion was it?"
"It is the potion of intangibility. If used, a person can walk through any solid objects except for people and spells," Rose explained.
"Potion of intangibility..." I murmured to myself, diving deep into my thoughts. I had a strange, chilling feeling as a theory built itself.
It just had to be a coincidence that Rose loses a spell that could help mother pass through the wall separating the sections.
Right?
There was no way mother found out Rose's identity and took that specific potion.
"Rose, do you by chance notice when you misplaced that potion?" I asked.
"Yesterday," she answered, "Around supper time."
Around supper time which means mother could have stolen it while Rose was busy making dinner.
My gut was twisting as the unsettling ache in my stomach tightened.
"Rose, you cannot return to that mansion," I ordered her, earning a shocked, wide-eyed look, "You need to go hide somewhere for a few days until this rescue mission is over."
"Why?" Rose asked, "You know very well that I am willing to dive into dangerous situations-"
"I know," I cut her off, "but I do not believe you are foolish enough to misplace your potions in your situation. Mother must have taken it. No, I know she did! She must have already figured you out and is using you without your knowledge."
"No...that cannot be true..." Rose said in disbelief, stumbling a few steps back in turmoil, "I have been so careful. I cannot give up on my mission."
"She will kill you once you are of no use to her anymore," I sternly told her.
"But is she not against magic like the rest of the SSS? They would kill her if she used any sort of magic," Rose questioned.
"I do not believe she is as unwilling to use magic unlike the SSS," I replied, "She probably does not care. And it is the matter of them finding out. She has been working with the SSS for years. They probably trust her enough to think she would not use magic."
"So, she and her team will probably strike tonight," Rose thought out loud.
"Maybe..." I trailed off in wonder. I do not know what other time she would do it. I would expect her to execute her plan during nightfall but would that be too obvious?
"I cannot say for certain when the attack will commence. Mother is too hard to read. I thought I once knew her but I feel as though I know so little."
"Family matters can be quite complex, especially the wealthy ones," Rose admitted, recalling whatever darkness lurked in her past.
"We just need to keep our chin up and try to expect the unexpected. You all are doing the best you can right now and are as prepared as you can be."
Rose is correct. I need to keep a level head and continue being on guard for whenever the attack may be-
"Ladybug!" Chat exclaimed, earning Rose and I's attention. He jumped down, landing near me with such seriousness.
"The attack is happening now! We need to get back to the hideout immediately," Chat informed me.
I gasped before dislodging my yoyo from my hip.
Mother decided to attack in broad daylight?! What blasphemy is this?!
"Please do what I told you," I told Rose, hoping she got what I meant from our earlier conversation. Rose seemed to hesitate, not liking the idea of running and hiding. Yet, she gives me a nod.
I suppose that is the best answer I will be getting.
Chat Noir and I took off toward the hideout.
"Who is on guard right now?" I asked.
"I believe Carapace and Rena Rouge," he replied.
Good. Carapace should be able to stall with his shield until we arrive. There is no way anyone would be able to break shelter, aside from Chat Noir's cataclysm.
But how were they able to sneak through the poor section in the middle of the day without any of us patrolling knowing of their presence? Are their stealth skills really that amazing? I suppose they were able to sneak up on Carapace and Alya last time.
That is a scary thought. They could show up from anywhere and we would be none the wiser.
I saw the hideout in the distance, noticing Polymouse and Vesperia entering through the skylight. Vesperia must have seen us coming and left the skylight open. Chat and I arrived seconds later, simply slipping in through the open roof window.
There were two SSS members knocked out on the floor, stripped of their weapons. A few bullet holes could be seen around the room's walls and some destroyed training equipment.
"They must already be in the prison room, Let us go!" Vesperia said before taking off.
"Wait!" I called, grabbing Vesperia's arm before she could make it out into the hallway.
"Polymouse, can you use your power and check around the corner?" I whispered my request to the mouse hero. Polymouse was a bit confused but did not question me any further. She knew we were running short on time and trusted my judgment.
"Multitude," Polymouse activated her ability, shrinking into multiple replicas of herself. One of the Polymouses scampered over to the doorway to the hall and peeked around the corner.
I knelt and held out my hand as she returned, crawling onto my palm as I lifted her closer to hear what she had to say. I gave her a nod in understanding that my theory was correct.
"What did she tell you?" Chat asked, quietly.
I gathered the others closer so they could hear but the SSS member could not overhear.
"There is an SSS member a little ways down the hallway, ready to shoot anything that moves," I told them.
"Do any of you know another way to get to the prison room or are we going to have to figure out how to get past the gunman down the hall?"
"Unfortunately, that is the only way to the prison room unless we have Pegasus or Bunnyx use their teleportation magic to get us there," Chat answered.
"Should they have not been here before us? They are the only two who can travel the fastest along with their partners," Vesperia questioned.
"Maybe, they are already there," Polymouse suggested in a tiny voice.
I hummed, thoughtfully. Something was not right. I would assume Bunnyx would know of our presence since she is a time traveler. She knows how everything plays out so there must be a reason she has not shown up.
"Let me see if I can get in contact with Pegasus," Chat said, opening his communications on his baton.
"I will try Bunnyx," Vesperia volunteered, copying Chat's plan.
I felt a small tap on my hand and turned my attention to the mouse hero standing on the palm of my hand. Even though she was miniature and her face was covered by her super suit, her skin turned a shade paler. Her features were wrinkled with terror, causing me to worry.
"What is it?" I whispered.
"Try to stay as neutral as possible and do not turn to look at the hallway," Polymouse warned me, glancing off to the side. I steeled the urge to look. My heart began to pound and my skin grew cold. I had a pretty good idea of what Polymouse was talking about.
I scanned the other two heroes, who were still awaiting an answer from Bunnyx and Pegasus.
"Why are they not answering?" Chat grumbled, a bit tipped.
I returned my attention to Polymouse as she explained the situation.
"The guard in the hallway is hiding around the corner and about to shoot," Polymouse said.
"Okay," I whispered.
I had to act fast or someone was going to get hurt. If the SSS member saw me reaching for my yoyo, he would shoot. If Chat or Vesperia notices him, he will shoot. If I do nothing soon, he will surely kill one of us.
I cannot let that happen.
I have to be quick and precise when getting my yoyo. If I manage to get it and spin it into a shield fast enough, it will buy us some time to knock out the enemy.
There can be no error...or else we might lose someone else.
{+}{+}{+}