Rose was in class the next day, like everything was perfectly fine and normal. Like yesterday she didn't turn into a manic green pixie who sprayed mind control perfume everywhere at a charity gala.
She was back to her normal self, bright eyed and cheery. She didn't seem fazed at all, beyond accepting hugs from anyone who offered. Like she was the one who was cowering under a table while armed guards stormed the place. She did admit she was disappointed that she botched the meeting with Prince Ali
And no one seemed to mind or acted differently around her. Even Chloe kept the same amount of mean-ness.
Lila couldn't look at Rose without thinking of the cloying perfume and how her trembling limbs could barely keep her from the layer of swirling mist on the floor.
Lila shuddered, and thanked her luck that Madam Bustier was mid-lecture so she wouldn't have to listen to Rose's bright, threatening voice.
She shook her head and focused on her notebook paper. Madam Bustier didn't require people to take notes most of the time, so it amounted to her writing the occasional bullet point and scribbling little ladybugs in the margins.
Lila was just adding little legs to one when a tremor in her desk sent her pencil wildly off course. She exhaled through her nose and glanced over to her table partner, who probably kicked the table leg-
Then there was another tremble, one that filled the entire room. It shook the walls and Lila felt the vibrations in her teeth. And the annoyance that filled her was replaced with an icy fear.
" Akuma attack. Class: Orange Monster. Please move to the nearest safe place. This is not a drill ."
The voice of a stranger echoed over the intercoms. It looped endlessly.
"Alright class, move out to the school bunkers." Madam Bustier instructed. Several people let out annoyed grumbles, like this was a fire drill .
"Do we have to? My grade's low enough as it is, I can't miss more of these classes." Alex complained.
"It's probably not anywhere near us." Kim said. "But I'm not complaining about getting out of class."
Max scoffed. "You'd be complaining if it was gym class."
Alex punched the nerd's shoulder. "And you'd be complaining if this was science or math class. I need to get my grade up."
"You know I can always tutor you." Max said, adjusting his glasses.
"In language arts?" Alex snorted. "I know you're a prodigy, but you hate language arts."
Lila shook her head, even as the class all got up to follow Madam Bustier to the akuma bunker. How could they be so casual about this? Like there was no real danger?
The bunker turned out to be the boiler room of the school. It had fluorescent light fixtures, just like the rest of the school.
The room was soon filled with whispers and people shushing the whispers. Some people didn't even bother whispering, and talked at a normal level.
"Hey look at this, it's the news feed from the attack!"
The announcement sent a whole group of people into an excited frenzy, like this was some sort of sports game, not a- a monster attack.
Lila slid to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and tried to convince herself that everything would be okay.
Lila became abruptly aware that no one but her was cowering. She was making a fool out of herself, acting like a scared child. No one else was even bothered .
She stood up, ignored the shaking of her legs, and straightened her back.
Ladybug saved her the first time. Surely she'd be there for her if she was in danger again, right? Ladybug was a hero, she wouldn't just leave Lila.
Yeah , Lila nodded and gathered her confidence. Ladybug saved me. She's my friend. She won't let me get hurt.
There was an abrupt quiet around her, and suddenly everyone's eyes were on her.
"Ladybug's your friend?!" Someone squealed. "That's so cool!"
"What's she like in person?"
Lila wished her mouth was sewn shut. That lie was meant for herself!
People continued crowding her, badgering questions, and the volume increased tenfold even as the teacher's pets trying to shut everyone up only added to the volume.
Until a shrill, furious voice managed to cut through the noise.
" Shut Up !"
Lila startled and whipped her head in the direction of the voice.
It was Alya, but her face was twisted into an ugly expression. "This isn't the time for messing around!"
"This is serious! It isn't a joke! You can't just pretend everything is going to be alright!" Her voice hitched. "People are getting hurt out there! This isn't a game!"
"Ladybug can't be everywhere at once! Ladybug can't save everyone-"
Then Alya burst into tears.
Lila recoiled as if struck. She wasn't messing around!
Her mouth opened to reply, but her chest was too tight and no words made it past her throat.
That-
Lila ignored how hot her face was and how blurry her vision had become.
. . .
His connection snapped and with it a growl escaped from his throat. His leather gloves stretched taut over his knuckles and his jaw ached from the force of his gritted teeth.
He resisted the urge to scream, to throw his staff in rage.
And around him gold faded into existence and the nuisance's voice echoed about his lair with the strength of a chorus.
"Little Butterfly," Admirer speaks and Hawkmoth can hear the smirk in their voice. "Did thee truly believe that a weak host such as that would ever triumph over such powerful beings?"
"I did not ask for your input!" He ground out.
"And yet thou shall be graced by wisdom, nonetheless, Little Butterfly ."
And before his eyes, the air shimmered and flickered, as though it was a weak candle. And a gilded image of a young girl curled up on a bed, sobbing, came into existence. It looked as though it was made of gold and bronze and brass that had pooled together to form the highlights and shadows.
And it disappeared mere moments later.
"I do not have enough stores to make another akuma safely," Hawkmoth growled, sick of the spirit's pestering. "Leave me be!"
"Does great ambition not require sacrifice? Surely thou art aware, but art thee willing? Do thee lack proper conviction?"
The insidious voice of the spirit echoed in his head in a cruel round of singers tauntingly repeating the lyrics.
"Enough!" Hawkmoth chopped his hand through the air, as if that would banish the pest. "You doubt my conviction?! I have already sacrificed everything !"
"Then one more shall not be an additional burden," The spirit purred.
"And if you truly feel that it is a waste, know that the girl's emotions shall amplify the akuma to make up for your weakness ."
The spirit departs, taking the golden columns of light away with it.
. . .
"Ghost," Ladybug started, "you don't have to let this-this-"
"Crazy lady," Chat supplied. "She's a crazy lady."
"You don't have to give yourself up to her judgment." Ladybug folded her arms.
They made an excellent point, but I had a strong feeling that this wasn't something I could avoid. In fact, I'm fairly sure if I didn't go to this meetup, it would end up with me eating concrete again.
' I appreciate the concern ,' I signed, ' but it's something I need to do .'
Besides, this 'crazy lady' knew more about what was going on than I did. I loved them but Knight never told me anything of substance - other than the occasional cryptic phrase that was never expounded upon. Their time was normally spent lurking around their favorite spot in the library, tearing up anything they can get their stubby hands on, and jump scaring me for no reason.
"But it isn't something you need to do!" Chat Noir protested. "I don't want you to risk your life because Crazy Lady thinks that you spat on her ancestor's grave or something!"
"It's true," Ladybug agreed. "And if it's information you need, well - I recently met someone who could help with that."
' She's had a month to reconsider murder. I don't think I'm in danger .'
"But you are in danger!" Chat shook his head and paced across the roof. "You can't just-!"
"We need you in every fight, if you get hurt or attacked- I can't fix it!" Ladybug snapped.
Both were becoming more and more worked up. Chat couldn't keep still, but no matter what he was doing, his piercing eyes never left me. Meanwhile, Ladybug's arms were folded as tightly as she could manage and she was standing still as a statue. Neither were willing to let me walk away into an uncertain situation.
I let out a slow, silent sigh and refused to let my hands curl into fists.
' Look at me ,' my sign was stifled and sharp. Chat Noir stilled just a touch and Ladybug's stare drilled holes into me. I brought my hands up to my head and ignored the touch of nervousness. I gripped the edge of my mask and in one smooth, nearly casual, motion, I took it off.
I made direct eye contact with both of them in turn, my white irises and black sclera meeting blue and green eyes respectively.
' I need you to trust me, ' I signed slowly, deliberately, my face serious. ' It's my decision. '
"But-"
' Chat, ' I mouthed along with my sign, ' Trust me. '
Chat cast his eyes to the ground. "I do."
Ladybug was still staring at me, as if she could see something within my expression.
"Stay safe," she finally uttered.
I saluted and slipped my mask back on and set off for the same mossy courtyard that I got beat up in a month ago.
. . .
Ladybug and Chat Noir sat in silence for a short time after Ghost left.
Chat felt twists of concern in his gut. He got tired of pacing and sat on the roof, tucking his knees to his chest in an effort to keep still. He didn't understand how Ghost could just - leave! There weren't any guarantees that they would come back. He didn't understand why they didn't let either Ladybug or him go with them.
He shook his head miserably.
"Chat," Ladybug sat down right next to him, "it's going to be okay."
Chat kept his eyes trained on the ground and his claws dug into his arms. Pressure built in the back of his throat, like words were building up, but his tongue was too heavy to properly speak.
It isn't fair , he wanted to say. But he wasn't sure what exactly wasn't fair. And he didn't want to whine in front of Ladybug, so he kept his silence.
" Wow , if I knew it was a snooze fest up here, I wouldn't have come."
The unfamiliar voice shocked Chat out of his downward spiral and he jolted to his feet and spun to face the intruder.
In front of him was a girl with straight brown hair with orange and white highlights. Tall pointed ears sprouted from her head and she wore an orange jumpsuit with a cream belly and a sash formed a tail behind her. She wore a domino mask.
Next to him, Ladybug's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who are you?"
"I'm Volpina," She smiled, though it looked more of a smirk to Chat. "I'm a superhero and wielder of the Fox Miraculous."
Ladybug furrowed her brow.
"It's been passed through my family for generations. I was chosen out of all the candidates as the most worthy." Volpina continued. "When I noticed how much of a mess this city is, I knew I had to come over."
Something about that stung Ladybug and she arched a hidden eyebrow. "Where have you been then?"
Volpina kept smiling, unbothered by Ladybug's pointed question. "Well, I just got here, I had to make sure my city would be set before I came to help."
"Your city?" Chat tilted his head.
"My city," Volpina nodded. "We have been protecting it from villains for centuries."
"There are other villains?" Chat's eyes widened and Volpina sent him a flat look.
"Do you think Hawkmoth is the only evil person?" She scoffed. "You would, but that's just because The Fox Users always defeat villains quickly so no one knows there ever was danger."
Ladybug's lips pursed together.
"So when I saw monsters on international news, I knew you needed my help to fix this disaster." Volpina finished with a sickly sweet smile.
Ladybug grit her teeth together at the insinuations the outsider was making. It didn't matter that the new miraculous user apparently had more experience than them. It didn't matter that she was apparently better than them. it didn't matter that she was mocking all of the work they've put into protecting the city for the past nine months! Ladybug couldn't deny that they could use the help, and she wasn't willing to let her pride get in the way of Paris's safety.
Chat Noir uncertainly eyed the two of them. Ladybug's whole posture was stiff as a board and she was clearly irritated. Meanwhile, Volpina was flashing big innocent eyes that were belied by the smirk growing on her lips. She knew she was getting under Ladybug's skin.
Chat felt defensiveness well up in him, but he knew defending their efforts of stopping Hawkmoth wouldn't get very far - in the same way he knew that trying to talk to Chloe about changing her behavior wouldn't get very far. So he changed the topic, trying to divert the conflict.
"What are your abilities," Chat asked. "We'll need to know so we can come up with plans for akuma attacks."
Volpina's attention shifted to him and her eyes sharpened as though assessing him.
"I hope you're not the one making the plans." She said, making direct eye contact with him.
Chat ignored this by pretending it was some light teasing from Keana or Nino, instead of a hurtful barb from a stranger. "Only if you want it to end up in disaster," he shrugged. "So, powers?"
"I can duplicate myself and shoot lasers." Volpina smirked.
Like Naruto!? Chat suddenly had stars in his eyes. His new teammate was like a mean girl version of Naruto! She was a fox and could duplicate herself!
"Can you make a Rasengan!?" Chat blurted out before he could stop himself.
"'Course I can," Volpina smirked. "It's not even that hard."
"So how many times can you duplicate yourself?" Ladybug challenged. "Do you have a weapon?"
Volpina's eyes narrowed but her smile didn't drop. "Why don't I just show you? The best way to showcase my abilities is with a demonstration. Let's spar."
Ladybug, who was itching to punch this girl in the face, agreed.
They couldn't fight on the rooftop they currently were on, so they leapt across the rooftops until they reached one of their normal training areas. It was spacious and mostly shielded from public view.
As they traveled, crowds of people noticed them and erupted into excited cheers and several people waved. Chat took time to wave back. As such, several people also happened to spot the Fox wielder and took pictures.
Ladyblog - - Sightings
Trending
A New Hero!?
by Capricornicup
Hey guys, I was on a walk today and spotted the best hero duo, Ladybug and Chat Noir, making a victory lap on the roofs after their successful akuma bust. Some of them are pretty good:
[[ Picture of Ladybug mid jump between rooftops. She's already preparing her next throw of her iconic yo-yo.]]
I like this one a lot:
[[ Chat Noir peeking over the edge of a roof, waving at the camera with a wide grin on his face]]
But I noticed something new. There's a third person there. And I know they aren't Ghost because they're OrANge! I also got a pretty good shot of her:
[[ Image of a new superhero, just about to take the leap from one roof to the next. She's in an orange suit with a cream belly and a sash that turns into a tail. She also has cute ears and black gloves and boots]]
Is this a new superhero!? She looks so cute! I think she's based off of a fox and her hair highlights are so cool! I'm kinda jelly ^v^
Comments v Likes Reblogs
DontGiveMeATime bro I want those hair highlights
WhiskerMeAway no one's cooler than Chat Noir
ChumpChamp Do you think LadyblogOfficial will cover this? We haven't heard from her in a while.
HelpIveGefallen Are they finally replacing Ghost? Having a creepy hero look after our city gives my kid nightmares.
See More...
They reached their training spot quickly.
"You do know how to spar, right?" Ladybug said.
Volpina scoffed. "Of course I do! I've done it countless times. I even had to defeat the last Fox Holder so I could prove myself worthy ."
"Well, I guess I'm the referee then," Chat glanced between the two. "First round weapons only, no powers."
The two girls separated to opposite sides of the courtyard and readied their weapons. Ladybug took her yo-yo off of her belt and Volpina took a rod that was strapped to her back. Chat squinted at it, noticing holes that trailed along the length of it before realizing the rod was actually a flute of some kind.
They were both ready. "Go!" Chat started them.
At first neither moved, merely assessing each other. Volpina made the first move.
She blew a note into her flute and an orange ball of light gathered at the end of it. Then in one swift motion she flung it in Ladybug's direction.
Ladybug blocked the laser blast with her yo-yo. But the light show had distracted her from her opponent. Volpina rushed at Ladybug with a punch. The spotted heroine reacted quickly, throwing her yo-yo to wrap around the fox's arm.
For a second Chat thought he saw the yo-yo go through Volpina's arm, until he realized that she had just moved out of the way with perfect timing.
Volpina was now too close for Ladybug to use her weapon properly, so she abandoned it and went for a punch. Volpina slid under the punch with ease and used her momentum to kick Ladybug's ankle.
Ladybug let out a brief cry of pain before springing away.
The rest of the fight went similarly. Every time Ladybug attacked, Volpina either barely evaded or blocked and delivered a counter attack that Ladybug was more hard pressed to avoid. Even Ladybug's more creative attacks were dodged with ease, as if Volpina had perfect reaction time.
Chat's jaw dropped when Volpina contorted herself to avoid a sudden flying kick from Ladybug and then just as quickly attacked Ladybug's vulnerable back and pinned her.
"Volpina wins." Chat announced as if it weren't already obvious. Volpina got off of Ladybug, not a single hair out of place.
"If that's the best you can do, no wonder the city's a mess." Volpina grinned, showing off sharp canines. "You really need my help."
Ladybug got up slowly and brushed the dust off of her. Her face was set in a glare as if she could burn a hole in the Fox Holder's back if she tried enough.
"Ladybug's better at situational combat than one on one," Chat defended. She was good at one on one combat, sure, but she thrived when she could use the environment against her opponent. Not to mention her plans were great. Chat himself was better at straight up fights with little planning involved.
"Speaking of help, isn't there another one of you? Ghost or something?"
Chat Noir looked away. The unintentional reminder stung.
"Busy," Ladybug said flatly in a manner that screamed none of your business.
"Doing what?" Volpina clearly had boundary issues.
Probably getting beat up. Chat Noir didn't say, instead staring a hole into the ground.
"Do you not know?" Volpina clicked her tongue. "Do they not trust you? You guys must make an awful team."
Chat snapped his glare to the fox, lips curling up in a snarl. " It's none of your business!"
"Sheesh, chill out." Volpina slung her flute behind her neck, largely unconcerned by Chat's attitude. "I was just making an observation. I've worked on plenty of teams, so I know not having trust in each other is a big cause of failed missions."
Chat took back any amount of respect he had for Volpina.
"What's Ghost's deal anyway," She carried on, oblivious to Chat's displeasure. "What are they even supposed to be? Miraculous all have an animal theme, and they don't look like much of anything. What's their power?"
Neither answered her questions.
"We're continuing patrol," Ladybug ordered.
Volpina rolled her eyes. "Why? It's not like Hawkmoth has enough energy to make another akuma today." She smirked. "I mean, with his power levels, he's a B-tier villain at best."
Ladybug grit her teeth and gave a frosty smile in return. "You're a superhero, right? Then you should know how important it is to reassure the public after an attack." She paused for just enough time to let the fox begin her retort.
"Well-"
Ladybug continued. "But I guess you wouldn't know that, since your people never know they're in danger. So you must not have much experience in calming down crowds."
Volpina glared, a darker expression briefly crossed her countenance before it lightened again. "I guess you're right, since I'm good enough at my job to prevent disaster."
Chat's lips pulled into a snarl again and he fought the rising urge to hiss. This was unfair. Volpina didn't have the right to go after Ladybug, his friend and partner, like this. They had clawed their way through the first months without guidance, were thrown into a sea of sharks and expected to swim. And now, nearly a year after they first started, this 'experienced hero' was waltzing in and throwing dirt on their efforts.
They returned to the rooftops, Volpina still making pointed jabs that went mostly ignored.
"Do you normally waste hours just patrolling?" Volpina complained.
No , Chat thought. Normally it was just a few hours, but today Ghost was in an uncertain amount of danger and the duo decided to wait until they came back safely. Or until Ghost sent out some sort of distress signal so they could help them.
"Do you normally complain this much?" Ladybug retorted.
"I'm not complaining." Volpina said sharply. "Just noticing that if you spent less time patrolling and more time actually trying to find and defeat Hawkmoth, then you might be done ."
"But, hmm, now that I think about it..." Volpina put a finger to her chin as if considering something. "No, You'd still need my help."
They stopped on a nondescript rooftop. Chat could see Ladybug's shoulder's tremble and her hands were fists. But she stayed silent. Chat stepped in front of her, blocking her from the fox's sight.
"What's your problem ?" Chat snapped. Volpina seemed to take great amusement in his rage. "I-"
Ladybug's hand grabbed his shoulder, distracting him from his rant. She shook her head, to his astonishment.
"If you don't want to help," Ladybug said softly, but her eyes were made of impassive steel as she stared at Volpina. "Then I suggest you leave. I don't care how great or skilled you are, if you can't work in a team then you will be useless."
Volpina scoffed. "I'm perfectly fine at working in teams, it's you-"
"Evidence suggests otherwise," Ladybug said flatly. "You can't go five minutes without trying to provoke one of us. That won't work."
"Is that what you think I've been doing? Trying to start a fight?" Volpina huffed. "I was just sharing my opinion. Sorry. I've been told that my blunt nature can rub at people's egos. If you took offense, that's your problem."
That was somehow more grating than the initial jabs; apologizing, then placing the blame on the person wronged. Not only that but it wasn't even genuine. Even Chat Noir, as unsocialized as he was, could tell that the offense they took was entirely intended and enjoyed by the perpetrator.
"Let's just move on." Ladybug said.
And they did. The silence lasted a bit longer than before as everyone stewed in their thoughts. The sky was beginning to dim before long, even though twilight hours were steadily getting pushed back with the approach of Summer. The street lamps hadn't flickered on yet when Ladybug stopped again, having spotted something.
Or rather, someone.
She squinted at a figure on the other side of the street, hobbling around on a cane in a Hawaiian shirt and sandals. It was clearly Master Fu, but what was he doing here?
Then he stepped onto a crosswalk before it was safe. A terrible feeling of deja vu overcame her and her eyes widened.
Ladybug flung her yo-yo, launching herself at the stupid old man even as an oncoming car started honking at him. Brakes started screeching and Ladybug grabbed him just before it became too late.
She landed easily and set him down.
"We have to stop meeting like this," She grumbled.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you, Madam," Still acting like he didn't know her, Master Fu's hands shakily took hers in his. "How can I repay you?"
"No payment necessary, it's my duty to protect the city." Ladybug assured, still not entirely sure what he was doing this for.
"Thank you!" And he pulled her into a hug.
Ladybug returned it, still mostly confused, until he began to speak again, this time in a whisper.
"I have the Fox Miraculous. The one who accompanies you is not what she says."
What? Did he just have all the miraculous?
Master Fu pulled away before she could ask any questions. "Take care, those akumas look strong!"
"You as well," Ladybug replied, still reeling. "Try not to cross any busy streets by yourself!"
So Volpina was an akuma then. Ladybug was a little relieved that they wouldn't have to put up with her attitude, but it was mostly overshadowed by the implications. Hawkmoth had already launched an akuma attack today. Normally akuma attacks were once a week, maybe a day or two apart if they were unlucky.
The fact that the supervillain had enough energy to launch two in one day was not a good sign, to say the least.
He could have planned it out so the attack that happened earlier today was weaker so he had enough energy to put them in a false sense of security so Volpina could... do what? Infiltrate them, spy on them? She hasn't done a very good job at trying to get on their good side if she's trying to lower their guard.
The other option was worse. Hawkmoth having two akuma attacks in a day meant he was getting stronger. Maybe he was using more of the dark magic stuff that Tikki talked about, or...
Ladybug shook her head. However he managed to do it didn't matter right now. If he kept this up, launching two attacks per day, over and over- One day the hero team wouldn't be able to keep up. Especially if he figured out how to launch two at once. Their personal lives would end and they'd be running on fumes before long. Ghost had stamina issues, so it wouldn't take long for them to not be able to fight anymore, and if the team was reduced to two people-
They'd be stretched thin.
Ladybug shook her head and bit her lip. She needed to focus on what was going on now, not spiral over something that might not happen. And right now, Chat Noir was alone with an akuma who could duplicate herself and shoot laser beams.
So he's outnumbered and outgunned.
With a throw of her yo-yo, Ladybug launched herself back to the rooftop she left the two on.
She landed and was greeted by the sight of Volpina standing impatiently with her arms crossed. Chat was not getting attacked, which was good news.
"Are you really gonna help every old person cross the road?" Volpina arched an eyebrow. "What's next, getting a cat out of a tree?"
Ladybug scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous- Chat can get himself out of a tree."
It was remarkably easier to ignore Volpina's jabs now that she knew the fox was an akuma.
Chat looked torn between laughing at the joke and being insulted at the insinuation he'd get stuck in a tree in the first place.
She needed to tip off Chat Noir without the akuma realizing she knew. Duplication and laser beams sounded tough to fight, so the best way would be to surprise and overwhelm Volpina before she could do anything.
Maybe the best way to tip him off was with an attack.
Ladybug charged forward.
Volpina turned towards her, eyes widening with surprise, barely managing to catch the fist that was on track for her face.
"Huh?" Chat Noir shouted, sounding extremely confused.
"She's an akuma!" Ladybug shouted back, wrestling with the fox. "Don't let her use her flute!"
"That's a relief!" Chat agreed. "She's already more annoying than an akuma- I was worried we'd have to deal with her forever!"
"What? I'm not an akuma!" Volpina shouted, clearly lying.
"If you're going to lie, at least make it a good one!" Ladybug rolled her eyes and caught Volpina's free hand just as the akuma tried for a punch.
They were grappling now, which left Volpina open to a charging Chat Noir.
Volpina kicked Ladybug in the shin and pushed away just in time to dodge Chat's baton swing.
Volpina jumped away, mouth still curved in a smirk. "You really think that's enough to stop me? I'm more powerful than you can ever hope to be!"
She brought her flute to her lips.
"No!" Ladybug shouted and together they rushed at the fox akuma once again.
But it was too late. A clear note pierced the air. Orange light gathered at the end but instead of shooting out in a blast, she swiped the flute through the air and the light arched away, forming into a mass of glowing replicas of Volpina. Then the glow faded, and a horde of identical clones of the akuma flanked her sides.
Ladybug's eyes widened and she shifted back a step. This was too much, even for an akuma-
The one who accompanies you is not what she says
She lied about everything else in their conversation, who's to say she didn't lie about her powers too?
Ladybug steeled herself and charged forward.
"Wha- What are you doing!?" Chat exclaimed, stumbling back a step.
"Everything she does is a lie!" Ladybug shouted. "So it has to be an illusion!"
She couldn't see his response, too busy jumping into the throng of fake-Volpinas. It was nearly overwhelming. They obscured her vision and crowded her. It was difficult not to flinch away from them. It only took touching one to confirm her theory, as it dissipated into nothing.
"Ladybug!" Chat cried out in horror.
She spared a look back just in time to see a copy of her - an illusion - getting flung around by the near sea of fake-Volpinas. Irritation welled up inside her.
"Chat! It's not real!" She called out. "So get in here and trust me!"
And then her head snapped to the left and stars sprung into her eyes. She stumbled from the punch and a little cry escaped her.
"This is too easy," Volpina said from her right. "I should have done this earlier."
She had to be the real one. The illusions couldn't be touched.
Ladybug lashed out with a fist of her own that just barely missed as Volpina jumped into the crowd of copies. It was difficult to tell her apart from the group.
"Chat over here!" Ladybug hollered. Then she took her yo-yo and flung it. It arched in a wide circle - every illusion it and its string passed through dissolved into nothing - so an entire radius around the spotted heroine was soon clear of illusions.
There was only one Volpina still there - the real one, since she must have jumped over the yo-yo without realizing the true intention behind the attack. The clear space now gave Chat a nice view of her not getting mobbed by dozens of Volpina-clones.
He was by her side in an instant.
Volpina's never ending smirk had finally fallen into a scowl. She clearly hated the fact they uprooted her lies. She stood at the edge of the roof they had been fighting on. Her flute was still tight in her grip even as the rest of the illusion dissipated.
Ladybug and Chat Noir began their advance. The akuma's eyes darted towards the street and the smirk crawled back.
"Don't-" Ladybug started, but
Volpina dropped off the roof.
Ladybug and Chat rushed to the edge of the roof just in time to see Volpina grab the wrist of an unfortunate passing civilian - a person in a hoodie who was either too tired or too oblivious to notice the fight above them.
The civilian looked over in confusion at whoever grabbed their wrist
And then Vulpina started running, wrenching the civilian along behind her.
Ladybug and Chat leapt off the roof in pursuit, even as Volpina blew a note into her flute and a cloud of smoke popped up to obscure her exit.
They passed through, still running. Ladybug scanned the rooftops and alleys, only to see no trace of the fox.
Chat cursed and ran his hands through his hair with irritation. "Where'd she go?"
"Just keep looking," Ladybug said.
Plenty of akumas use civilians as hostages, whether they realize it or not - often it was just a result of their dangerous powers. Bubbler had taken the entire city hostage, but he didn't realize he had leverage. Pharaoh had taken Madam Cesair, but he never used her as a bargaining chip. The only one so far who'd actually purposefully taken a hostage was Lady Wifi with Chloe, but even then it was more for revenge against Chloe, considering she had ignored Sabrina.
This was the first akuma to take a random civilian as a hostage.
"Over there!" Chat pointed and Ladybug looked just in time to see a flash of orange disappear over the peak of a roof.
Heart beating rapidly in her chest, she didn't waste another moment. She swung on her yo-yo. Wind screamed in her ears and beat against her face but she didn't let it blind her.
She spotted Volpina again, this time the civilian was flung over her back like a sack of potatoes.
"She's going towards the Eiffel Tower!" Ladybug realized with a shout.
She couldn't hear Chat's reply over the wind.
It was a race to get there before she could set up a trap
Tile crunched under her feet as she touched down on a rooftop, only to immediately leap off with another swing. Chat Noir was right beside her, vaulting through the air with his baton.
Volpina was scaling the tower now, but Ladybug and Chat were right on her tail. The metal beams of the monument rang with every leap they made, reverberating through the entire structure.
Volpina jumped to the central platform, but wasn't close enough to any edge to make a threat she could follow through on before Chat tackled her.
Only for her and the civilian to explode into orange particles that streaked away. Ladybug's eyes widened with horror as suddenly, across the entire Eiffel Tower, there were copies of Volpina and the civilian, each one holding the civilian over a nearby edge with an iron grip.
"No!" Chat yelled.
In front of them another illusion popped into place, also with a civilian. She smirked victoriously.
"Take off your miraculous and I won't let this girl fall to her death."
The statement echoed around them in a taunting round.
Ladybug grit her teeth and glanced around frantically. All the copies were identical, but one might be real . There was no way for her to know which one was real.
"How do we know you even kidnapped a civilian in the first place." Ladybug shouted her challenge. "That all of them aren't illusions?"
Volpina shook her hostage a little.
"No, No, don't drop me!" The civilian was breathing heavily, clearly terrified. "This- I hate heights!"
Ladybug recognized that voice.
" Keana !" Chat exclaimed, reaching out as if she were right there, even though that was the only one they knew was an illusion for certain.
"Just put down the miraculous, and it'll all be over," Volpina said, voice sickly sweet- like a honey trap for flies.
"No- That's an even worse idea!" Volpina glared at her captive and shook her again.
"Chase is gonna kill me!" Keana whimpered, which was a noise Ladybug had never expected to hear from Keana before.
The statement was ultimately what convinced Ladybug that Keana was real.
Chat snarled incoherently.
There was no way to tell them apart. They all made sound. Volpina had to be close enough to hear them, but that didn't narrow down their options. Surely Volpina would just drop Keana if they tried to dispel any of the illusions.
Ladybug didn't know what to do!
"Lucky Charm!" She shouted desperately and a sack of flour appeared in her arms.
Laughter rang out from around them. "Go ahead- try whatever you want! You can't do anything!"
It was breezy this high up in the tower. But the illusions were too widespread for Ladybug to spread it and get them all. She needed to disrupt them all somehow so they couldn't hide anymore-
Ladybug's eyes widened.
"Chat, how open are you to destroying a national monument," She whispered.
Chat Noir grinned, all teeth, nearly snarling, "On your count, M'Lady."
She ripped the bag of flour open and the white powder exploded into the breeze. It only disrupted three of the illusions before it was whisked away.
Volpina's mocking laughter once again echoed around them. "Really? Was that the best you could do? That was pathetic!"
And then the entire structure of the Eiffel Tower shuddered.
"Whoops," Chat's cataclysm seeped into the main support structure.
They saw the face of the fake Volpina in front of them contort with rage. Then it poofed away as its form was clipped by a falling splinter of metal. And around them, the Eiffel Tower began falling apart, rusting away and crumbling.
Then she spotted Volpina, the real Volpina, jumping away from the monument, Keana slung over her back.
"There!" Ladybug shouted and they flung themselves off the tower in pursuit.
Volpina landed on a nearby roof, just a few seconds before Chat and Ladybug. She spun around with a wild look in her eye, once again dangling Keana over the edge of a roof.
"Let her go!" Chat snarled, eyes flashing with rage.
"Come any closer and I will!" Volpina threatened. "Just give me your miraculous!"
Keana grabbed onto Volpina's arm, her knuckles white. "I-"
"Shut up!" Volpina snapped. "If you keep talking, I'll drop you!"
"Don't!" Ladybug ordered. "I'll give you my miraculous."
Volpina's attention shifted and she sneered. "How do I know you're just saying that so I'll put her down?"
"Well, how do we know you're not just going to drop her anyway," Ladybug countered. Chat Noir shifted uneasily beside her.
"Looks like we're at an impasse," Keana quipped with a shaky voice.
Volpina snarled.
Then she let go and Keana plummeted with a scream.
"No!" Chat Noir surged forward, even as Volpina made her move to escape.
Ladybug leapt off the building and flung her yo-yo. It wrapped around Volpina's ankle. The line pulled taut, and the akuma's get-away-plan fell several meters short and left her dangling upside down in the alley between buildings.
Ladybug peered down. Chat was just about cradling Keana to his chest. Keana's hair was a mess and she looked dazed and also like she was going to be sick. This proved to be true when she struggled to pull away from Chat Noir and lost her lunch and or dinner all over the stone. Ladybug winced.
Volpina was struggling now, until Chat got up and used his baton to smack her face like she was an ugly pinata. This dazed her enough for him to reach over and grab the item - a necklace with a fox's tail - and snap it in two, releasing the evil butterfly within.
Ladybug quickly set the very confused Lila down to free up her yo-yo and captured the akuma.
And the Eiffel Tower was restored to its former glory without a single missing bolt.
Note:
Here's chapter 24! Is it tasty? You likey?
Yeah, Alya's been having a bad time. She's been having a bad time since Pharaoh. She's feeling pretty guilty regarding her blogging and hasn't touched it beyond the occasional update.
Did Lila deserve getting yelled at? No, but sometimes when people have a mini breakdown, innocents get caught in the crossfire. Poor Lila was seconds away from having her own breakdown, but got a little confidence from other people's nonchalant attitudes. That rug got pulled out from under her real quick.
Hawkmoth is also having a bad time. But he deserves to have a bad time.
Keana does not have a good time either this chapter. Why doesn't she transform into Ghost? She's exhausted and if she tried to transform into Ghost without energy... it just wouldn't work right.
There were a few scenes I couldn't fit in easily without doubling the length or breaking tension, so next chapter is a few different perspectives, titled *Recap*.
I've been into One Piece. And Pokemon. I'm kinda ping ponging between the two pretty consistently right now. And Youtube Shorts are stealing my time away like a little thief. I'm working on chapter 26, have been for at least two months it feels like, but I'm still not done yet ;^;
ONE last thing! I have an alternate ending to this chapter in my spinoff work, aka, In Which Many Misadventures Occur, found only on my ao3 (Archive of Our Own) account under the username 'oofins_Mcgoofins'. A little angstier option for fun but unfortunately no profit...