Past
From what Viperion could hear over the comms, Chat Noir hated the latest akuma.
"I will not destroy you none!"
The name of the game was ' ', and this villain took that title to the extreme, touting the power of opposition, which he currently used to skate around Chat and Pegasus as an opposing force repelled him from them. The akuma dressed up as a black and white jester with a cracked mask adorning his face, the colour scheme inverting and the mask turning upside down whenever his power was activated.
Pegasus tried to open the fight opening a portal to drop himself off behind the akuma, only for 's power to reverse his power; i.e Pegasus charged headfirst into a portal that had suddenly become as solid as a brick wall and launched him into the nearest lamp post.
"I'm already sick of this guy's gimmick." Chat growled after his cataclysm backfired to instead create an extra layer of armour for his intended target.
Viperion, Queen Bee and Carapace all idled around the sidelines, making themselves look busy 'studying' the akuma and checking for civilians. They had to pretend, of course, otherwise the villain would get close enough to realize that they were illusions.
The real flesh and blood trio were watching the battle unfold from a nearby rooftop overlooking the parking lot. They were not to intervene, the akuma was not their priority for they had another target in mind.
"Boohoo, big worm." sneered, punting Chat across the street with a swing of his bell-tipped cane. "It doesn't seem that yesterday, you back the correct side of me."
Viperion caught a flash of orange peering out from behind an upturned truck, shrugged at Chat Noir as he shot her a confused, pleading look.
"Don't look at me, I don't have a clue what he's saying." Rena shrugged, "You forward the wrong side of me?"
"The opposite of 'back' could be 'face'?" Max pointed out as he scrambled over to pull Chat back up.
Chat was stumbling around like a drunk as he struggled to his feet, the smashed remains of brickwork rolling off his head and shoulders. "Oh, we face the wrong side." He groaned, "That makes more sense."
Rena's frustrated growl crackled over the comm. "Wait, shouldn't he say 'You' instead of 'I'?" She huffed, her pout easy to imagine even if Viperion was too far away to get a detailed look. "Why are only some words getting twisted?"
looked between them sheepishly, "It doesn't make sense to me, and that's not important at all."
"Shut up you!" Chat yelled, pointing a warning finger at him. "Okay, even without the gimmick, who the hell talks like this?"
Queen Bee piped up over the comms, "I'm gonna assume the inciting incident here was a desire to be the most obtuse jackass of all time."
"Please tell me you guys are in position." Chat groaned, glancing up to Viperion. "I don't want to listen to his bizzarro talk for any longer than I have to."
The response was interrupted when suddenly inverted the local gravity, forcing Chat to dive towards the nearest wall and stake Pegasus with his staff whilst everything around them floated upwards.
"I'm in position." Viperion scratched the back of his neck, softly sighing like a disappointed parent as he looked over his shoulder. "It's my begrudging assistants who refuse to get low."
At his back, Carapace and Queen Bee were both stuck in the same window frame, a tangled mess of limbs. Hands were flying, lips were spitting, and no progress was being made as the two heroes smacked and slapped each other in a vain attempt to loosen themselves.
"Hey, it's not my fault." Carapace whined, "Bee keeps pushing me!"
Bee's scoff came out like a shriek, offense dripping from every word. "That's Queen Bee, thank you very much." She drilled her finger into his forehead. "We are not on a nick name basis, you Teenage Mutant Ninja Dweeb."
"Oh, I can come up with more nicknames." Carapace growled, slapping her hand away and thrusting his shoulder forward to press her back. "Stop pushing!"
Viperion groaned, slapping his hand over his forehead. As he gazed back over to the akuma battle, where everyone was suddenly forced to move backwards until they slammed into each other, Luka had to wonder which of them had it worse today.
"We can't fit in here, it's too cramped!" Bee moaned, her knuckles lashing out and scraping Carapace's nose.
"Look, I know you put on a few pounds, but-"
SLAP
"How dare you!"
"That's enough." Viperion's stern voice broke through their bickering like a hammer, leaving the two going limp and staring back at him wide-eyed and ashamed. Like children gazing up at an angry parent. "Knock it off, both of you."
He advanced upon them and, taking advantage of their placid state, raised his foot and shoved the two free from their prison with one swift kick. Whilst they landed flat on their asses, grumbling about the pain, he didn't let up.
"Marinette's killer is out there." He declared it so firmly, inviting a heavy weight of shame that weighed down on both heroes' frowns. Luka didn't like being stern, but this wasn't a day for tolerating nonsense.
"I'm not letting him get away again just because you two can't act like a team." They physically recoiled at his finger unfurling to aggressively point at them, before holstering it in him crossing his arms. "So, either stop behaving like children or, so help me, I'll throw you off the roof myself."
The two were quiet for a moment, solemnly staring down at their feet and 'thinking about what they'd done'. Eventually they spoke up, Luka wasn't quite sure which of them said it, but he heard a low, hesitant voice say "…We'll get in the hole now."
"I think you handled that pretty well." Chat's voice chimed in, the exertion of his fight adding a breathless, wheezy edge as he dodged blow after blow mid-call. Something about that made Luka smirk a little, how it was so totally Adrien.
"Thanks, I'm not used to… Disciplining." Viperion turned away from them, rubbing calming circled into his temple. "But you should be focusing on the fight. I'll call back when I've found him."
He could picture Chat nodding, "Remember, stick to the plan. No charging in alone." There was a hollow, bitter note to his words, both heroes leaving a bad memory they didn't want to revisit hanging over the request. No charging in alone, like she had.
"Understood, Captain."
Surprisingly enough, this whole scheme had started with an observation from Chloe of all people. That unlike Hawkmoth, who rarely joined the fray alongside his akumas, Chrysalis and Defect seemed to like observing their plans in person.
From there, they got the idea that this could be an opportunity to confront either villain on their terms, maybe even set up an ambush. And, after some input from Alya and Nathalie, 'Operation Blindside' was born.
It was a plan with limited chances. You could only really surprise the enemy once with what you know about them before they change tactics, the moment Defect or Chrysalis caught wind of what they were really up to, the moment they engaged, they'd work on a work around.
"Second Chance!"
Which makes it a damn good thing that Viperion had all the chances in the world.
Viperion rushed to the edge of the rooftop, surveying the area as far as his eyes could glimpse. There were plenty of little nooks and crannies among the allies and balconies forming the boundaries of the square, but not many places that a giant cowboy could hunker down in without sticking out. If Defect was here, he was high up, somewhere he'd have a good view of the area.
The list of potential viewpoints, even narrowed down, was longer than Viperion thought. It took him three second chance bursts to cover the majority of the east side, watching Pegasus and Chat come together to sucker punch across the jaw from three different angles. He found a nest of birds lounging about in someone's chimney, a couple embracing on a balcony, a stray Task Force member who'd gotten trapped in a dumpster – but no Defect.
The next few tries took him west where the buildings were only half-finished shells wrapped in construction scaffolds and wheelbarrows, some new housing development project. Plenty of corners to hide in, and plenty of holes to peer through. This took even more tries just fumbling and stumbling through openings and dropping down ladders with the grace of a wild horse.
Viperion wasn't going for the stealth approach, all he needed was a glimpse of Defect – then he'd try more subtlety. If Defect heard his approach and made a break for it? Well, you didn't need to be a genius to know that a giant, colourful guy stomping his way around wasn't going to draw attention.
"Second Chance!"
On the twenty sixth repeat, Viperion was getting tired of seeing Chat launch himself into the same car when his staff, 'inverted', extended backwards and speared him across the chest. He advised Chat to just stick to punching for now.
On the twenty seventh repeat, the punches continued, only for Chat to get reversed into punching Pegasus instead. This akuma power is making my head hurt.
A few more loops and Viperion found his glimpse, at least, he thought so. A clocktower 'towered' over the area, perfect height for Viperion to get the full scope of his surroundings, but as he scaled it, he could swear he caught a flash of brown leather whipping around and disappearing into the canopy of alleys to the north.
The next loop just furthered his interest. He hoofed it over to the other side of the square, finding that just getting there was enough to shave a couple of minutes off his timer. When he got there he was sure he saw something big rush past a window of the apartment complex set up on this side.
With the clock running down, Viperion launched himself through the window and took off down the hall, his ears definitely picking up something large and heavy stomping through the wooden floorboards. He'd just rounded the corner when his timer started to beep and he hit the reset button again.
Loop forty through fifty-five were pure frustration. He'd finally found his lead, but he didn't have enough time to pursue it. Every time he'd reach the foot of the apartment building with only two or three minutes left to spare, every time he thought he was within reach, the beeping started.
Eventually, he had to cobble together a more unconventional route, leaping over rooftops, only to jump down and crash through people's rooms just to shave a few seconds off his journey, before throwing himself out of windows and zipping his way down someone's laundry line to land on the apartment's rooftop.
And on loop seventy-seven, it paid off.
Squeezed in between the apartment building and a clothing store was a tunnel that led down into the subway station. Above that tunnel and pressed against the back was another building that sported a sloped roof stretching over it, and on the edge of that roof, Defect emerged from one of the apartment windows.
It was slightly unnerving looking at him. He stood so still, so unmoving, and took up so much space even from a bird's eye view, that he could have been easily mistaken for a well-hatted gargoyle looming over Paris. Viperion had heard how big the man was, but up close and in-person it was hard not to understate how the man swallowed Viperion's vision, like a black hole forcefully stealing any and all attention.
And then Defect's head whipped around and, for a brief second, Viperion could see past the bandages, past the surface of the man. His senses reached deeper than the akuma, it reached deep in Defect's heart, his ears opened wide.
Viperion froze. There was no rhythm. There was no inner melody. There was nothing inside Defect.
"Second Chance!"
Resets were always a disorienting experience. It was like some invisible string yanking you backwards while the echoes of the past five minutes rush past like the ocean current. The world around Viperion melted and moulded, reality itself reorientating itself until Viperion was back in his starting position, looming over the edge of the roof, observing Chat's first move against .
He hopped backward, swinging himself around to face the squabbling duo with a slightly breathless edge to his voice. "Guys, I found him!"
Bee sighed in relief, pushing Carapace aside as she strode forward. "Finally, I've had enough of 'Space Sharks vs Water T-Rexes' trivia to last a lifetime."
Viperion waved them over, trying to ignore the running commentary as they went. He led them over rooftops, carefully circling the destination and making sure they didn't accidentally give Defect a big head up.
They'd reached the construction site when Carapace scoffed, hunched over and grumbling at her back. "If you can't see the joy in the director managing to turn a failed effect into a spectacular one at the last minute by waving a banana in front of the camera; I don't know how I can help you."
"And if you don't shut up about your nerd crap for one minute, I don't want to help you." Bee sneered, making a show of rushing past Carapace and launching herself over the gap between buildings. A pit perfect landing capped off by her looking back at Carapace over her shoulder, challenging him.
Before Viperion could act, Carapace was already charging ahead, throwing his shield down in front of him. He let it skid across the ground for a split second before dropping himself into the shield, riding it like a snow sled rushing to the edge of the roof and spiralling out into the open air. His landing wasn't as perfect, but it certainly made an impact, running Bee over before she could react.
Viperion shook his head, groaning. By the time he reached them, the two were once more a tangled heap of limbs that were pushing and shoving each other. "Eyes on the prize, guys."
After another minute of wasted time, the three finally returned to the spot overlooking the subway station entrance, teetering on the edge of a sloped roof.
And no Defect to be found.
"He should be right here!" Viperion gasped, fingers desperately pulling on his hair.
It didn't make any sense. They hurried all the way here, not as fast as Viperion wanted, but it was below the time it took him to get here the first time. Even if Defect had heard them coming, they would have seen the giant moving elsewhere. They would have known that he moved. The only way this could have worked was if he had moved the moment Viperion hit reset, but Viperion didn't do anything different except bring the other two with him.
Carapace scratched the back of his neck, "Uh… Dude? That's an empty space."
Queen Bee smacked him across the shoulder, "We can see that, Moron!"
I had one job, one job, and I already screwed it up. Damn it! And the arguing wasn't helping him think.
Viperon turned to address the squabbling duo, "He can't have gone far, let's split up and-"
Click.
Only to find himself staring down the barrel of a colt action revolver.
"Well, howdy there."
If Viperion had been one second later, that would have been a point blank blast straight into his open mouth. Fortunately, the reflexes born of a million failed second chances was enough for him to whip his head around in an instant. It didn't protect his ears from the roar of gunfire threatening to shatter his ear drums as the shot whistled past his head, instead colliding with the wall behind him.
Moments later, the impact became an explosion, ripping the wall apart and throwing Queen Bee and Carapace aside. However, Viperion braced himself, propelling himself off of the explosive shockwave to launch himself past Defect. Dealing with an opponent who easily dwarfed you in stature and strength, the last place you wanted to be was in grabbing distance. It was by no means a safe landing, bouncing hard off of his shoulder upon impact and being sent harshly skidding across the roof. But it got the job done.
When the world stopped spinning Viperion's hand shot out in front of him, wrist curving to show him ten seconds counting down on his timer. His other hand, forcing him to bite his lip to contain the pain of his aching shoulder, lunged for the reset button.
"Second Ch-"
But Defect was faster, a dense haze of fire and smoke wrapped around the building and his hulking form lumbered through it with the force and speed of a freight train. Before Viperion could activate the reset, Defect's foot completed it's arc mid-charge, smashing into Viperion's stomach, hooking the rest of his body on the tip and driving through until Viperion was launched upwards.
A second later Viperion hung over the roof, Defect's iron grip crushing his wrist, leaving him unable to do anything but wait for the defeated, weak beeping of his timer running out. No second chances anymore, they had to commit to this fight.
"Ah. Ah. Ah." Defect tutted, that metallic reverb to his voice like a strained music note on Viperion's ears. "Ya gotta admit, hittin' the reset button ain't exactly fair play."
He held Viperion higher, a hunter proudly displaying his catch to the world and cackling about the rug he was going to make from it. Around them, the smoke began to dissipate, though the fires still burned strong. Carapace and Queen Bee were visible now, struggling to their feet and moving to surround Defect.
"Reckon y'all are wonderin' how I got wind of your little scheme." He inclined his head towards the other two hesitantly, as if contemplating if anyone but Viperon was even worth acknowledging. But in the end, it was clear his desire to hear himself talk won out. Which worked out fine for Viperion, who needed time to catch his breath. "Now, as much as I'd like to say I pulled off some mighty clever detective work, it was actually 'cause one of fox girl's illusions slipped right through a car door."
He made a grand sweeping gesture, which incidentally meant swinging Viperion around, brandishing his hostage. "Soon as I knew the repeater, the stunner, and the trapper were the ones missin', well, it didn't take much figurin' to suss out how you'd try to catch me."
Viperon thrusted his free hand forward, one desperate punch that Defect made no effort to block. The blow was enough to knock Defect's head back, but it wasn't enough to be effective, landing with a weak THUNK to back up the fruitless jab.
Defect continued to monologue, even as Viperion's fist bounced off of his mouth. "Made sure I kept my cards close to the vest so y'all wouldn't catch on that I knew." The grip turned into a sadistic squeeze, laying on the pressure until something popped and Viperion gasped. "Then it was just a matter of sittin' tight, waitin' for you to get all high and mighty thinkin' you had the drop on me."
In a way, Defect had been in the same position as Viperion, hiding himself away knowing that the moment he gave himself away Viperon would know of his trap for every reset after.
"Solid move." Viperion hissed through the throbbing pain of his bruised fist. "Problem is, that still leaves one you against three of us."
Defect looked curiously over the other two heroes dropping into their ready stance. He chuckled. "Fair point. Maybe I oughta tie one arm behind my back, then it'd be a fair fight."
An old melody played through Viperion's head, a smooth little diddy his father played when he was barely a year old. It was a gentle tune that worked wonders to keep little Luka from crying, and even now it served to sooth Luka's trembling heart. This was not the time to lose his cool, even if he was hurting.
Remember your training, Luka told himself, remember that the miraculous isn't the only tool you have.
As Defect lifted his head up to gloat, Viperion's free hand slowly sank downwards, setting it's sight on the unused gun hanging from Defect's holster. It poked out from Defect's duster, a pure, stainless silver gleaming under the morning sun. Luka was born to play guitar, his fingers were perfect for those light movements, like plucking the strings – or pick pocketing.
As quietly as he could, he slipped the revolver from it's home and knocked back the hammer. Defect was a lot of things, but a good listener it seemed he wasn't. However, Viperion didn't fire off straight away, no, he had a target in mind.
Quick Miraculous science lesson: the miraculous transformation is held up by energy from the kwami, that energy consistently flows around the body like a second set of blood vessels. But that energy doesn't flow evenly, or as Su-Han had put it – there were weak points in the miraculous armour. Weak points that miraculous fu was tailor made to take advantage of.
Closing his eyes, Viperion could picture the energy spreading around Defect's body from his miraculous. He could see the lines thinning and thickening as they converged on several pulsating spots throughout the body. He picked one, blindly raised the gun and, before Defect could feel the barrel press against him, pulled the trigger.
There was no explosion this time, only the echo of metal tearing through metal and Defect's surprised roar ripping through the wind.
Viperion was instantly freed, dropping him to the floor into a smooth roll. He didn't waste any time, darting to the side just as Defect attempted to stomp down on his head. From his position, Viperion could just glimpse a smoking hole in Defect's side. The man may be able to bite back the pain, but that was smoking proof that Viperion had hit him hard.
"Don't underestimate us, Defect."
Defect didn't respond this time, his self-aggrandizing words cast aside for action. Viperion had rolled back onto his knees by the time Defect charged at him again, raising his leg for a sweeping kick that would be sure to send Viperion through the roof itself. However, in a split second that felt like it stretched for at least five, Viperion looked over Defect's attack and all he could see was blind spots.
Another science lesson: that miraculous energy tends to naturally channel itself to the body's point of concentration. It's something you can control when you're aware of it, but most of the time you're doing it unconsciously. So, when you're going for a punch, or should we say a kick, the energy pours in to reinforce your fist or your leg. Ergo, energy is taken away from other parts of the body. If a miraculous user wasn't careful, they would be at their most vulnerable when they're attacking.
Viperion, in that moment, matched his animal inspiration, pushing the bounds of his flexibility with ease and spinning his body around Defect's kick. As Defect's body sailed past Viperion, missing by inches, Viperion fell back on his own leg and sprang up to uppercut Defect's chest.
Viperion's last punch barely phased Defect. This punch knocked the bastard's block off, leaving him stumbling back.
"That's my man there!" Carapace hollered.
Defect's body remained there for a moment, stuck hanging off his left foot and mid-fall. Then, like a puppet being pulled up, his body dragged itself back onto it's own two feet, rattling the roof panels with it's landing.
"You've been trained." He commented, sounding more curious than annoyed as he reached up to adjust his cowboy hat. "Heh, I guess you got some grit in you after all."
Instantly, he'd drawn his one remaining gun and pulled the hammer back. "But will it be enough?"
Viperion stared down the barrel of a gun that could shatter buildings, and he showed no fear. "Let's find out."
He threw himself on his back, propping his body up by his elbows and thrusting his leg upwards. The heel of his foot cracked upside the barrel of the gun with enough force to snap it's aim to the side. A split second later, the bullet exploded from the tip and made quick work of the scaffolding on the other side of the street below.
Instantly, Chat's concerned voice overtook the coms. "Viperion, what's going on-"
Interference stung Viperion's ear, but he couldn't focus on that, his first priority was throwing himself into a continuous sideways roll as Defect attempted to stomp him again and again. "He found us. Took us by surprise." He said quickly, "Wrap up the akuma as fast as you can."
"On it!"
On the next stomp, that came dangerously close to Viperion's head, Defect was caught off guard by Carapace's shield smacking him upside the head. As Defect turned his attention to Carapace, Queen Bee materialized on the other side, rushing in with her stinger thrusted forward. She brought it down upon Defect in one furious slash, only for Defect's arm to come up and catch the miraculous energy blast with the back of his forearm.
Carapace pressured him from the right, and Bee pressured him from the left. Viperion took this momentary distraction as a chance to launch himself at Defect, one hand bawled into a fist while the outstretched out, aiming for that bull tie hanging from Defect's neck he was sure was the miraculous. But Defect's eye was always on Viperion, seeing him as the biggest threat there for the moment.
Seeing Viperion's plan in action, Defect scrambled, throwing himself back and letting Queen Bee's momentum carry the downward arc of her slash and send her crashing into Carapace as the down naturally lunged forward into the Defect-shaped empty space.
Changing course, Viperion crouched down to grab both heroes before jumping back. "Carapace, a shelter would be nice."
Carapace held his head, groaning. "I've been trying, he's surprisingly nimble for a guy built like a truck." He gestured outwards where a few dozen or so shields, Viperion hadn't noticed amongst the chaos, were dissolving.
Defect made a show of leaping over Carapace's next attempt to trap him, landing with enough blunt force to send shockwaves across the roof, nearly causing Viperion to trip over the edge. However, in his taunts, he'd made the mistake of turning his back on Queen Bee. She charged at his rear, belting out a battle cry as she lunged forward, ready to skewer Defect like a pig.
But the attack didn't hit.
She couldn't explain it, she knew that she saw her blade hitting it's mark, but the attack didn't hit. There was a blur of movement, the brown smudge of his coat whipping through the air, and somehow he was suddenly by the hilt (ergo, her wrist) of the blade, making it almost look like he literally walked through the attack.
Bee opened her mouth, growling profanities under her breath. "How did you-"
Defect didn't give her the time of day, all he gave her was a swift, and painful sounding headbutt that let out a cracking noise before launching her clear across the rooftop and through a wall. "Sorry, Folks. I'm not in the mood for dishing out spoilers."
Watching Bee's body crumble inside the hole it made, a growl escaped Carapace, a sudden protective urge pushing him to rush forward. "I've got him!"
But Viperion put a stop to it, instantly lunging forward to grab Carapace by the arm. "No charging in, damn it!"
As the fight progressed further, Viperion found himself repeating this moment a lot. Every time they thought they could gain some ground, Bee or Carapace would throw caution to the wind and throw themselves at Defect, leaving Viperion to step in and push them out the way of Defect's response.
It felt like he was herding animals, they didn't listen to his words, at best he could block them off and urge them to move in the direction he wanted. Maybe it had been immature of him to think he could co-ordinate with them. If Marinette were here, if she were the one giving the orders, they'd stop and listen, they'd pull off whatever crazy scheme she came up with down to the letter.
When Luka thought about it, he wasn't the sort of person to take command, he was more at home going with the flow, dancing to whatever tune beckons him. It was second nature for him to synchronize with people's vibes, of course, but calling out to people's inner melodies in the safety of a concert hall where everyone was having fun was a far cry from leading them into a bloody battle with a seemingly unstoppable giant.
Fortunately, one of Carapace's attacks eventually paid off, a shield materializing around Defect and trapping him in dome shrunk to be as tight a fit as it could be.
"Aha!" Carapace cried out, roaring laughter ripping free from his throat. "Got you, asshole! How'd you like that?"
Defect struggled against the shield, a wild animal thrashing about while its captors kept a safe distance. For a moment, Viperion worried that Defect would simply break through the barrier, not helped by the strain dawning on Carapace's face every time Defect's fists jabbed at his cage. But, even after a few good blows, the shield held strong with nothing but some grunting from Carapace to show that Defect's attack had any effect.
The cowboy seemed to realize this to as his struggles came to a sudden halt. As optimistic as Viperion could be, even he didn't think for a second that Defect was looking to surrender. Instead, he watched as Defect reached for his gun, barely able to bend his arm within the near skin-tight bindings of the shelter. With some struggled flexing, Defect could stretch the barrier out a little more, give him some room, but not enough.
He wouldn't blast himself, would he? Viperion gestured for Bee to back away further from their prisoner, He's durable, but even if his gun could break the barrier, he'd just end up blowing himself up.
All too late, Viperion realized that Defect wasn't aiming at the barrier, instead he dropped his arm down to aim him shot directly at the roof beneath his feet. The only part that wasn't covered by the barrier.
One shot, a small explosion and Defect disappeared into a thick plume of smoke. By the time the barrier and the smoke had cleared, all that was left was a massive hole in the roof.
"Oh, come on! I had him." Carapace hissed as he fell to one knee, the strain of keeping that barrier up hitting him full force.
However, he didn't have time to breathe. The ground beneath him broke apart, clearing the way for two long arms to wrap around him and yank him under. Viperion screamed out his name and rushed forward, but before he could finish crying out for Carapace, the roof broke apart again, this time from Carapace's body being smashed through it and crashing into Viperion.
The two were sent tumbling across the roof in a heap, momentum taking them on a rough ride through the nearest wall and into the apartment complex. By the time they came to a stop, Viperion was staring up a ceiling that looked like it was barely being held together, and bruised Carapace lay slumped on top of him.
Defect came in swift, kicking Carapace's body off and through another wall. He was a wrecking ball taking every opportunity to turn them into a blunt instrument and drive them through every structure in sight. Viperion had no doubt that, no matter who wins today, this building was going to be reduced to a pile of rubble by the end of it.
"Nighty-Nighty, Green Bean." Defect attempted a chuckle, but there was a clear, breathless, aggravated edge to his words. Like he wanted to spit them but couldn't.
Viperion felt around his belt for his lyre, thankful that it hadn't been lost to him during the scuffle. Without much time to aim, Viperion blindly tossed the lyre upwards like a boomerang, watching it slice past Defect's head, barely missing, and lodging itself in the ceiling above.
The ceiling was already unstable, but the extra force of the throw brought it crumbling down. Viperion, struggling against the aching of his bone, quickly scrambled out of the room. In his wake, Defect was hit with a downpour of plaster and cement bearing down upon him.
"Arg, god damn it." He cried out, charging through the rubble assault. "You're getting real annoying, Snake Boy."
"This is nothing, you should hear my music." Viperion called back. "Some real catchy earworms."
Thankfully, he didn't have to wonder about Carapace for long as the green devil was the one to come to him, reaching out and pulling Viperion through the opening made by Defect's earlier throw. He was yanked back out into the open air, all three of them coming to the same conclusion that the more space the better when it came to an opponent like Defect.
A second later, Defect emerged from the building, leaping through the wall and over them. His clothes had been ragged, dirty strips of leather barely hanging on by a thread. The wrappings around his head sagged with grime, blood and tears. Not enough to glimpse was lay behind those wrappings, but enough to know that the fight was taking a toll on the man.
Conveniently, Defect landed smack dab in the middle of them all, making it easy to surround him, watching him twitch and scheme from all angles. Despite his lack of facial expression, Viperion could see the anger bubbling under the surface as tiny, but violent, vibrations rippling throughout Defect's body.
For a moment, it looked like Defect might just explode there and then. But, after a shallow, stunted breath, Defect stopped. And then he threw his head back, laughing.
"Seriously, am I supposed to be quakin' in my boots 'cause of you runts?" He sneered, relaxing his stance to pointing at Viperion. "Maybe the snake's got a bit of bite worth respectin', but you two are about as scary as a couple of prairie dogs. You're the very definition of B-List."
Viperion heard a very Chloe-like squealing scoff from Queen Bee, the sort you heard before Chloe was about to say or do something very stupid. "Oh yeah?"
"Wait, Bee, don't!"
But it was too late, Bee broke formation and launched herself at Defect like she'd been bouncing off a springboard. On her arm, the stinger swelled up and gleamed with the putrid edge of her venom attack, primed and ready to skewer Defect.
"Let's see how you enjoy the sting of my VENOM!"
Defect raised his gun to fire at her, but Bee was too close and too quick, at best he ended up firing off another explosion near enough to make her shake. The smoke from the explosion rolled over them all, devouring Defect's body just as Bee's stinger ran right through Defect's chest. It had been hard to see, but Bee managed to strike fast and true.
"Aha, what are you gonna do now, Cowboy?" Bee gloated, "Looks like there's a new sheriff in town, and her name is-"
Suddenly, Viperion realized that Bee sounded a bit too close.
The moment the smoke cleared; his suspicion was confirmed as he found himself face-to-face with her while Defect stood over her shoulder.
Viperion's body locked up, barely allowing him enough movement to dip his gaze downwards.
He looked down at his chest, where Bee's stinger easily stabbed into him.
"Viperion!?"
Defect offered the two remaining heroes a round of applause. A grating, metallic clang reverberating through the air in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Each clap echoed like a hammer striking an anvil, painfully sharp and grating, cutting through the air and Bee's eardrums.
"Well, just like that, y'all've already gone and taken out one of your own." He howled, "Do I even need to stick around for this?"
Carapace rounded on her, exasperated. "What the hell, Bee!?"
"You saw it, I totally hit him! He was right there." She snapped back.
He had been right there; she swore she could remember it as clear as day. She'd watch her stinger sink into Defect's chest; no amount of smoke could have blurred her vision that close – she knew she'd hit him. Defect should be the one frozen solid in the middle of the roof, and she should be the one clapping at his bumbling, stupid failure.
"Then why is Viperion stunned?" Carapace scoffed.
It made no sense, she knew that. But it being her fault made even less sense to her, so Chloe crossed her arms defiantly. "Well, obviously, somebody else screwed up!"
"What does that mean?"
Bee drilled her forefinger into Carapace's forehead. "Well, I wasn't looking at your dumb ass while I was fighting. What did you do?"
"Stood there?" Carapace's expression was a battle between irritation and utter befuddlement. "What else would I have done?"
"Exactly. You stood there." Bee huffed, "Maybe if you did more we wouldn't be in this situation."
"What have you done except get bitch slapped into a wall?" Carapace hissed, "The only thing you've contributed is knocking out our own team member."
"Oh yeah, you playing punching bag while Viperion did all the work helped a bunch, Turtle Boy."
"You know, I forgot just how much of a stuck up-"
Just as the two were getting in each other's faces, they were forced to leap back by the bullet rocketing mere inches from their noses.
"Eyes front, nitwits!" Defect growled, waving his gun around mockingly. "The big bad's still standin' right here, remember?"
"Heh, sorry about that." Carapace rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.
"Don't apologize to the super villain!"
"Oh, right." Carapace cleared his throat, "Good thing he didn't try to attack Viperion while we were distracted."
SLAP
"And don't give him ideas!"
Defect still remained, his arms limp by his side, the bizarre casual conversation playing out in front of him leaving him uncharacteristically stunned. "What is wrong with you two? This is just getting pathetic."
Bee laughed, pushing Carapace aside. "There is not enough time in the day to list what's wrong with him."
"Wha- You don't even know me!" Carapace shoulder checked her out of the way as he approached Defect.
Bee scoffed, the two locking into an aggressive shoving competition. "I've heard plenty of that trash you music. Only someone with problems on the brain can have such terrible taste."
"That's enough, christ!" Defect roared, launching himself forward and sweeping the squabbling duo aside, making a straight line towards Viperion. "All things considered; I'm starting to think putting the snake out of commission was doing him a favour."
"Oh no you don't!" Carapace hit the ground rolling, easily sliding onto his side and tossing his shield outwards. His may run his mouth, but his aim was unquestionable. It easily curved through the sky, a heavy energized weapon coming around and slicing into Defect's shoulder and shoving the surprised Defect to his knees.
Bee, though a bit wobbly with her movements, took care of the rest. She leap frogged over Defect's shoulder, arriving at Viperion's feet, where she quickly took him against her shoulder and shoved him hard onto the adjacent roof. Not enough to put him out of harms way, but enough to ensure that Defect had to work for it.
She turned around just in time for Carapace to be tossed at her feet, his face as green as his costume. Biting back the instinct to brag about him getting his ass kicked (with no self-awareness at all), she helped him to his feet.
Carapace fastened shield around his arm, more as a nervous tick than anything. "He's got us on the ropes."
The two fell silent at the acknowledgement, silent enough to hear their rapid heartbeats betray any face they'd attempt to put on. Bee rested her hand on her chest, desperately trying to steady herself, to keep herself away from the edge of falling apart.
This wasn't over yet. There had to be a way for them to win even with how many, uh, 'stumbles' they'd suffered. This was her first official day returning as Queen Bee, she wasn't going to have her comeback kicked off by defeat.
"We're overthinking this." She said simply, "I've got another venom in the chamber. You make him stumble with the shelter, and then I stick him with the stinger."
Carapace narrowed his eyes, "Pft, yeah. And let you stun me too?"
"I didn't miss!"
"Viperion would beg to differ."
"I hit him, I swear I hit him!"
She knew the tone of her cries was more desperate than she'd wanted, Carapace's eyes widened and took notice, but he didn't make a move to comfort her. Both because they were in the middle of a fight, and because he knew her pride would take offence.
It was the truth, she knew she had Defect dead to rights with that attack. No matter how implausible it seemed, she wasn't lying and she wasn't delusional. And she hated the feeling of being treated as if she was. There had to be some other reason that she ended up hitting Viperion instead.
God damn it, Dupain-Cheng. How did you and Adrien manage to do all this on a weekly basis?
Defect was upon them again, a relentless force that showed no sign of slowing down. Bee would go for a low blow, he'd kick his heel back and come close to stomping on her head. Carapace would leap off his own shelter from up high, turning himself into a spinning saw bearing down upon his target, and Defect would take the shield slicing through his arm just for an opportunity to grab hold of Carapace and start digging. They had to win every encounter just to stay ahead of him, while he only had to win once to leave them wheezing.
It all came to ahead when Carapace threw out his shelter barrage, the same move he'd used to defeat Accelerator. While Defect didn't have Accelerator's lack of control over his speed, his immense frame made navigating the maze of tripping hazards that he had to bend over to see made the attack just as effective.
For a moment, Bee thought Defect would just blow open the entire roof, let them all crash down to the ground floor to avoid the annoyance, but the cowboy tried his luck. And, fortunately for them, his luck ran out. He attempted to jump off the mini-shelter and skip all the hassle, but the moment his foot touched his makeshift springboard, Carapace wiped away all his shelters, forcing Defect's heavy footstep to instead go right through the ground.
There was no time for hesitation. She had a split second to jump on this opportunity, a split second before he broke his leg free. Bee rushed forward, practically salivating over his exposed back, pouring all her energy into carving a fine point, her sharpest stinger, over her hand.
"Let's try this again, Sheriff Dummy." She spat out, leaping up into the air. "VENOM!"
She cried out with all her might, feeling the world burn away and be replaced with only the golden hue of the energy crackling throughout her body. Her arm lunged forward, ripping through the air, slicing through everything that stood in the way of her and her target, vibrating to the violent frequency of miraculous power.
The Bee's stinger dove for his head.
And it reached just shy of an inch from his head.
Defect's grip was unsteady, just barely snatching her forearm and holding it at bay. For the split second between him ripping himself free and realizing just how close Bee was to hitting him, there had been a panic, a scramble that almost didn't pay off. If Bee wasn't so focused on how she'd failed yet again, she'd hear his breath hitched and his mind catching up with just how close he'd come to losing.
That stinger was a problem, and he wasn't willing to be his mission on the assumption that she couldn't pull another one out of her ass with the proper motivation.
So, he decided to take it from her.
Chloe didn't realized what he'd done at first, she was still in her own head hearing her mother's voice scream at her for her failure.
It was only a minute later, when she was on the floor, when her eyes started to blur and the sound of crackling firewood somehow made itself so prominent, that her brain caught up. It was only then that she heard the horrifying sound — a sharp, wet break like dry branches shattering underfoot, followed by the nauseating crackle of bone fragments shifting and grinding.
The sound of her arm being snapped in half.
Pain stole away all motor functions, all thoughts; it had even taken away her ability to scream. All she could do was lie there, a woman supercharged with the power of Gods, absolutely helpless.
"This is just pathetic." Defect obsessively felt around for his hat, unable to regain his composure until he secured it back on his head. "Defenders of Paris? What a joke."
Carapace seemed to materialize in front of her. All Chloe could think about was how stupid he was to continue protecting her when she was clearly a liability; he was going to get himself killed. "L-leave her alone!"
It didn't help that Carapace was on his last legs too, his voice shaking with a breathless edge; he didn't even have the power to hold his shield up. Defect easily strolled forward and batted Carapace's hand away, snatching him up by the neck, the size difference easily making Carapace look more like the boy he was underneath.
Defect looked Carapace over, letting out a low, disgusted sneer at what he saw. "I met the guy who came before you, you know? The guy whose miraculous you treat like a toy."
There was a wistful nostalgia rolling off of him, a memory that was warm to him, only to be sullied. "Now that old guy, he was a real hero."
Defect yanked Carapace closer, and Bee swore she could hear Nino's flesh cry out under Defect's choking grip. "You're just an embarrassment." He hissed into Carapace's ear.
Defect's thumb traced up Carapace's chin, looking for the perfect spot to slot in, to pivot off for the last snap that Chloe would ever hear. "Oh well, you can tell Ladybug all about how you failed her wherever you end up."
Bee tried to move, tried to do anything. But she couldn't. Defect immediately shut her down, dropping his foot down on head and pinning her there. Of course she couldn't, Chloe could never do a damn thing right in her life. Especially not when doing something good, something that mattered. Why did Adrien want her on the team? Why was she here? Someone else, someone better, wouldn't have let Viperion get stunned and wouldn't need Nino to play meat shield for her.
Even when I'm trying to help, I just end up getting people hurt.
The only thing she could do was close her eyes, to hide herself away from the inevitable. She counted down every second, waiting for the snap, waiting for Nino's last gasp, waiting for Defect's foot to crush her and end it all.
Instead, she heard a shot ring out, and then a bullet bounce off of Defect's cheek and land on her nose.
She opened her eyes curiously. As ridiculous as it sounded, some part of her had assumed Defect had somehow shot himself by mistake, but no, his gun was back in its holster. The smoke of a freshly fired shot wafted from the other side of the roof, where a woman's hands struggled to lift up the gun that Viperion had kicked away earlier.
"Put him down." Nathalie ordered sternly.
'Nathalie, stay in the car.' That was what Adrien had told her. Stay where it's safe and sound. She surprised herself with how defiant she'd become lately. Before she'd follow Gabriel or Adrien's demands to the letter, even when they were against their own or her interests and safety. But ever since she learned of the mask Adrien wore, she suddenly felt… Well, for lack of a better word empowered.
Perhaps she was inspired knowing that even Adrien occasionally shed his obedient skin and became a rule breaking wild card. Even when she took on the mantle of Mayura, she never truly treated it as a separate identity. Apart from maybe a little more confidence (and some physical affection with Hawkmoth that Gabriel would never offer Nathalie), Mayura was just Nathalie in a costume. But Adrien used Chat Noir as an opportunity, to become more than what was expected of him.
It's also why she couldn't bring herself to do the responsible thing and forbid Adrien from partaking in this dangerous double life. Chat Noir was not just a job, he was an outlet, an expression of freedom and humanity that Adrien had long since denied; and Nathalie had already allowed enough to be taken from the boy.
So, when she saw the first explosion across the street from her parking space, a mixture of fear for the heroes, a desperate need to help and her perception of Chat whispering rebellious words in her ear encouraged Nathalie to be a little more stupid.
Stupid. It was the perfect word in the back of her mind as she found herself balanced on the edge of a roof, pointing an oversized revolver at a lumbering giant who could crush her with his thumb as he manhandled two superheroes who were 10x more endurant than her.
She was sure that the sheer audacity of her arrival was what kept Defect in place, his focus torn from the two actual threats at his feet to marvel at the moron with a death wish. When she spotted his gun at the foot of the building, she really thought she'd found a way to fight back, only for it to become as weak as a pea shooter in her hand.
"Well, well, well, for a lady, you sure got some brass comin' at me like this." He chuckled, lower Carapace to his knee. "Ain't safe out here for unarmed young ladies."
Only the thin strips of her scarf stopped him from glimpsing her face, and how much she was trembling. On the outside, her voice was cold and resolute. "I'm no ordinary woman."
This made Defect completely drop Carapace, tucking his thumbs under either side of his ruined trench coat. "Oh? Do you think you can take me then?"
"Probably not." Nathalie stated simply, years of hiding her face made it second nature to speak more confidently than she felt. "I don't have any magic powers to hide behind."
Defect took one step closer, deliberate knock his heel against the floor and ripping open a hole A display of idle power. "You have nothing." He spoke slow, using that questioning tone you'd use to try and explain something to a toddler.
She lowered the gun. She knew that it was nothing more than an accessory at this point, her true power here lied elsewhere.
"I do have basic observational skills." Her eyes narrowed, lining up her verbal shot. "Enough to deduce everything I need to know about you."
Defect scoffed, "You don't know shit about me."
"I know you're an angry nepo baby who desperately wants to play the poor boy." The words rolled off her tongue so easily, steadily gaining confidence with each subtle twitch of irritation that Defect gave. "I know you don't change those dirty bandages, because they're not to cover a wound, they're to hide a reflection you hate."
With her free hand she made a dismissive gesture moving up and down his form. "I know that all this bluster and smug tranquillity is a front for an overwhelming, petty rage just begging for an excuse to lash out. That beating up on those you deem weaker is the closest thing you have to satisfaction."
Her fingers closed around the air before she pulled her fist back against her mouth, as if she was disguising the rising bile that the memories of every person she'd met who fit that description brought with it. "I know because I've dealt with your type for most of my life."
Defect was silent, but not beaten. Wounded, yes, but he recovered quick, these types of men always did when it came to bruised egos. After licking his wounds, he reached up to adjust his hat. "So, which part of this head shrinker profile helps you here?"
There was still a cautious curiosity to his words, a sliver of paranoia waiting for Nathalie to reveal some sort of hidden trump card she'd unveil against him. But Nathalie's weapon wasn't a physical one, which was the only one that men like Defect planned for.
"It's kept your attention on me, hasn't it?" Nathalie spread her arms out, "You don't like ending things without the last word, that's why you haven't ignored me and finished anyone off."
She paused, taking her time to lean closer, the peak of her confidence carrying her forward. "Or used your phasing trick." She whispered.
He stiffened. That was all she needed to confirm it. The strange suspicion that boiled in her gut every time she watched Defect make an impossible dodge through the unrelenting onslaught Bee and Carapace were throwing his way, despite swearing she saw the attacks connect.
"Oh, yes, I gleamed that too. Defect." She pulled her head back, smirking. "Your first power is short-ranged phasing, that's why Queen Bee's attack went right through you, how you manage to dodge so easily."
"You've been paying close attention, huh?"
She didn't stop, finding herself on an emotional roll, staring down someone who could snap her in half, but knowing that she held his most vulnerable point, his pride, in her hands. "Please stop me when I'm wrong, but I also think your second power is a limited form of telekinesis. Maybe limited to something you touched; your bullets for example."
Silence. But that just made her smirk grow.
"Don't worry, you don't have to answer. You may have no face, but your body language gives away that I'm getting warm."
She found her gaze falling down to the gun in her hand, slowly turning it over, admiring the craftsmanship and trying to remember the details of it. "And judging by the fact that your bullets didn't explode when I fired your gun, I have to assume you put something in the bullets that's then triggered by the telekinesis."
"You're making a lot of assumptions."
She found herself coughing to cover up a giggle. As if she couldn't see his fingers curling in response to every educated guess she made. "But I can tell they're hitting close to home."
"Say all that is true." He said, crouching down and brandishing his revolver in the perfect position to blow her head off. "How do you see this ending for you?"
She stared into the barrel, perhaps oblivion itself, and she didn't blink. "I told you, I'm no threat to you physically, but I know just how to stall you."
"Stall me?" There was no scoff this time, doubt creeping into his tone at the thought that he might be boxing himself into a trap.
Nathalie inclined her head towards Luka's body, her back straight and fingers adjusting her glasses like she was preparing to announce Adrien's schedule. "Viperion will break free of his venom state any moment now." Straight-faced and deadpan, she turned her attention back over to the site of the akuma battle. "And I know you haven't been paying attention to the fight, but they're just about done with your akuma."
Her legs moved of their own volition, circling Defect while the contemplation of her words kept him rooted to the spot. She lazily gestured to the tears in his clothes, to the bruising shining through the bandages, to the slight misshapen mess that had become of his shape. "Despite your bravado, these three have managed to leave a mark, you've been worn down."
Another glance over to Chat's battle, this one slow and deliberate, making sure to hammer in how one was clearly more important than the other to add insult to injury. "In a minute you'll have the entire team coming down on you, and trust me on this, you will lose that fight."
A second later, the gun was closer, a cold barrel fuelled by spite digging into her forehead. "I could kill you right now." He spat in her ear.
Nathalie didn't miss a beat.
"Then I would die gladly." She tilted her head, eyes glinting in the morning sun. "And you'd kill for nothing. I get the feeling that's normal for you, meaningless violence."
There was a serenity that washed over her, going so far as to close her eyes, so instinctively confident that there was nothing to fear from him here. Whether he killed her or not, whether she fell over the edge and splattered across the sidewalk, she knew he'd pose no more threat to the heroes today.
"I was meant to die last year." She stated bluntly, such terrible words rolling off her tongue like a funny story about missing her alarm. "Rotting in a hospital bed with my life defined by enabling the worst parts of the man I loved."
A bitter taste arose in her throat. Loved? Who was she kidding. Somehow, she still found that warmth for Gabriel deep in the most shameful part of her heart. She was still stuck on a man who had hurt her and the people she loved so. Did that prove her to be a shell of a woman? Would explain how easy it was for her to face death.
A chuckle escaped her, offset by the bitter, strained grin she wore. "I was spared that day by kindness I didn't deserve," Her fist tightened, and a scowl became pronounced. "And I'll be damned if I let any of these amazing people suffer a fate that should have been mine."
She didn't know many of these people well. She knew Chloe well enough to have issues. But she knew the details that mattered above all, that they stood by Adrien, and they were ready to risk life and limb to protect others. They outperformed her by a mile despite being more than half her age.
The silence that befell them was a subtle one, she didn't even realize Defect hadn't replied until she heard a gust of wind fiddle with the ends of his coat. He stopped to stare at her, examining her, and she could feel something recognisable, something familiar through the muddy bandages. Somehow, she could picture a face in her mind. None of the details, nothing that would identify it, but she knew the face, knew that lost, contemplative look she pictured, that scratched the back of her mind.
"You know," Defect's voice dropped to an uncharacteristically low, melancholy note. "You remind me of a friend I used to have."
Nathalie's frown tightened. "She has my condolences."
He reached up to the brim of his hat, pulling it down over his front, as if to hide the face that was already hidden. Enough time passed for what she assumed was a deep breath. A flicker of something she couldn't decipher passed over him.
She heard 'Miraculous Mr. Bug!' in the distance, followed by the magical wave sweeping over the city.
It fixed buildings, it fixed heroes; and it fixed Defect's hesitation. He burst out laughing.
"Tch. I can't kill you after that speech." He shook his head, howling. "Would just be too damn sad now."
Despite his statement, he began to advance upon her. Instinctively she stepped back, only to be reminded that there was nothing behind her but the drop. Her ears caught hurried footsteps scraping across the pavement below, and her eyes glanced over to the form of Viperion returning to motion as Carapace and Bee struggled to their feet.
"But I'll be taking my gun back."
And then, he was there, his fist digging deep into her stomach and ripping all of the air out of her lungs. The gun, as well as any power she held, easily slipped from her fingers and into his.
There wasn't any pain. There wasn't any fear. There wasn't anything. For a moment, Nathalie was sure she'd been knocked out of her own body.
She was falling with Defect at her side, a fatal drop for her and an easy getaway for him. The edge of her vision blurred, and the world twisted on it's head as the stone-cut sky rushed ever closer. She could barely make out Chat Noir as he bounded into view, blending into the darkening frame of her vision seamlessly.
He catapulted himself off his baton, shooting upwards to meet them in the middle. Defect, being far heavier than Nathalie, quickly dropped past her. For a second, him and Chat were eye to eye. He presented a choice, a conflict that broke out across the young hero's eyes.
Chat Noir's vengeful scowl thirsted for Defect's head, to bring his lady's murderer to justice. Adrien's soft, pleading gaze only saw the only close family he had left. Only one person could be dealt with today.
Nathalie was prepared to die, a part of her longed for it after all she did, all that couldn't be forgiven. After all, she was expendable, she didn't matter.
But she did to Adrien.
Chat Noir powered past Defect, leaving the man to phase through the ground and escape into the sewers below. The last thing Nathalie saw before the world turned to black was Adrien's eyes, those wide, innocent, loving eyes twisted by fear she hadn't seen since Adrien saw his mother collapse for the last time.
Nathalie heard one last scream, one that could have been real, that could have been in her head, or that could have been a memory. "MOM!"
Next Time - Court of Miracles:
Nathalie stretched her fingers out, running them down the side of his face under they rested on his cheek. Soft, soothing shushing noises escaped her lips, watching him lean his head into her touch. "I'm fine, Adrien. He only left bruises, nothing broken."
Adrien's brow tightened into a scowl, and for a split second he looked so much like his father. "He threw you off a building."
Without missing a beat, "And you caught me."
"Barely." He spat out, exasperation and disappointment poisoning his voice with bile. "I can't believe you, of all people, did something so… So… So stupid!"
"Adrien-"
"No!" He cried, his grip on her hand ironclad. "You can't do stuff like that! You don't even have a miraculous to protect you."
Her free hand lashed out like a bullwhip, two fingers striking his nose in a forceful, but not damaging, and scolding gesture, causing Adrien's body to shrink like he was a boy once more. "I'll remind you that powerless I may be, I'm still a fully grown adult who's been facing death before you were even born."
She fixed him with narrow eyes and her scathing tone, "You were only a boy who had no idea of the power he welded when he decided to throw himself at a giant stone monster."
Adrien's scowl weathered her words well, a fire burning bright behind his eyes as he took on an uncharacteristically cold voice. "It isn't the same as fighting Defect."
"Adrien, I told you, I'm fine."
"You don't know that." His grip on her hand tightened, his fingers trembling slightly. His eyes flickered with a mix of guilt, frustration, and overwhelming concern. The look in his eyes told her that his worry wouldn't disappear so easily. He'd already lost too much. The world had taken so much from him already, and Nathalie knew that her safety was just another thread in the fragile tapestry of his life.