Chapter Text
Everything that could go wrong was still going wrong, in Gabriel’s eyes. It had been nearly a week since that vigilante had the gall to infiltrate his mansion and steal his book. Not only that, but they also took the Peacock Miraculous after defeating Mayura. Such humiliation could not go unpunished. Such a defeat could not go unnoticed. He was certain Ladybug and Chat Noir would have heard by now of this monumental victory against him. He was sure of it.
And yet, even with the rampant number of akumas he had sent out in the past week, none of them could find anything. None of them could find the Peacock nor the Miracle Book. None of them could even find the intruder who broke into his residence. He’d ask Nathalie, if only she weren’t in the hospital right now. The second use of the damaged Peacock did a number on her health. Enough that she took a full day to awaken after being hospitalized.
Nathalie still remembered, thankfully enough, what the intruder looked like after waking up. A figure dressed in white with a mask that obscured her face (Hawk Moth was still surprised to find the figure was such a young female). While it hampered their search for the intruder’s civilian identity, it was a lead, at least. Nooroo had much talking to do after Gabriel had contacted the repairmen for Adrien’s room. Which he had done, all with that grim look on his face.
He had to give credit where it was due. The intruder planned her heist well. Well enough to take down the Gorilla before taking on Nathalie as Mayura. While the Gorilla also had to visit the hospital, the diagnosis was only a slight concussion. He was out the next day after Nathalie woke up. Though he was advised to rest until his concussion healed.
Which all lead to his current predicament. Hawk Moth stood in the damp interior of his lair, the few butterflies he still had lazily flitting about. He gnashed his teeth. His last akuma yesterday was a complete failure. As if it weren’t enough he had to akumatize three others before yesterday. All had failed in the simple task of locating his missing items. Or the thief that had stolen them. Ladybug had defeated them all easily, with the help of some civilians.
He thought the absence of Chat Noir would’ve helped in finally defeating Ladybug. But again, there was a saboteur. Much like the saboteur that hampered his akumas, interestingly. But this one was assisting Ladybug and the civilian team in beating his akumas. All while being an unseen and shadowy figure who helped from the rearguard. A passing glance showed the figure was dressed in white. But every time he managed to get a closer look, they were long gone.
He growled. “This has gone far enough.” He tightened his grip on his cane. “I tire of all these games. This time the gloves are coming off!”
But where was a negative emotion he could use? Even reaching out with the Butterfly, it seemed as though Paris was in a good mood today. Not a single woe in sight for the City of Lights.
“On the day I need one…” he grumbled. There just had to be something to hamper his every step. Why was it so difficult to reclaim items he had found?
… fine then. If negative emotions won’t come to him, then he’ll come to them.
Let’s see…
The search through Paris didn’t yield much. Most everyone was either relaxing or out enjoying the day. There were a few couple fights. And a few disputes with law enforcement. But none had high enough emotional energy he could use. There had to be something. Something he could akumatize with. But what?
Wait…
What is…
This emotion?
What is it?
Hawk Moth probed, searching for the emotion he had sensed.
Oh, it was an office building. A simple luncheon at an office building. Was this really all he could sense? This emotion was all over the place, though. There was euphoria, happiness, sluggishness, and—
Wait, is that wine?
Hawk Moth paused, humming. Followed by a dark chuckle. Oh, this was perfect. Just perfect. Just what he needed for today’s akuma.
“Wine ages nicely when given the proper treatment.” His hand caught a butterfly, charging it with the energy needed to create his newest akuma. “Let's age this emotion into something more useful.”
Yesterday and today had been hectic, to say the least. Customers coming to and fro, running errands for her parents, dealing with akumas. Just another day in Marinette’s eyes. Though that didn’t count the rampage Hawk Moth had been on this past week. Four city-wide akumas in a row. Making it exceedingly difficult to cleanse and purify the akuma. Not helping matters was the fact Chat Noir had been displaced in his civilian life. So that made it hard for him to arrive without compromising his identity, he said.
She was thankful he could take the time to come on patrol, at least. That late at night, it would decrease suspicion about him. But for how long?
Sighing, and collecting her sketchbook, Marinette sat down on a bench in the park. The past week as Ladybug had been more hectic than her civilian life, no thanks to Hawk Moth’s rampage. His choices in victims were scattered and random, too. First, it was a disgruntled customer. (Ladybug did not appreciate being likened to a foul manager afterward.) Then, it was a boyfriend who got jilted by his girlfriend. Then, it was a crying child who wasn’t baby August. And this last one was nothing more than an angry wife. Just what was Hawk Moth trying to do this time? It made Marinette’s head throb thinking about it.
Well, no matter. She had a commission come in from someone at her school. She had time to work on it before the school year started.
Rumble…
“Huh?”
What the—
BOOM!
“Ah!”
“Marinette!” she heard Tikki shriek. Out of nowhere, vines exploded from the ground. Marinette was launched into the air, stunned stupid, before landing on her behind. Groaning in pain, she stood.
“What the heck?!” she cried. Looking behind her, her jaw dropped while the vines lifted the bench over her head. It dropped, barely missing her by less than an inch. Shrieking, she clutched her sketchbook to her chest, begging her legs to work. More and more vines sprouted from the ground. Lifting everything and everyone off their feet. Dodging, another vine sprouted from the ground where Marinette stood. She finally persuaded her legs to start working and run.
“Another akuma?” she questioned between breaths. “That's the fifth one!”
Tikki poked her head out of the purse. “We still don't have any time to waste! Every second counts!”
“Right!” Opening up her purse, Marinette spoke the transformation phrase, “Tikki! Spots on!”
One pink light engulfing her later, Ladybug swung onto the rooftops with her yo-yo. Perched on the corner of a nearby building, she surveyed the battlefield.
“What the heck?…” she mused. To say the commotion this time was something else would be a severe understatement. Paris had been overgrown with vines. Grapevines, to be specific. Through every nook and cranny, twisting around every lamp post, they infiltrated every part of the city. What in the world? What was going on? Right now, if Chat Noir were here, he’d say it looked like an overgrown garden or some other bad pun. And it didn’t take a second glance to know those vines growing out of the ground were as dangerous as poison ivy.
Better not touch them, Ladybug thought. Hooking her yo-yo onto a higher vantage point, she hoisted herself onto another rooftop. Her eyes scanned while she flew through the air. The akuma had to be around here somewhere. Head swiveling left and right, Ladybug spotted a figure standing atop the vines.
The figure appeared to be female. She was dressed in a glittering asymmetrical party dress, a champagne flute in one hand. Grape ornaments adorned the figure’s attire, complemented by thinner vines decoratively wrapping around her limbs. Was this the akuma? Ladybug got her answer when the figure lifted her champagne flute, summoning more vines.
“There!”
She hooked her yo-yo around the akuma, ensnaring her. The akuma hunched over, glancing up at Ladybug through a mask that resembled something from a Venetian Carnival. A drowsy smile graced the akuma’s face, amplified by the unfocused and lopsided gaze. It was… unnerving.
“Mmm, Ladybug,” the akuma slurred. “You're raising a toast too early for a victory.” What? What was she talking about, Ladybug wondered. The akuma once again raised her champagne glass. The drowsy grin turned sinister. “I'll make the sour taste stay on your lips when you think back to this bitter battle!” The vines swerved to focus on Ladybug. “You're in the vineyard of Vigne Rouge now!”
“Agh!” Ladybug jumped out of the way, recalling her yo-yo. The vines gathered into one, whipping and crushing the side of a nearby building. It lifted, menacing, with pieces of the rubble sticking to the combined vine. Grapes exploded, covering the city in splashes of maroon and purple. Hurrying, Ladybug hoisted herself onto another rooftop. “Whoa!”
Upon landing, several of the smaller, unseen grapes were crushed under her feet. Her arms flailed. Her feet struggled to stay still. Crap. Slippery slippery slippery! There are too many grapes! There are too many grapes under her feet! Quick! She had to find someplace stable! Frantic, she hooked her yo-yo onto a nearby street lamp. Not ideal, but it’ll have to do.
“Phew, slippery,” she muttered. She failed to notice Vigne Rouge advancing until it was too late.
“Caught you now!!!”
Ladybug whipped her head to look behind her. The akuma towered over her, on top of her platform of grapevines. She tilted the glass, the wine inside spilling out. Out of the glass, it swirled into a vortex. A violent red. Until it grew into a tidal wave. Eyes wide, Ladybug raced to get to high ground.
“Whoa!”
Ladybug twisted and turned, racing against the vines and the growing flood of wine. She hooked her yo-yo onto every vantage point she could find. Rooftops, lamp posts, street lights, anything. Another rumbling sound groaned from the street below. By chance, Ladybug looked down. And she wished she didn’t.
“Uh oh.”
Down below, several figures formed from the vines. Shambling, and aimless, they had no faces. No eyes, no ears, no mouths. Nothing. Their commander, Vigne Rouge, lifted her glass.
“Get her, my wrath-sown helpers,” she growled. “I have bigger business to grow.” On command, the minions lunged. Heart pounding, Ladybug swung through the vine-ridden city. The akuma turned the other way, sauntering down another street.
What the… isn’t the akuma supposed to be chasing her?
Well, it didn’t matter! The minions were doing fine by themselves!
“Just great!” Ladybug moaned. Of all the times Chat Noir was displaced, this had to be it! “What's got Hawk Moth worked up?” Because this was getting to be ridi—
SLAM!
“Whoa!”
A massive vine slammed into a building like a whip. It peeled away, the building crumbling from the lack of support. Debris flew everywhere. Ladybug ducked and slid underneath larger pieces of debris to evade the collateral.
“Argh!” Vigne Rouge hissed. “I missed!” Ladybug quietly slipped away from the fight, the minions having dissolved from the whip-like force. Wasn’t this akuma going elsewhere? And then she had her minions chase Ladybug for no reason. What the heck?
The massive vine lifted again. Ladybug hissed and ran, the vine cracking again like a whip. She heard swearing coming from Vigne Rouge. “Stand still you pesky bug!!!” she shrieked. Again, and again, the vine cracked like a whip. And again, Ladybug dodged. Moody akuma today. For once, she wondered if she should be glad Chat Noir wasn’t here to see this.
Uh oh. More minions were forming. Scowling, Ladybug flicked her wrist to summon the Bugshield. Charging and yelling, Ladybug mowed down the minions that were advancing. Best cull their numbers now before they got overwhelming.
Swinging the Bugshield, she slammed it into the face of one minion. Sliding on her knees, she whirled from the ground into a kick that knocked another minion off its feet. The third one lunged. She dodged. The shield met its face. She vaulted over another. She held the shield over her face.
BOOM!
The ground shook again. The minions dissolved into vines. Ladybug lay on her back, stunned and mouth agape. She looked up.
“Don't get swept off your feet, Ladybug,” Vigne Rouge taunted in a singsong voice. “Wouldn't want the hero to fall over.”
It was at that point, Ladybug knew. She had to run.
Hawk Moth was getting desperate, it seemed. No matter how many akumas he sent out, he would never be able to catch them. That’s what the hidden figure observing the fight thought, at least. Clad in white, they watched from the shadows Ladybug’s progress against Vigne Rouge. That was the akuma’s name, last they remembered. And those vines were freakishly strong. Acting like whips, it wouldn’t be long before they demolished the entire city. This one had to be stopped soon. The figure crouched, ready to leap in and help. But then they looked down.
Oh?
Those kids…
Were they going to help Ladybug?
It sure seemed like it. With her partner absent from the fight, Ladybug would need all the help she could get. They were capable, the figure had to admit. They barely broke a sweat the last four times Hawk Moth attacked the city. But this one seemed like an exceptionally tough akuma. The wine flood and the slippery grapes were detrimental to the spotted heroine. Not helping were those pesky minions that fell apart at a high enough impact.
Ducking, the figure hid once more in the shadows. For now, they would focus on culling the stragglers.
Ladybug fled as fast as she could down the streets. Heaving, her heart pounding, she hooked her yo-yo onto every high vantage point she could. This akuma was tough. Far tougher than the last four. Was Hawk Moth saving his best for last? This was so hard without Chat Noir. What was she going to do?
Thinking fast, she hoisted herself onto the top of another building. In time for a vine to come crashing down. She rolled out of the way. Her lungs were aching so much. Vigne Rouge sent another wave of wine after her, intent on drowning her. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. She jumped over a vine. She slid on another. She had to avoid the grapes. Or else she would be thrown off-balance.
Another crack of the whip-vine. Another building totaled. Ladybug jumped down to the ground. Avoiding the grapes and the wine flood. Ladybug heaved. There had to be something. Something.
Skkrrr…
“Huh?”
Someone sped by her. A familiar head of blond hair with a dyed spot of purple. Ladybug’s eyes widened.
“Yahoo!!” he hollered. Ladybug nearly squawked. Because she knew who that blond hair belonged to! And there was a vine aiming right at him!
“Watch out!”
The vine cracked. Odd ducked. Ladybug skidded to a stop. The walls of a nearby building crumbled. Odd swerved left and right on his skateboard to dodge. She heard the rolling wheels of another skateboard coming fast behind her. She dared to look.
“Odd!” Ulrich shouted. “You're stupid for charging in like that!!” He sped by Ladybug to assist Odd.
What on—
“Ladybug!” a third voice shouted. She whirled. Yumi was on a skateboard zooming by. “Here!” Passing by the superheroine, she tossed something. Ladybug caught it and placed it in her ear. So this was how it was going to go, huh? Launching herself to a higher vantage point, Ladybug activated the earpiece.
“Ladybug here,” she relayed. “Do you copy?”
“Loud and clear, Ladybug,” Jeremie replied. “You ready to finish this?”
She glanced down at the battlefield. Where Odd, Yumi, and Ulrich were fighting against Vigne Rouge. “I'm not getting rid of you guys easily, am I,” she commented.
“Not until the battle is over.”
“… very well.” She vaulted over a vine. “What's the status?”
She could hear the clacking of the keys on his laptop keyboard. “For obvious observation, the akuma is plant-based and spread throughout the city.” The keyboard keys clacked. “This plant is feeling its way around for something.”
“So it's sentient?” Ladybug questioned.
“Partially,” he responded. “It has natural growth on its own. And it moves by guidance from the main stem or the root.”
“Vigne Rouge. The akuma,” Ladybug pieced together. Jumping over the buildings, the akuma didn’t seem to be anywhere. Neither did the trio on the ground. “Where is the akuma headed?”
“She's chasing Odd at the moment. Ulrich and Yumi are behind them.”
Of course.
“Keep an eye out,” Ladybug ordered. “Find a weakness!” She hooked her yo-yo onto a tree and yanked. Launching herself into the air, she spun in a kick and kneed two minions in the faces. Behind her, Yumi performed a double kick in the chest of one. Ulrich punched another. Odd taunted the last. Flipping the skateboard, he jumped in time for two to lunge. And miss.
“If you have any fire on you, then light it up!” Ulrich shouted. “Plants burn easy!”
“Not a good idea, Ulrich,” Jeremie cautioned. “That'll set the whole city ablaze if we aren't careful.”
Good point, there. And the wine itself was flammable too. Just like Jeremie said, they could set something on fire without meaning to. Worst case scenario being they set everything but the akuma on fire.
And speaking of, was that smoke Ladybug was smelling?
“Aelita! Sissi!” Yumi cried. Ladybug whipped her head up to look. There, trapped in a wide cocoon of vines, Aelita and Sissi were trapped. Flames devoured the top half of the prison. Sissi crouched down, covering her head. Aelita was holding something, a makeshift flamethrower, and pointing it at the vines. Ladybug hurried.
“Help!!!” Sissi wailed. Aelita was doing everything she could to help break free of their prison.
“Get down!” she shouted. Ladybug wasted no time. She swung through the hole Aelita had made. Landing in front of them, she held out a hand.
“Grab on!”
Aelita reached out. But was knocked over by the angry rumbling of the akuma.
“You dare burn my beautiful grapes?!” Vigne Rouge shrieked. “I will have you taste the sourness of actions!”
Ladybug whirled. “You two! Get down!” She held the yo-yo up, activating the Bugshield. In time for a torrent of vines and the wine flood to come crashing down.
“Ah!” Sissi yelled. Aelita ducked, shielding Sissi. Ladybug stood her ground, the Bugshield providing defense. She grunted, her footing sliding. She squeezed her eyes shut, her teeth gnashing and gritting.
“Hey! Sweetcheeks!” Odd called out. Vigne Rouge whirled, unsteady on her feet. She snarled.
“Candy like you will never go well with the sweetness of wine.”
She advanced on them. Odd turned around and wiggled his butt. Following a ridiculously mocking face just to tick her off. A vine swung, whapping him across the butt and sending him flying into a pile of grapes.
“Ow!”
“You dare insult me, child?” the akuma slurred. “Your suffering will be very bitter.” She stepped forward. In time for a rock to strike her face. Whirling, her eyes landed on Yumi. Whose arm was outstretched in a throwing motion. Snarling, she advanced on the girl.
“Yumi! Move!!” Ulrich shouted. Yumi skated under the vines. Dodging, and jumping, she led Vigne Rouge away. The window of opportunity to escape was opened. Ladybug seized hold of Aelita and Sissi and ran. The akuma’s attention was elsewhere now. She had to find someplace safe to take them.
Jeremie buzzed them. “Heads up! You've got numerous minions gathering!”
All heads whipped up in time to see new minions forming.
“Hold on tight!” Ladybug instructed.
“I have nothing else to hold on to!!” Sissi cried. Aelita looked, frantic. There had to be something they could—!!
There! A vine!
“Here!” Aelita shouted. Grabbing a dead vine, she wrapped it around herself and Sissi. Ladybug tied the other end to her waist. “Go!” Ladybug launched into the air, the two girls hanging on for dear life.
“Ladybug, to your south!” Jeremie buzzed. “There is an area the vines haven't reached yet. Take them there!”
“On my way. Hang in there!”
Flying through the vine-covered cityscape of Paris, Ladybug dodged to and fro. Left and right. Vigne Rouge was relentless. She attacked the trio distracting her. Odd jumped and dodged. Yumi grabbed a nearby fallen stop sign and blocked a minion’s attack. Ulrich elbowed one in the face before following with a foot sweep. Aelita and Sissi clung to Ladybug while she soared through the air.
Ulrich shoved off a minion. “Jeremy, we need some sort of plan here!” He kicked another minion away. “We're tripping on these plants!” Behind him, Yumi dove to avoid a falling vine. Odd barely missed getting hit by another. This wasn’t normal. By now, Hawk Moth would’ve been ordering Vigne Rouge to capture Ladybug for her Miraculous. With Chat Noir absent, it was the prime opportunity to seize it.
Unless…
“Stay on your toes, everyone!” Jeremie ordered. “I think this time we're facing something different!” What? What’s he talking about? “Vigne Rouge has not gone for Ladybug's Miraculous yet. And neither has Cat Noir shown up either.”
“What does that even mean?” Yumi asked. She blocked an attack with the stop sign. “Hawk Moth's not after their Miraculous this time?” Odd yelled, landing next to Yumi.
“We don't know that just yet,” Jeremie confirmed. “Observations are pointing towards that being a secondary task.”
Ladybug knew then, it was time to answer a certain question. “Chat Noir's been displaced in his civilian life, unfortunately.”
Yumi nearly stopped. “Wait, what.” Aelita’s brows furrowed together.
“He can't join the fight without compromising his identity,” Ladybug affirmed. Aelita frowned.
“So that means…”
“We're on our own this time.”
A vine suddenly crashed in front of them. “And alone you shall swim in the bitterness of my wine!!!”
Another flood. Ladybug jumped. Sissi screamed. Aelita squeezed her eyes shut. The vines relentlessly pounded. Their heavy weight pushing Ladybug and her charges further away. Holding up the Bugshield, the force pushed it out of her hand. Her eyes widened. Her heart stilled. Crap, was it too late?!
The shield shattered. The yo-yo split. In between the halves, a beam of light grew. A vine clashed against it. But it sliced in half on contact. Aelita shrieked in fear. The akuma screamed in pain. Ladybug’s eyebrows furrowed.
Slash slash!!
More vines fell. Vigne Rouge hissed and writhed in pain. Ladybug landed on the edge of an untouched rooftop. She held up the new form of her yo-yo. “First a shield, now a sword.” She swung in a wide berth, cutting down more vines. “What next, a staff?”
Vigne Rouge stood, hugging her stomach and heaving. She swayed, her footing uneven and sloppy. Raising her glass was no longer as easy as it was before. Even the movements of her vines had grown sluggish. What was going on, Aelita wondered. She looked down at the cut vines. And up at their master. She seemed… strained. In pain, even. Jeremie said earlier that they moved on guidance from the main stem. The akuma herself. Was there a connection between them?
Ladybug swung again, cutting more vines. Vigne Rouge growled, clutching her abdomen again. Her movements became even more laborious. Even something as simple as raising her glass. The vines around her flopped lifelessly. As if…
“Ladybug,” Aelita whispered. “I think those vines are connected to her. Literally.”
Vigne Rouge slammed a vine into another building side. “She won't get the chance. As she has failed to prune the plants tenderly!!” Raising her wine glass, she downed the rest of the contents. The grapes around her increased in number, answering their master’s call. “The sourness of improperly stored wine will halt you in your steps!!!” The ground underneath her rumbled. More grapes exploded, coating the city in splashes of red. Ladybug hurried.
“Everyone watch out!!”
Yumi and Odd’s heads snapped upward. In time for the cascade of grapes and vines to come crashing down. Minions arose to fight. Vigne Rouge recovered, standing straight up and glaring angry daggers at the fighters. Ulrich grabbed a fallen stop sign to fight back. The minions were closing in on them.
“Einstein!” he called out. “I think we made the plant even angrier! What the heck do we do!?”
Jeremie performed a quick search of the battlefield. But alas. There was no choice. “Get out of her immediate area now!”
All three booked it. The minions chased after Odd. Ulrich focused on cutting down the minor vines. Yumi fought back against the encroaching grapes. Ladybug swung with all her might to reach the safe zone Jeremie had found. But it was difficult. The vines and the minions crept forward. Ladybug couldn’t move. She was locked in defense against Vigne Rouge.
“Shoot, no.” They were closing in. “No no no!”
Jeremie buzzed her. “Ladybug! Use the shield and get her to attack it! Have it knock you away from her!”
Grunting, Ladybug deactivated the sword and reactivated the shield. She held it up to blind Vigne Rouge. “Brace yourselves!”
“Gah!” Vigne Rouge screamed. Ladybug kept it up.
“Come on, you overgrown vine! Over here!”
The akuma snarled, taking the bait. Aelita squeezed her eyes shut. Sissi was clinging for dear life. Vigne Rouge followed as predicted. Slamming the full force of her vines against the Bugshield, she sent Ladybug and her charges flying through the air. Sissi screamed bloody murder. Movement in the corner of her eye caught Aelita’s attention. A vine was preparing to attack. Quickly, Aelita grabbed her makeshift flamethrower. Aiming it at the oncoming vine, she fired.
Vigne Rouge screamed, “You’re destroying the vineyard!!!!!” and lashed out. Yumi glanced up. And screamed.
“Watch out!”
Ladybug looked. And fled. But it was too late. An enormous vine came crashing down. Trapping all three under its weight. Sissi shrieked. Aelita tried to block out the pain. Ladybug squirmed to get free. But the heavy weight of the vine restricted her movement. Her yo-yo was knocked several feet away. Vigne Rouge lowered herself to the ground. One foot forward, then the next. She stalked towards Ladybug, her movements sluggish and unfocused. Behind her, Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd tried to attack. But with a raising of her glass, they stood no chance.
One by one, the attacker was held up by the vines. Unable to do anything but watch. Watch while the akuma stalked closer and closer to Ladybug. Aelita couldn’t reach her makeshift flamethrower. Sissi was too scared to do anything but look. Ladybug squirmed. Left and right. She swiveled her head. Left and right. But it was useless.
“While it wasn't the first task,” Vigne Rouge stated. She knelt to the ground. And grasped Ladybug’s earrings. “It certainly has become the top now since it's so close.”
Ladybug closed her eyes.
This was it.
It was all over…
SLASH SLASH!!
“Whoa!”
Several vines collapsed, releasing the captive trio. Vigne Rouge retracted her hands, gripping her abdomen in severe pain. Ladybug’s eyes widened. As did Aelita’s and Sissi’s. Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd balanced themselves, attempting to stand. Snarling, Vigne Rouge looked behind her. Searching. For the cause of the sudden chaos.
Golden eyes glowed through the dust. Then a white blur shoulder-charged the akuma away.
“Agh!”
Vigne Rouge was knocked several feet away. The white blur skidded to a stop. Ulrich couldn’t believe his eyes. “Where—?…”
The vines around Ladybug, Sissi, and Aelita loosened their weight. Enough they could be shoved off. Ladybug stood. Then helped Aelita and Sissi up. Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd followed their example. In the distance, blocking the akuma from them, a figure clad in white crouched.
“Ladybug,” Jeremie asked. “Is this someone on your team?”
The figure clad in white rose slowly. Deliberately. And now, standing in full daylight, they could see the figure, a female, more clearly. White hair was pulled forward over her shoulders in loose, unfinished braids. The view was partially blocked by the pale grey scruff. White ears adorned her head. A white, bushy tail flicked behind her. Wild fur cuffs decorated her wrists. Her hands splayed aggressively. Ladybug spotted sharp claws at the end of her gloves. Most alarming of all, her full-face mask resembled a wild wolf.
Who was this?
Where did she come from?
Was she on their side?
“I…” Ladybug started. Jeremie listened in. “I don't know. I've never seen them before.”
What?
Ladybug’s never seen this hero before? How—
Vigne Rouge growled. Snarled. Surveying the battlefield, her eyes landed on the Wolf before her. And through her eyes, Hawk Moth saw the intruder from that fateful night. Stunned silence filled the damp lair. Hawk Moth’s mouth hung open. And seconds later, it twisted into a vicious snarl. With a harsh twirl of his cane, the butterfly mask appeared on Vigne Rouge’s face.
“That's her!” he shouted. “She's your target!!”
Vigne Rouge sneered. “You are going to pay dearly.” She held up her champagne flute. “Your fighting spirit will sink in sourness!!” At once, all the vines focused their attention on the Wolf. Minions charged. Grapes exploded. The Wolf stood. And she jumped.
The vines, grapes, and minions crashed into empty space. The Wolf moved, impossibly fast and agile. Landing, she slid down the vines, her claws out and slashing minions like butter. Down and down they fell. Like helpless rag dolls in the hands of a careless toddler. The Wolf lept. And kneed two more minions in the head. Landing, she whirled and delivered a roundhouse kick to the knees of another minion. The momentum empowered the strike. And at the end of a graceful twirl, the Wolf slashed more of the vines and minions with her claws.
“Get down!” Ladybug shouted. Yumi ran and dove for cover. Odd ran for shelter. Ulrich grabbed the stop sign and followed Yumi. Aelita shielded Sissi.
“Ah!”
The Wolf’s ears perked up. She whirled. In time to see a minion advancing on Sissi. Quickly, she grabbed the minion’s vine and pulled. Ladybug shoved the two down, taking the brunt of the momentum from the pull. The Wolf winded up. And punched the minion in the gut. The minion disintegrated into many vines and dead grapes. Vigne Rouge shrieked.
“By the skinning of a grape, I shall peel your confidence right off you!!!”
And she lunged. The Wolf dodged, jumping onto a nearby rooftop. Snarling, the akuma glared. Heated. And full of hate. The Wolf looked down. And she ran. But not towards Vigne Rouge.
No.
She ran.
She ran atop the edge of the roof, not minding the vines and grapes that tried to block her way. Vigne Rouge’s eyes followed. Seething hate emanated from them. And from her vines. Which had trailed uselessly behind the Wolf from the impact she inflicted upon their master. The Wolf jumped, landing a good two stories down from the roof. She crouched. And rose. Her head faced the akuma dead-on, looking her in the eye. The message, though unspoken, was clear as day to the akuma.
Catch me if you can.
And the Wolf ran.
“Why you little—!”
Vigne Rouge gave chase, hot on the heels of the Wolf.
Ladybug had no idea what had happened. There was a new hero she had never seen before with genuine superhuman strength and speed. Their form was that of a white wolf. And from what they just saw, said hero was on their side. She didn’t know who they were nor where they had come from. All she knew, with the buzzing in her head, the unknown hero had helped them. Standing again, she tapped the earpiece.
“Jeremie, what's going on?” Behind her, Aelita helped Sissi stand up.
“The hero in white is giving you time to recover and finish the job!” Jeremie reported. “Take the chance!”
Which would have been fine, if not for the sudden nasty surprise.
“Whoa!” Ulrich cried. “We have company! Multiples of it!!”
Alarmed, Ladybug whipped her head to look behind her. Again, she tapped the earpiece, “Jeremie. Status. Quick.”
Jeremie surveyed the battlefield. “You have nearly fifty minions on you,” he reported. “There is an open window on the building to your left. Buy some time in there before jumping into action.”
There was no time to count. The minions were closing in at a dangerous rate. Soon, if they were too slow, they would be overtaken. Which would render the Wolf’s help meaningless. Ladybug grit her teeth. Surveying the battlefield. The open window on the building to her left could only hide two people at once. There were two strong civilians, one distraction, and two unarmed civilians.
Ladybug made up her mind.
“Alright,” she said. “Let’s do this.” She turned to Aelita and Sissi. “Aelita, Sissi. Go hide in that building.”
“Right.” Aelita helped Sissi stand. Then, they made a run for it.
“Odd, distraction.”
“Right away!” He lept into the fray and taunted the minions into following him.
“Ulrich, Yumi, help me take these down.”
Ulrich stood, cracking his knuckles. “I've been itching to do some weed whacking.”
Yumi stood, dusting herself off and punching her palm. “Save some for me.”
Good. They’re ready to fight. Ladybug twirled her yo-yo, the fire inside reigniting. “Let’s move!”
“I’ll go left!” Ulrich shouted. He charged, leaping over the vines and kicking several minions in the head. With a clean swing of the stop sign, two minions were struck clean in the head. Crouching, he knocked two more down with a wide foot sweep. Following with another swing of the stop sign. Pole vaulting over an oncoming mob, he launched himself onto an overhead vine. He ran, leading the distracted minions elsewhere.
“Hiya!” Yumi kicked the legs out from under one minion. Dodging, she followed with another kick to the attacking minion’s face. She blocked an attack with the stop sign. Which knocked off the top part, leaving only the cold metal. No matter. Yumi spun it, knocking minions left and right. A wide swing. A minion fell. Another wide swing. Another minion was thrown off-balance. Holding the bar up to a minion’s throat, she head-butted it away.
“Hah!” Ladybug shouted. A knee to a minion’s face. A swing of her yo-yo. Hooking it around a minion, she reeled herself in for a double heel kick. The momentum forced the minion back. Ladybug landed. Her yo-yo recalled. Ladybug stood. Her yo-yo swung in a wide berth. More minions went down. A duck and a kick backward. Landing, she hooked her yo-yo again on the ankles of an attacking minion. Yanking, the minion went flying back. But why was the string of her yo-yo—
Ladybug recalled her weapon before it could break. This was bad. Her yo-yo string was corroding from the contact with the minions. Falling, she landed on her arm and used the momentum to perform a wide kick. The minion was knocked back. Another came in its place. Standing, she whirled in a circle and elbowed it in the face. But a small tugging at the back of her mind whispered.
Like a familiar voice, it was soothing. Calming. Focusing.
That little voice formed enough words to say something in her mind.
Fight hand-to-hand.
Fight hand-to-hand, huh? With a click of her yo-yo, Ladybug activated the Bugshield. Winding, she crouched low. Calculating. Her eyes scanned the battlefield for the best launch. The line between Yumi and Ulrich was clear enough. Standing, she launched the Bugshield like a discus. Every minion in that line was mowed down without mercy.
“How's that for hand-to-hand?” Ladybug panted. Ulrich looked up.
“I don't know who you're talking to,” he said. “But do some more of whatever you're doing!!!”
A minion took the chance to jump Ladybug from behind. Reacting in a blink, the shield returned and transformed into the saber. With one single thrust, just as she had seen Kagami and Adrien do, she stabbed the minion through the head. It dissolved into vines instantly.
“On your right!” Yumi called. Ladybug swerved, blocking an attack with the saber. She recoiled, aimed, and thrust.
“Hah!”
Two minions were skewered, dissolving back into lifeless vines. A mob of the remaining minions charged. An attempt to overwhelm her. Deactivating the saber, Ladybug hoisted herself onto a clear space. Away from the minions. It was time to use her Lucky Charm.
“Lucky Charm!”
The yo-yo spun, emanating a stream of ladybugs and pink light. They swirled, forming the Lucky Charm for this battle.
“A weed cutter?…”
Ladybug raised an eyebrow. Because seriously? A weed cutter? Tikki was being unusually direct this time.
Well, better than nothing. Holding it up, Ladybug charged. “Heads up!”
Ulrich and Yumi dodged. Ladybug mowed down the oncoming minions by the dozen. The survivors stood no chance. The Lucky Charm weed cutter was working all too well. On their respective sides, the minions were brought down to a manageable number. Yumi threw a minion to the ground and impaled it with the stop sign bar. Ulrich sliced one clean in half with his. Odd skated by.
“Fertilizer!” he shouted. He jumped, sailing over the fighters’ heads. Landing, he skidded to a stop. In time for Ulrich to pulverize the last minion on his end. Yumi took down the last of the stragglers on her side. Panting and heaving, they looked towards Ladybug. Who had downed the last of the minions attacking them. Their lunges ached. Their breathing labored. Ladybug looked up now that they were in the clear.
“Ladybug!” Jeremie buzzed. “No time to rest. Go get Vigne Rouge!”
“Right.” Holding the weed cutter, she hooked her yo-yo onto a vantage point to launch herself. She turned to the three helpers. “You three! Keep up!” And off she launched. Exchanging glances, they made their decision.
“Well, you heard her,” Odd commented. For that, Yumi bopped his head.
“Yes, Odd. We heard.”
“Keep up,” Ulrich smirked. The three ran, keeping Ladybug in sight at all times.
“You’re mine!!!” Vigne Rouge shrieked. The Wolf paid her no mind. She simply ran. Dodging. Every attempted strike was rendered useless. Every attempted crack of her vines caught nothing but air or building. The Wolf simply dodged every strike thrown at her. Snarling, the akuma persisted. She clutched her abdomen in pain. But it did nothing to deter her.
The Wolf landed on a rooftop a block away. She glanced at the ruined streets. Her eyes scanning, she counted the seconds before Vigne Rouge attempted another attack.
Key word being attempt. She was growing slower and more sluggish. The main body was, anyway. The vines, not so much.
CRACK!!!
Another building crumbled to dust. Vigne Rouge smiled, manic, in the hope she had finally crushed that loathsome wolf…
… only for the smile to die when she saw the Wolf land nimbly on another rooftop.
“…”
The Wolf suddenly crouched, glowing white. The akuma raised an eyebrow, confused. What was she doing? Was she activating her Miraculous ability? The wind suddenly picked up around the Wolf. What—
A translucent white wolf materialized behind the Wolf. A savage yet noble beauty. Powerful. Erect. Ready to strike. Standing, the summon and the summoner locked eyes with the akuma. Sending chills down her spine. She recoiled, her vines crawling back to their master.
What was this energy?
Who was this Holder?
Where did they come from?
The Wolf flicked a hand, extending her claws.
“Let's finish this, shall we?”