Strike At Midnight || Luka Couffaine

Chapter 27 ❧ Finale: Last Battle

She hurls her yo-yo into the air and the butterflies it clashes with bursts into puffs of smoke.

"You heard the lady. Let's clean up this mess," Chat Noir says as he twirls his metal staff, colliding with butterflies.

Carapace is the first to reach Nathalie with the use of his shell as a shield. "Don't move- we'll get you out in a jiffy."

"Look out!" Viperion yells, but Carapace flinches and cries out- a little too late to see the single insect fluttering onto his shoulder.

"I-I'm all right, but watch your back!" He responds as a bruise appears on his shoulder. He hauls Nathalie up and flees to the side.

My glasses emit a sudden beeping signal and I realise what that means. I look back and call after Luka just as I detransform. I bury the spectacles into my pocket before the horse kwami could get hurt. "Viperion, over here!"

Luka meets me instantly, shielding me with a protective arm. I quickly survey the battlefield. Ladybug and Chat Noir fight as an indestructible pair against Lila, but their definitely reaching their limit. They retreat back as the butterflies press onwards with Lila at the centre.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug tosses her yo-yo into the air and a flute drops back into her hands. Her eyes flit back and forth between the butterflies and the peculiar instrument. To everyone's surprise, she puts her lips onto the mouth piece and plays a melody.

The butterflies react instantly, one moment they're spread out like mist and the next, they gather around the sound like a moth to a flame. Viperion and Rena Rouge follow suit, reading Ladybug's intentions and play their own instruments; his lyre and her flute. The fog parts, revealing Lila again. Her hands produce a violet aura as she conjures even more of her insect transmitters.

"Venom!" Queen Bee commands, flinging her spinning top straight at Lila.

"Time for you to go," Luka says as he does the exact opposite, taking my hand and pulling me into the battlefield.

"Wait wait where are we going?!" I ask.

"Trust me- now duck." We both crouch down as Carapace's shield flies above us. Luka catches it in his hands and throws it back to him. Luka then forcefully shoves me forward, causing me to stumble. My hands reach up for balance only to collide with a doorknob, I realise that I'm right in front of a door and hurriedly swing it open.

I fall into another room- what seems to be a security room full of multiple screens televising the battle in the other room in several angles. Most of what the feed shows is just Lila's butterflies obstructing the view of the cameras. Nathalie is also against the wall, wincing in pain.

"Be safe and stay here," Luka says, about to return back.

"I'm not staying here. What about the others? What about Grimm?" I push forward, but he blocks the doorway.

"No, it's better knowing you'll be safe here, away from harm, than out there." I know he's trying to let his words sound gentler. He doesn't outright say I would become a burden without my miraculous, but the implication is there.

"Listen to me," He pleads. "Don't hurt yourself anymore. I don't how many more times I can rewind time."

His statement renders me speechless and I finally notice the exhaustion behind his eyes. It must have taken him countless tries to get me here unscathed. The power of Second Chance is intangible.

"Okay," I whisper. "I won't go anywhere."

His shoulder sag in relief and he gives me a sweet smile before he returns back to the fight. I shut the door. I consider locking it but decide against it. Kneeling beside Nathalie, I can't decide on how to feel. We always had a strained relationship and only stayed together for so long for of the Agrestes.