A Miraculous Tale: Hawk Moth

Ch. 9

The white butterfly flew off as Cat Noir walked up to her. "Where would you be without me, Milady?"

"Who knows?" Ladybug smiled. "What happened to Revealer?"

"Oh, you know. He's long gone. I made sure he wouldn't find out your secret today."

"Well, thank you."

"A little help over here!" Carapace shouted. Ladybug and Cat Noir ran over to help him and Rena Rouge defeat Dark Owl and Oni-Chan. As they ran over there they saw that Carapace was fighting Dark Owl, but Rena Rouge was struggling with Oni-Chan. Cat Noir joined the duel between the two girls. While Oni-Chan was busy with them, Ladybug came up from behind her; she managed to grab both of Oni-Chan's arms.

"Let go!" The villain screamed. Cat Noir cut her bokken in half. The dark butterfly tried to fly away, but Ladybug captured it before it got too far.

"Bye bye little butterfly." She turned to see Carapace still fighting Dark Owl. Rena Rouge ran over to help.

"You'll never defeat me, for I am... Dark Owl! Hoo, hoo!"

Ladybug felt a hand on her shoulder. Instinct took over as she flipped the villain over and pinned him down. Instead of an akumatized victim she found two emerald green eyes staring up at her. Her heart did a backflip.

She got off of Cat Noir and helped him to his feet.

"Next time, remind me not to sneak up on you." Cat Noir winked. Then his face grew serious. "I'm going to go to Mr. Damoclees office. That's where Dark Owl's akuma is."

Ladybug face palmed. "How could I have forgotten!"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. We have been a little busy. I better get going. I'll be back in a jiff!" Cat Noir ran off and disappeared over the rooftops while Ladybug turned her focus on Rena Rouge and Carapace.

Dark Owl was being as resilient and annoying as ever. Ladybug wrapped her yoyo around his wrists, preventing his hands from accessing any weapons.

"Unhand me, false heroes!" Dark Owl growled.

"Dude, you really need to check yourself." Carapace said.

"No I don't! I know who I am! I am... Dark Owl! Hoo, hoo!"

Rena Rouge smacked her forehead. "I'm so done."

Suddenly a thick, black and purple fog surrounded Dark Owl. When it left, Mr. Damocles stood in the villain's place.

"What? How? Where am I?" Mr. Damocles spluttered. He tried to scratch his head, but found that his hands were bound. Ladybug pulled her yoyo back, freeing the principal's hands. As the akuma flew past them on its journey from the school to Hawk Moth, Ladybug captured the akuma and freed it a second later.

Rena Rouge sighed as she turned to face Hawk Moth. "One more villain to go?"

"Don't worry," Carapace told her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "We can take him."

She smiled slyly. "That's your big speech, Romeo?"

Carapace looked confused. "Uh, I..."

"Don't worry. I know we can take him." She leaned into him for a moment, then she looked over her shoulder. "After all, Ladybug's on our side."

"That's great and all," Cat Noir began as he strolled up to them, "But, aren't we forgetting a very important character in this epic novel?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Who could we possibly be forgetting? I didn't think there was anyone else."

"Now I really am hurt. Truly, truly hurt!" He sighed. "Rena Rouge, you forgot the daring, brave, charming, and let's not forget handsome, cat in shiny black armor who comes to the rescue every time your sorry butts get in trouble."

Rena Rouge walked toward him. Her smile was smug and her posture didn't lack an ounce of confidence.

"I thought Carapace and I were the ones who saved your sorry butts all the time." Rena Rouge poked him in the chest. "After all, you only call on us when you're in trouble." For once Cat Noir didn't have a come-back.

Mildly impressed, Ladybug decided it was time for the squabbling to end. "Guys, we need to get up to the Eiffel Tower. Hawk Moth..."

"Is leaving." His voice echoed down from the Eiffel Tower. "You pathetic heroes took so long to defeat all my akumas, I thought I'd give you all a chance to recover before you try to defeat me. I'll see you all tomorrow night, at precisely seven. Consider it a date." With an evil laugh his frame shimmered and disappeared.

"No!" Ladybug yelled.

Cat Noir was frantically shaking his head. "I don't understand. It wasn't supposed to happen like this!" He muttered to himself.

"Ladybug, what do we do?" Carapace asked.

Ladybug stomped her foot in frustration. "Volpina! Ugg!" Ladybug shouted in frustration. "Hawk Moth was never here. It was all a ruse, but for what?" Ladybug turned to Cat Noir. "I thought Adrien said..."

"His source must've been wrong, but I know he'd never lie to us." Cat Noir interrupted.

"Wait Adrien?" Carapace asked.

"Don't worry about it." Ladybug told him. "Don't ask him anything either. We don't need your secret identity to be jeopardized."

Carapace nodded reluctantly, and Rena Rouge laid a hand on his shoulder.

"So, what are we going to do?" She asked.

Ladybug groaned. "I'm afraid the only choice we really have is to do what he says. What do you think, Cat Noir?"

"I think you're right, but I'm also certain it's a trap." Cat Noir replied.

Ladybug nodded. "We'll have to proceed with caution." She turned to Rena Rouge and Carapace. "I'll call on you tomorrow night, but for now I'll have to take your miraculouses back." The two heroes nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow night?" Ladybug asked Cat Noir.

"Wouldn't miss it."

Ladybug and the other two heroes waved bye to Cat Noir as they left.