The next day, Carapace noticed that Rena Rouge was unusually happy. She hadn't yet made any snippy comments about him, and she had a beaming smile on her face instead of a smirk.
"What's up with you?" He asked her.
"I went on a date with my boyfriend last night." She said. He felt slightly... jealous?
"Well, I went on a date with my girlfriend last night." He said quickly. Rena Rouge raised her eyes.
"You have a girlfriend?"
"Yes." Carapace snapped.
"What's her name?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Pleeeaaasseee." Rena whined.
Carapace shook his head. "Nope."
"What colour hair?"
"Kind of a brownish reddish." He said. "And she's really pretty, and smart, and-"
"Like me?" Rena asked, batting her eyelashes.
He scowled. "No! Not like you. In fact, opposite of you!"
"Yeesh, Shelly." Rena complained. "You know, I don't understand why we can't tell each other who we really are."
"Chat Noir and Ladybug don't even know who the other is." He reminded her. "Besides, would you really want to know?"
A shadow crossed her face. "Maybe not. My other self is so different."
"Yeah, mine too." As Nino, he was so carefree and happy. As Carapace, he was cautious and careful.
Why? He asked himself.
Maybe because the fate of Paris rests in your hands when you're Carapace. His brain told him.
"How are you so reckless and calm in battles?" He asked, turning to Rena Rouge.
She hesitated. "Well, I guess because I don't want to think of what could happen if we fail. So I just imagine that we can't fail."
He nodded slightly, surprised. Rena never acted vulnerable in the least. "I know what you mean."
Carapace would have liked to continue talking with this new Rena Rouge, but the moment passed in a blink and Rena pasted a bright smile on her face. "C'mon Shelly, let's go look for danger!"
"Because that's smart," muttered Carapace.
"You coming?"
***
Alya huffed in disbelief. "Are you sure, Trixx?"
Trixx nodded regretfully. "I really wasn't kidding when I said that I needed mac'n'cheese! We can't transform now, or we'd both get really hurt!"
"Well I don't have time to run home and get you anything, and I don't have any money." Alya said regretfully. "But I can't just walk away and leave Carapace, no matter how annoying he is!"
"You can't fight in your civilian form," Trixx said earnestly. "But what if you made a trap for Dr. Destroyer, like Ladybug does?"
Alya brightened. "Great idea!"
***
Carapace hesitated. He had no idea where Rena Rouge had gone, or if she was coming back. Only a few minutes into the fight, her necklace had begun to beep.
Now he faced Dr. Destroyer alone.
Unfortunately, while the Akuma's name was ridiculous, his skills weren't. He parried Carapace's attacks with ease, grinning broadly.
"Is that all you got?" The akuma taunted. His pale lips turned up in a smirk.
"Nope!" A voice yelled from afar. Startled, the akuma turned to see... Rena Rouge?
She was just standing there, frozen, with a big grin on her face. "Run, Rena!" Jade yelled, worried.
She stood still. Had the akuma frozen her?
The akuma rushed at her and Jade's heart dropped. Dr. Destroyer struck out and hit... a hologram?
"What?" And, as the akuma stood confused, a rope wrapped around his ankles, tightened, and the doctor fell.
Carapace rushed over and grabbed the doctor's stethoscope. Quickly, he tucked it in his bag and the akuma slumped over.
Relief flooded Carapace. It wouldn't take long to find Ladybug, and, while the stethoscope remained in his magic bag, the akuma couldn't move.
But who had stopped him?
"Rena Rouge?" He called.
But it wasn't Rena who stepped out of the bushes. It was someone he knew very well.
"Alya?" He said in dismay. "What on earth were you thinking?"
Her face contorted into confusion. "You know me?"
"No!" He had forgotten that he was still Carapace. "Well, yes. But that doesn't matter! You could have been killed!"
Alya pursed her lips. "Well, I wasn't."
Carapace shook his head. "I'm escorting you home."
"Fine." Alya said sullenly. "Still, you weren't doing any better Shelly."
First Rena Rouge, and now Alya?" Carapace thought grumpily. Why does everyone call me that?
"C'mon." He said. "We're taking the water."
***
Even Alya had to admit that riding a skateboard-like boat that propelled itself through the water was pretty cool.
She was standing behind Carapace, clutching his shoulders tightly as not to fall off. She didn't want to explain to her mother why she was home soaking wet!
Carapace seemed a lot more carefree now. He was even grinning happily.
"So, how do you know me?" Alya asked eagerly.
"Uh... the Ladyblog."
"You read my blog?"
"In my civilian form." Carapace said simply. "And, no, I'm not elaborating."
He really is quite handsome when he smiles, Alya thought.
She had developed a crush on the Turtle hero when they had first met (and she hadn't known how uptight he could be.)
But, besides, now she had Nino. With his goofy jokes and loud music and giant smiles.
"Maybe drop me off at the next corner instead of my house." Alya suggested.
She didn't consider how, exactly, he had known where her house was until she was home and in bed.
Carapace frowned. "Why?"
"My boyfriend lives near me, and he's usually outside at this time of day. I don't want him to get the wrong idea." She said.
Carapace hid his grin. "Uh, sure."
He was pretty sure that Nino wouldn't be home today.
"Thanks. Hey, I'm sorry for interfering."
"I'm sorry for overreacting. You did really well."
She perked up. "Really?"
"That doesn't mean do it again." He warned.
She grinned, blindingly, and Carapace almost missed her stop. He scowled slightly, embarrassed. "Well, see you. Better not be near another akuma, though!"
"See you!" She said cheerfully. He watched her walk away, tapping away on her cellphone. She was probably texting Marinette.
He smiled slightly. Some things never change, do they.
Suddenly, his baton started beeping. Curious, he picked it up.
It was Ladybug. "Carapace, where are you?" She asked. "Do you have the akuma?"
He cursed. "Yes, I'm sorry Ladybug. I'll be right there. Are you near the Eiffel Tower?"
"Yes, hurry! I've only got a few minutes left!"
Carapace hung up and urged his water board to go faster. If he didn't reach Ladybug in time, he wouldn't be able to de-evilize it.
The akuma would be free, and it would go after who had defeated it.
Which meant Alya was in danger.