Hey guys, Cheryl here. Welcome to Chapter 31 of Book 1: New Revelations! This Chapter was originally going to be included in the previous one... But I thought that it might be too long, seeing as the total might add up to more than 10000 words. But, by all means, enjoy this one too! I really hope you do. :) Now, without further ado, enjoy.
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Alan's POV
It was painful.
Really painful.
To see someone going to murder Emma.
It really was.
After all, Emma's one of my best friends. You'd have to be completely inhumane to not feel any form of sadness or fear.
I had hoped and prayed with all my heart in those few seconds that a miracle would happen and Emma would be saved.
And a miracle did happen.
I just didn't expect that miracle to be my sister.
Alyssa charged out from the side of the school, wielding an iron rod. While Carmen was still processing what was going on, Alyssa came up from behind her and hit her right in the back of her head.
"What?! Who dares to hit me?! I am the Queen of Hearts!" Carmen screamed in outrage, falling to the ground from the force of the impact. Carmen still hadn't seen Alyssa's face. Though I'm sure that in a while, she'll recognize Alyssa from her voice.
"QUEEN OF HEARTS?! HA! YOU'VE FINALLY SNAPPED, HUH?! YOU'RE SO IN OVER YOUR HEAD! NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WILL CALL YOU QUEEN, CARMEN! YOU'RE JUST A SPOILED BRAT! A STUPID BITCH! AND IF YOU JUST DID THAT, IT WOULD'VE STILL BEEN FINE! THE ONE MISTAKE YOU MADE WAS BRINGING EMMA INTO THIS! I'LL KILL YOU! I REALLY WILL! YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE ME ON THE VERGE OF INSANITY! YOU REALLY DON'T!" Alyssa screamed, clearly on the verge of insanity.
Emma!
My gaze shifted to Emma's form. Somehow, she had already freed her hands and was staring at Alyssa in shock. Not that I blame her. Alyssa has always been unbelievably impulsive. But I didn't think that she'd do something like this. Not in her life or mine.
"Guards! What do you think you're doing?! Protect me! Protect your Queen! NOW!" Carmen yelled, apparently having enough of Alyssa breathing down her neck. The tens of servants lining the courtyard began to move from all directions, walking towards Alyssa.
"Don't think you can get away with this by calling your servants to help you! Ladybug and Chat Noir might be kind Samaritans who won't hurt anyone, regardless of the situation. But I'm different! I'll do anything for my best friends! Do you really want to fight?! Fine then! I'll take all of you on!" Alyssa yelled in response, lifting her iron rod into the air. The rage radiating off of Alyssa was immense. I truly believed that she would be able to take care of herself. If not for the fact that Carmen was dangerous and could possibly kill both Alyssa and Emma, I probably wouldn't have moved from my spot.
Quickly, I grabbed my baton off the floor and knelt beside Emma. "Can you walk?" I asked quickly, helping Emma up. Emma nodded, and I let go of her arm. But the moment I did, Emma fell to the floor. Her legs clearly couldn't support her own weight. "I'm sorry... I guess the box did more damage than I thought it did... " Emma responded with a small chuckle.
I glanced behind Emma, finally noticing the box lying on the ground. I was surprised at how small it was. It was a miracle that Emma was able to fit into it at all. It must've been extremely cramped, though. "It's alright. I'll just... " I trailed off, not quite sure how to put what I was about to do into words. Screw it. Screw everything! I just need to get Emma and Alyssa to safety! That's my top priority!
I lifted Emma off the ground, carrying her in my arms, bridal style. I didn't dare meet Emma's eyes. She might not know who I was under the mask. But it must be embarrassing to be carried by anyone like this! Heck, I was embarrassed to no end!
"Yeah! Come on! I dare you!" Alyssa continued yelling. It was like she was inviting Carmen's servants to fight her! Carmen was still on the ground, unable to get up due to Alyssa standing on her. That's good. At least Carmen won't be able to do anything to us while we escape. "Come on! Bring it on! I'll take all of you on at once!" Alyssa continued, waving her weapon around.
"No, you're not! I'm getting you out of here!" I scooped Alyssa up and dumped her over my shoulder. Great. I've successfully collected the both of them. Now it's time to get out of here!
Extending my baton, I pushed off of Carmen, sending Emma, Alyssa and me flying over the rooftops. "Woah! Hey! Chat Noir! Put me down! What do you think you're doing?! I need to get my revenge on Carmen?! How the hell am I going to do that when we're going further and further away from the fight scene?!" Alyssa protested, struggling profusely. It was making it increasingly harder for me to hold on to Emma, Alyssa and the baton all at once. I had to get Alyssa to stop.
"Chat Noir!" Alyssa cried out again, kicking her feet.
That's it!
I've had enough!
"Listen! We are about 50 feet into the air! A drop from here would mean the end of your life?! Do you really want that to happen?! If that's what you want, I'll gladly do that! But I'd rather not fall off myself and perish before I have the chance to deal with Carmen Bourgeois! I admire your courage. I really do. But what would happen if you had gotten injured? Or even died?! I'm sorry. But I can't afford to take responsibility for that. It would be too much for my conscience... "
You're my sister, too...
I wouldn't be able to take it if you died because of my incompetence...
"Alyssa... I'm fine... Listen to Chat Noir. Please. He's only trying to help everyone as best he can."
I glanced down at Emma. She noticed me looking and flashed me a comforting smile. Under the mask, my face was aflame. Man, was I glad Emma didn't know who I really was! This is too embarrassing!
"Alright... I'm sorry... I'll stop... " Alyssa trailed off, finally calming down. Thank God... I really would've dropped Alyssa if she had continued... And not on purpose, of course...
"Thank you. I really appreciate it. I'll let you down soon enough. I promise. After I get the both of you to safety." I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, stopping on a random rooftop to readjust Alyssa and Emma's position. I wouldn't want any of them to fall to their deaths due to my carelessness.
Just as I was about to extend my baton, Emma let out a small gasp of surprise and wrapped her arms around my neck. She had nearly slipped out of my grasp while I was grabbing my baton. "Woah! Sorry. Are you alright?" I asked, readjusting my grip once again. This was an unbelievably tough job. Carrying Emma and Alyssa while flying from rooftop to rooftop was by no means easy. Especially since one misstep could lead us all to our deaths.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Maybe it's better if I just continue to hold on like this... It might be easier for you..." Emma trailed off, tightening her grip around my neck. As if this situation wasn't embarrassing enough. I refused to meet Emma's eyes. I'm pretty sure I would break down in embarrassment if I did.
Though Emma wasn't wrong. Not exactly. With Emma holding on by herself, I wouldn't have to worry as much about her falling off. Even if I accidentally let go, Emma would still be able to grab onto my neck.
It was a win-win situation for all of us.
If only it wasn't so embarrassing.
Come to think of it, this situation felt oddly nostalgic. That's right. Emma had hugged me just like this earlier this afternoon. Well... Not me. Not Chat Noir. Rather, Alan Lahiffe. Though the situation in which it happened is vastly different from now. The way Emma's arms felt around my neck was comforting. It made me forget everything for a moment. If only for just a moment. If only I could stay like this forever... I wouldn't need to deal with anyone or anything... I could just relax... I closed my eyes with a quiet sigh. If only that were the case.
"Chat Noir? Are you ok?" Alyssa asked, jolting me out of my thoughts. "Don't we need to get going soon? Carmen's going to catch up if we just stay here." Emma looked up at me, concern in her blue eyes. I smiled and readjusted Alyssa on my shoulder. "I'm fine. Really. Let's get going, shall we? Hold on tight!"
And with that, I extended my baton, shooting off towards the sky once again.
The feeling of the wind in my air made me smile. It was refreshing. I had forgotten how fun it was to be able to fly through the sky. To be able to be free from one of the most basic laws of Science, if only for a little while. To be able to be Chat Noir.
Though having to carry Emma and Alyssa while doing that made things a little more complicated.
"It really is beautiful from up here..."
I glanced down just as Emma turned to look up at me. The late afternoon sun shined off of Emma's midnight blue hair, making it sparkle. Her eyes seemed especially bright now. Emma's the beautiful one here...
...
Hold on...
What are you thinking?! Pull yourself together Chat Noir! Now's definitely not the time for this ridiculous nonsense!
I cleared my throat, turning away to avoid Emma's gaze. "Yeah. It is." I replied, barely able to force that reply out of my mouth. Though it would seem awfully rude if I didn't say anything at all.
"At any rate, why were you there Alyssa? I thought you went home already." Emma asked, diverting her attention away from me. Through everything that had just happened, I had completely forgotten that Alyssa wasn't supposed to be at College Francoise Dupont at all. Alyssa had gone home long before me. When we had argued back home, Alyssa screamed at me before locking herself in her room, saying that she had to clean up the mess that I had created. I didn't see Alyssa leave her room after that. Granted, I didn't exactly leave my room after that either. Even if Alyssa had left the house, I wouldn't know.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Alyssa's face filled with confusion. Before realization dawned on her. "Oh! Right! I came to look for you, Emma." Alyssa replied with a small chuckle. "For me?" Emma sounded incredulous. The shock on her face was apparent. Though I couldn't blame her. I was pretty shocked too. Emma? Why would Alyssa look for Emma? Is it because she found out that I accepted Lexi's invitation to the dance? But Emma wouldn't know about it, would she? Besides, Emma doesn't like me anyways. Me accepting Lexi's invitation doesn't harm her in any way. Why would it become a mess Alyssa would have to clean up? It just doesn't make sense...
"Yeah! I had to check up on you after I found out that Alan accepted Lexi's invitation to the dance! I tried to call you, but your phone was off. I couldn't reach you at all. I thought that you might still be at school. I only wanted to check. Just to make sure. Speaking of which, don't worry Emma. I already yelled at him for you. Honestly! My brother is the biggest idiot out there! Though Alan had no clue what was going on. Or acted like he didn't. He kept saying that he had the right to choose who he wanted to go to the dance with! I mean, I know that makes sense. He's right. He has all the right in the world! But I just can't stand the fact that he didn't even stop to consider your feelings before accepting! I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you, Emma. It must've been so painful to see Alan accept without a second thought. I never should've agreed to let you tail Alan and Lexi alone after school. I really am sorry. After I told you that I would ask Alan to ask you to the dance too..." Alyssa trailed off, very clearly regretful.
But that wasn't what was bothering me right now.
Everything Alyssa said didn't make sense at all.
And I'm not just talking about the relentless torrent of insults she just threw at me.
What did she mean by all that? Did Emma already know that I had accepted Lexi's invitation to the dance? How? Did Alyssa call her to tell her? No. That doesn't make sense. If Emma was going to be hurt by it, Alyssa would never tell her. Never in her life. She would do everything in her power to make sure that Emma never found out. Then how in the world did Emma find out? I'm sure no one else but Lexi was there. And Carmen, too. But I didn't see either of them talk to Emma at all. There's no opportunity for them to convey the message. But what would Lexi and Carmen stand to gain by doing that? I'm not stupid. Even I can see that everything those two did, they did it for their own personal gain. Everything just... didn't make sense. Also, why would Emma be affected in the first place?! She doesn't like me like that!
"Alyssa! Is this really the time?!" Emma hissed, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. I could sense her discomfort with discussing this topic in front of me. And I don't blame her. I might be Chat Noir. But I'm a complete stranger to the both of them. "Oh... Right..." Alyssa trailed off, our current situation probably sinking in with her. That was probably going to be the end of the conversation. But I had to get them to keep talking. Even if that meant talking about myself behind my back. Otherwise, I would never get to understand the situation. If I asked Alyssa as Alan, she would never tell me anything other than that I was the biggest idiot on the planet and if I just opened my eyes, I would be able to see the truth. Except I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to by myself. No matter how wide my eyes were open.
"Oh no. Don't mind me. Feel free to continue your conversation. To be honest, I've always liked listening to stories. That Alan seems like quite the character. Would you mine telling me more?" I started, hoping and praying with all my heart that it would work. Alyssa might have a big mouth. But with Emma here, she might still keep her mouth shut. Though insulting myself has taken a pretty huge hit to my pride. I didn't even know what I did wrong!
"Well... If Emma doesn't mind..." Alyssa trailed off, looking at Emma. But Emma just sighed and buried her head deeper into my shoulder. Alyssa probably assumed that that was a sign to continue. "Come on Emma! You don't need to be courteous! Just say whatever's on your mind. Don't hold back just because I'm his sister. I really hate him for what he did to you! How could he just accept just like that?! You've known him for years! He should at least try to ask you before accepting someone else's offer?! Ugh!" Alyssa shook her head in frustration, readjusting herself.
"Don't be like that, Alyssa. However much you might hate him, he's still your brother. Don't hate him just because of me. Besides, I agree with him on this one. He has the right to choose who he wants to go to the dance with." Emma mumbled, her voice muffled. She still had her head on my shoulder. That's right! I do have a choice over my own social life! Alyssa's out of her mind if she thinks I'm just going to listen to her! Besides, I've said this many times, and I'll say it again. Emma just doesn't like me like that!
"For God's sake, Emma! Would you stop being so stubborn?! Just admit that Alan was wrong! Come on! You've liked him since you were little! And it's not exactly been a secret either. The entire class knows about it! We finally gave him the opportunity to realize that with this dance. And he didn't take it! Not only that, he went ahead and accepted someone else's offer! It's ridiculous! Completely and utterly ridiculous! I can't believe the nerve of that guy! Face it Emma! You like Alan. He threw your feelings away." Alyssa finished her rant, breathing heavily.
"Alyssa! How could you say that?!" Emma lifted her face in shock, her face beet red. She was clearly embarrassed by Alyssa's confession. Though I'm sure anyone would be after that.
"I could say that because it's true! Or are you saying you don't like Alan?" Alyssa shot back. I could just see the smirk that's probably plastered on Alyssa's face right now. "I... didn't say it wasn't true... I do like Alan... But did you have to say it in front of Chat Noir?! You have no idea how embarrassed I am right now!" Emma replied, her face only reddening by the second.
I do like Alan...
I do like Alan...
I do like Alan...
...
Hold on...
Just hold on...
Did I hear that correctly...?
Emma likes Alan...?
Emma likes... Me?!
Me?!
ME?!
How can that be?! I'm sure that Emma doesn't like me like that?!
"I'm really sorry about that, Chat Noir. Believe me. Emma's way more embarrassed than you are. I'm sure." Alyssa let out a laugh. "Alyssa! How can you say that after everything?! How could you betray me like that?! I don't believe you!" Emma hissed in reply, embarrassment seeping into her voice.
"Oh. Don't worry about me. I'm quite... intrigued, if I may, about your current predicament. Also, if you're not offended by my question, weren't you and Alan on that magazine together? You modelled together, didn't you? How'd you feel about that?" I asked, trying my luck. This was starting to sound like an interrogation. I really hope that Emma would answer my question. After Alyssa's accidental confession, I really wanted to know. I needed some form of confirmation.
"Emma was embarrassed to no end. It lasted weeks after the magazine was published. I was with her at the photo site. Throughout the whole photo shoot, Emma's face was flushed. One would've thought the makeup artists had gone overboard with the blush. After everything was over, she ranted and ranted about how I shouldn't have called out to Alan. How embarrassed she was. How it was the worst idea of both her life and mine. And finally..." Alyssa smirked, looking up to meet my gaze. "How it was the greatest experience she'll ever get with Alan."
"Alyssa! What the hell do you think you're doing?! How can you say something like that?! I don't freaking believe you! How dare you betray me! I'll never forgive you for this! You had better keep your mouth shut! I'm warning you!" Emma's face was as red as could be. Though from rage or embarrassment, I didn't know. I'm pretty sure anyone would be embarrassed, if they were in Emma's position. After having her crush exposed by her best friend to a total stranger, she still had to endure further shame by listening her best friend tell that same stranger one of the times where they had an intimate interaction.
Don't get me wrong.
I had my own fair share of embarrassment too.
I couldn't find the words to speak after Alyssa's comment. My face was probably equally as red as Emma's at this point. All of a sudden, my throat felt dry. I cleared my throat a couple times, trying to clear that uncomfortable feeling. "Well... That was... informative... Thanks Alyssa..." I cleared my throat again, choosing to concentrate on extending and retracting my baton when necessary.
Alyssa laughed, clearly unbothered by the situation. "I'm sorry if everything freaked you out, Chat Noir. But in my defense, you asked. I only did you the liberty of answering." "Oh. I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. But don't worry Alyssa. Getting to know my Princess' love life is a pleasure."
Hold on...
Why am I trying to be flirtatious now?!
Does that help the situation at all?!
What would Emma and Alyssa think?!
"Princess?!" Emma gasped in shock, turning to face me. That's right. I haven't called her that before. "Do you mind? Your parents, Mr and Mrs Agreste, were the previous Ladybug and Chat Noir, after all. Not only that. Together, they run a successful business that's probably the central figure in Paris' economy. Your parents are like the Queen and King of Paris. It only feels right to call you Princess." I replied smoothly, trying to cover up my mistake. I didn't even know why I called Emma that in the first place! What is wrong with me?!
"Princess? I suppose that's alright. But Alan might be jealous if he hears you calling Emma that. He might not realize it himself. But I've seen the way he looks at the guys who try to ask Emma out. It's ridiculously hostile. It's probably the reason why Emma hasn't had a relationship with anyone before. But Alan still doesn't realize Emma's feelings and his own. Honestly. What an oblivious idiot. I don't believe him sometimes." Alyssa scoffed, shaking his head slowly.
Emma's face turned even redder and her head sank back into my shoulder once again. Just when I thought Alyssa was done with torturing Emma with her embarrassment.
"Alright then. It's settled. Princess it is." For some reason, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. What's wrong with you?! This is definitely not the time! You'll have more time to think about this later! Really! Pull yourself together! You're Chat Noir! Chat Noir's not supposed to have a love life! At least, not yet!
"At any rate, it seems like we're far enough away. I'll let you down now, Emma, Alyssa." I started, noticing that we were near Alyssa and my house. I landed on the street close to our house, trying to land as gently as possible. Alyssa climbed down herself while I let Emma down gently. "Thanks Chat Noir. I'll walk home from here. Go join the battle." Emma said, a thankful smile on her face.
"Walk home? Isn't that dangerous? Stay with me. At least until Carmen has been dealt with. Come on." Alyssa whined, grabbing onto Emma's arm. I'm not going to lie. I was also a little concerned about Emma walking home by herself. Who knows? One of Carmen's servants might abduct her again. And we'll be back to Square One.
"I'll be fine. I'm sure Mom and Dad are worried about me. Besides, if Chat Noir does his job and keeps Carmen busy, I'll be just fine. Really." Emma teased with a light chuckle. There's no way I could offer to bring her home now. It would seem awfully strange. "Right... Alright then. I'll see you soon, Princess, Alyssa." I replied with a prince-like bow. It seemed appropriate to keep up the Knight in Shining Armor act.
"Yes. Yes. Go do your job. I'll call you later, Emma." And with that, Alyssa waved goodbye and walked back through our front door. Such a cold goodbye. Is she like this to everyone? I wonder...
"Thanks Chat Noir. I really appreciate you saving me. Really. Thank you." Emma gave a slight bow, the kind smile still on her face. "It's no problem. Really. If you like, I could come visit you later. I'll bring drinks and snacks. If you don't want your parents finding out, I could climb through your bedroom window. Just like a stray cat." I winked, faking confidence. To be honest, I was still unsure about Emma's condition. If I couldn't walk her home, I'll just have to visit her later and at least make sure she's ok.
"Alright then. I'll see you at 7. Thanks Chat Noir." Emma chuckled, eyes shining with amusement. At least Emma doesn't think it's weird... Thank God... "Alright then. Goodbye for now, Princess." I turned away from her, preparing to take off. Now. Time to deal with Carmen.
"Hold on! Chat Noir!"
I stopped upon hearing Emma's voice. Emma rushed in front of me, seriousness all over her face. "Ladybug managed to hide Lexi. But she had to use her Lucky Charm. She's probably recharging somewhere right now. Don't worry about her. I'm sure she'll be at the battle site soon. Another thing. Carmen's powers are something like mind control. She sucks the current feelings of someone and that fuels her wand. It leaves them as a ghost of their former selves. They can't help but obey Carmen. Most of the feelings she's absorbed are fear. But the one feeling that would really fuel her up is love. Please try not to act all lovey-dovey in front of Ladybug. Ok? I wouldn't want you to get... hurt. Also, it seems that it might take a lot of concentration for Carmen to control her servants. The likelihood of her using them in battle are quite slim. You can rest easy. But just in case, don't go too close to them. I have a feeling Carmen would be able to order them to reach out and grab you, if need be. She's smart enough to use her surroundings to her advantage." Emma informed me, smiling sheepishly. She managed to gather that much information while being captured?! Wow... I'm... impressed... Really...
"That would be helpful. Thanks. I'll see you later then, Princess. Thanks again." I grabbed Emma's hand and kissed it lightly. Just like a Prince. Letting go, I flashed a small smile. "Wish me luck."
And with that, I took off to the sky.
Time to deal with Carmen!
Emma's POV
Together with Tikki, we watched as Chat Noir extended his baton, flying off towards the battle scene.
"The same goes for you, Emma." Tikki said out loud, interrupting the silence. "What do you mean?" I asked, curious. I didn't see anything in this situation that could possibly be related to me.
"You can't act all lovey-dovey with Chat Noir at the battle scene too. Carmen would definitely take advantage of that. You also have to remember that you'll be Ladybug. Not Emma. Not the same person who Chat Noir carried over the rooftops. Not the same person who Chat Noir rescued from danger. Not the same person who Chat Noir called Princess." Tikki smiled as I felt my face start to heat up. All over again. Just when I managed to calm myself down after Alyssa's antics!
"It doesn't matter right now Tikki! We'll have plenty of time to talk about this later. Let's go!" I called out, pushing out all other feelings away. I had a job to do. And it was pretty urgent. Paris was in danger. And the only one who could stop it was me. Or rather, Ladybug. Tikki gave me a knowing smile and chuckled, probably getting herself hyped up for the battle. After all, it's been quite a while.
"Tikki, spots on!"
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Oh~ Chat Noir~ Being awfully flirtatious, aren't you~?
Hey guys, hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 31 of New Revelations. I think I've really took this Chapter to the maximum. This 4700-word Chapter amounts to just 5 to 10 minutes of conversation in real time. I can barely believe it myself. It's just like the artist of Haikyu!! making one match, even one point, a few Chapters. Ah... Good times... Good times...
The other chapter of this book should be coming out soon, so be on the lookout for them!
Remember to comment, vote and follow me on Wattpad, and I'll see you guys again soon!
Love,
Cheryl