Discordant Sonata

Chapter 26: Prima Donna (Part 4 of 4)

(Continued from part 3)

(Mood Music: "Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118" - Franz Schubert, performed by Camille Thomas)

Ladybug gaped. Oh, hell, she groaned internally.

"Chat Noir!" cried 'Marinette', sounding utterly alien to Ladybug's own ears. The look-alike hissed in pain as Prima Donna yanked sharply on her hair.

Chat seemed to come to his senses at her pained voice. "Let her go!" he demanded.

Prima Donna sneered at them, placing her magic wand under the girl's chin, the latter letting out a small whimper.

"I believe you're acquainted with my new assistant. She's going to help me with my next magic trick of getting your miraculouses."

Ladybug took a step forward. "It's not Marinette. She's an illusion. Prima Donna almost tricked me with one earlier."

"What?? How do you know this one's an illusion too?" Chat Noir asked.

"I just do," she replied. "Try asking her a question only the real Marinette would know the answer to."

Prima Donna frowned at them as Chat Noir considered her words.

"Okay... What were you doing earlier, before Prima Donna showed up?"

Marinette's eyes turned pleading, and she answered, "I was... eating ice cream... with you... "

Chat gasped and Ladybug's jaw dropped in shock.

"She's right! It's really her!" he said, horrified.

"NO!! I know she's not the real Marinette!" Ladybug insisted. "Ask her something else!"

Prima Donna glared at her. "No more questions!" she barked, waving her wand and pointing it at Marinette's mouth, and her lips turned into a zipper that slid itself shut. The girl tried to cry out in distress, which only served to agitate Chat Noir even more.

"Leave her alone!!"

"Just for that, I'm changing the terms of our deal," she added, then hefted Marinette over her shoulder and exited through the balcony door.

"STOP!!" Chat yelled as he chased after her.

Ladybug groaned loudly in exasperation as she followed them. The sight of herself being used as bait made her feel sick to her stomach.

Prima Donna made her way to the Eiffel Tower, and once Chat Noir and Ladybug caught up, she proceeded to dangle "Marinette" from the very top, holding on to the ribbons with one hand.

"Please!!" Chat Noir cried. "Don't hurt her! She's just an innocent civilian!"

"Innocent?? As if!!" the magician scoffed. "If only you knew the truth. She's a cheater and a liar! She's just using you, just like she does with everyone else! But now she's gonna make herself actually useful as my assistant, by helping me with my next magic trick."

The two waited in silence as Prima Donna paused dramatically.

"Not only will you give me your miraculouses; you will also bring me Adrien Agreste. Then, and only then, will I release her. Simple as that."

"Just what is your obsession with Adrien?!" Ladybug snarled.

"And why are you trying to keep him away from me?!" Prima Donna countered. " You're the true villains, trying to stop true love! You don't deserve your miraculouses!"

Ladybug looked over at Chat, his eyes full of fear, weighing his options, trying desperately to figure out what to do.

Prima Donna's grip on the ribbon changed, shifting her grip from holding it with all five fingers to only four.