Miraculous Dragonus (Lila Rossi x Male Reader)

Arc 09: Chapter 03: Lichkaiser, Part 3

Ladybug swung over the rooftops, silently thanking the luck of the universe that Kagami had been easy to find and hadn't gotten possessed. Small clouds of Lichkaiser's green smoke were starting to drift further away from the villain, not quite enough to take over anyone, but certainly enough to scare people. Ladybug had sent Ryuko to catch up with the other heroes as she went to find the last hero she would need.

"Marc!" She called out, swinging down into the empty Place de Vosges. The young author in question glanced up, shutting his notebook.

"Ladybug? Is something wrong?" He asked.

Ladybug blinked in surprise. "Um... yeah? We're dealing with a very powerful supervillain, and I need you to defeat him. He's already taken down three of our team and I'm willing to guess that one of the Darks succumbed to him, too."

Marc glanced aside sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you sure? I mean, there's gotta be other people who would be better for the job than me. I'm not exactly superhero material..."

"Are you sure? What about your good-guy Reverser in your comic with Nathaniel? Isn't he just you with superpowers?"

"It's more than that..." Marc said apprehensively.

"You've proven that you know how to be a superhero." Ladybug said reassuringly as she reached into her yoyo and pulled out the golden thumb ring. "Now it's time to put that knowledge into action. Here is the Miraculous of the Rooster, which grants the power of Pretension. You will use it for the greater good..."

"Do I give it back once I'm done with it?" He asked.

Ladybug smirked. "You'll get to keep it as a member of the team. Do you accept it?"

"What exactly does its power do?"

"Basically you'll be able to choose a super ability that you might need."

Marc's eyes went wide as he considered the possibilities. "Okay." He said slowly as he placed the ring on his left thumb. Orikko flashed into existence in orange light before zipping in front of Marc.

"Hi! I'm Orikko. To transform, just say, 'Orikko, Sunrise!'" the kwami said quickly. Marc repeated the phrase, cloaked in reddish-orange light as his costume materialized around him. A fire-red gold-accented tailcoat covered his midnight blue bodysuit. Feathers swept behind him like a tail and across his chest under a red ascot. Golden rooster-like boots replaced his sneakers. A red mask covered his face. His hair changed to a red mohawk. His quill was strapped to his arm.

"Nice look." Ladybug commented. Marc smiled back. "Thanks. And call me Rooster Bold."

"Cool. We need to meet up with the others..." Her yoyo pinged before she could finish her thought. "It's from Cat Noir." She explained absently before answering the ping. "Yes, kitty?"

"Hey, m'lady..." Cat Noir said slowly. "Listen, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is we found Lichkaiser and our teammates under his control."

"And the bad news?"

"The bad news is that Lichkaiser's army has grown even bigger, no mind controlled Darks are anywhere to be found, and Lichkaiser's living up to his name. He's raised a skeleton army."

Ladybug forced down some of her dread. "He's by the Catacombs, isn't he?" She asked. The grim affirmation of her partner didn't ease her in the slightest. "Okay. Give us ten minutes and we'll be there. In the meantime, hold your positions and see if he does anything, but don't engage. Got it?"

"Got it." He replied. "See you in a bit."

"See you." She said before hanging up. Rooster Bold glanced over at her, a grim look across his face. "The Catacombs, huh?" He asked. "First mission and I'm already dealing with a big boss."