Miraculous: Tales of Shadowstar

Part 14: Scarlet

For too long, the maiden had grown numb to the world, and most of all to herself. Her long red hair shifted with the winds of chaos as she felt the blistering heat of flames pressed upon her pale skin. Her hazelnut eyes seem to catch the dancing fire as she peered upon the city that was once bustling with joy and love. Now all she heard was the countless screams and the rumblings of destruction.

The soft rhythmic clicks of a man's dress shoes on the marble floor approached the woman from behind. She didn't turn to face him, for she knew her butler well enough to simply feel his presence. He respectfully bowed with one arm over his chest while the other remained at the small of his back.

"M'lady, it is getting too dangerous to be out here any longer. We must begin evacuating as well or else-"

"I'm well aware, Sir Müller. However... any moment now, and he'll come." She said, her silvery voice filled the red walls that betrayed the chaotic city. The butler lifted his head as his well groomed yet grayed beard felt the stinging heat from the open window.

"Of course, but surely he would rather have you somewhere safe. Master Shadow isn't aware that you're here in Paris, m'lady." Müller pleaded. Only then did she turn her gaze that sent a chill down the butler's spine. Her voice shifted as if the very air was under her command.

"I do not need to be protected, Sir Müller. No, I wish to atone for our misdeeds." She clarified. The butler's eyes widened at the impossible path that had long been burned in the past. "B-but what about the Virtuous Seven, m'lady?"

"They... We can no longer claim to be Virtuous, and our numbers have dwindled since then." Scarlet returned her icy glare upon the chaotic city before her. "Shadow was the only one that tried to warn us about this. Yet none of us listened, and Merlin branded him a traitor. But I see that Shadow was the true hero out of all of us." The red haired woman sighed. A pity that she was so bound to her honor and loyalty to what the Virtuous Seven once stood for. But she would have never stooped so low as to assist the nefarious intentions that they had fought against for so long.

The butler casually stroked his beard in thought. As he mulled over the options and after some debate. Sir Müller came up with a suggestion. "Then how about we help Shadow quell the chaos then? I imagine that would be a good start to atone." Scarlet nodded her head in agreement. With a turn of her heel, Scarlet proceeded to don her armor of rose gold.

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"I don't get it, we're supposed to find this Shadow guy, but we have to wait here?" A ruffian with flames for hair questioned the large four armed figure. It was difficult to call the giant of a man human anymore. The three headed hound snarled and bared its dagger-like teeth at the flame head who took a couple of steps back.

"There would be no point in spreading our best thin like that. Where there's trouble, Shadow won't hesitate to dive into the thick of it and fight anyone who gets in his way." Oni said, his voice was like gravel as if the low rumblings of the earth spoke through the large man. They stood at the City Hall plaza as Oni was flanked by a thin man who sported black-rimmed glasses with messy dark hair. Unlike most supers that were present, Oni counted on this man in particular to play a major role as support.

If nothing else, Oni would rather best Shadowstar with his own strength and wits, however as it has been proven brute strength would only get them so far. The man nervously pushed up his glasses by the rim with a shaky hand.