Miraculous

17 - Battling Villains

Lashanie fidgeted in her seat, trying to concentrate on Mr. Damocles' droning lecture about the French Revolution. But her mind kept wandering back to the events of the previous night. The kiss, the whispered confessions, the stolen moments under the Parisian moon – it all felt like a dream, a beautiful, impossible dream.

As the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, Lashanie practically catapulted herself out of her seat. She needed to see Varian, needed confirmation that their moonlit encounter wasn't a figment of her imagination.

Pushing through the throng of students, she spotted him by his locker, a familiar smirk on his face as he chatted with Kim. A pang of disappointment stabbed at her heart. He hadn't mentioned their... moment... and here he was, just another face in the school crowd.

"Hey, Varian," she said, forcing a smile onto her face as she approached him. "Busy day?"

Varian turned, his eyes widening in surprise. "Lashanie! Uh, yeah, you could say that. Chemistry project is due next week and..."

His voice trailed off, a flicker of something she couldn't quite decipher crossing his face. It was almost like... guilt.

"Did you get home okay last night?" he finally asked, his voice a little too eager.

Lashanie felt a knot tighten in her stomach. "Yeah, everything's fine," she replied, her voice devoid of its usual cheerfulness. The mask, it seemed, wasn't just for Lady Noir. Lashanie was wearing one too, hiding the turmoil within.

"Uh... alright," Varian stammered, a nervous hand scratching the back of his neck. "So, I'll see you around?"

"Yeah," Lashanie managed, her voice barely a whisper. She turned to walk away, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

As she walked, she couldn't help but glance back. Varian was gone, his locker slammed shut. A shiver ran down her spine. Where had he disappeared to?

Suddenly, a horrible thought struck her. She frantically pulled out her phone, clicking on the contact labeled "Mr. Bug (Don't Answer Unless Urgent!)". Her heart hammered in her chest as she waited for a reply.

A moment later, her phone buzzed. A single word flashed on the screen: "Emergency."

A crimson fury raged within Hawkmoth's lair. His previous failures gnawed at him, the frustration a festering wound. Tonight, he wouldn't just fail. Tonight, he would unleash chaos so profound, Ladybug and Chat Noir wouldn't know where to turn.

Multiple screens flickered in front of him, each displaying a different Parisian citizen simmering with discontent. A harried baker, flour dusting his face, felt slighted by a scathing review. A museum curator, his pride bruised by a stolen artifact, clenched his fist. A traffic warden, weary from endless honking, scowled at the congested street.

With a sinister grin, Hawkmoth unleashed his dark magic, each screen erupting in a shower of black butterflies. The butterflies, infused with malicious intent, fluttered towards their unwitting hosts. Each transformation was a twisted reflection of the victim's pent-up emotions.

The baker emerged as Crust Croissant, his doughy arms capable of crushing buildings. The curator, now named Relic Ravager, wielded a staff that could teleport entire sections of the Louvre. And the traffic warden, transformed into Gridlock, had the power to manipulate traffic lights, turning the city into a gridlocked nightmare.

Lashanie, patrolling the Parisian rooftops, felt the air crackle with malevolent energy. Three akuma attacks at once! It was unheard of. She flipped open her staff, her voice tight with concern.

"Mr. Bug? We need you here, now!"

Silence. Only the hum of the city below answered her call. A knot of unease tightened in her stomach. This wasn't like him. Mr. Bug was always there, their partnership a well-oiled machine. His absence, especially during a triple akuma attack, was deeply unsettling.