Miraculous Hunters Rewritten: Book 2

Chapter 38: Zombizou Part 2

With everyone inside the bus, Chat Noir took the driver's seat and started up the vehicle, the bus engine roaring to life as it began to move. However, the vehicle was lurching and swaying as it made its way through the chaotic streets, the once-familiar urban landscape now overrun by zombies. At the front of the bus, Alya and Nino cling to each other with mirroring faces filled with worry as they rode through the unpredictable jerks of the bus, glancing up at Ladybug gripping the nearest seat for support.

"I thought you said you knew how to drive!" Ladybug snapped at her partner over the engine's roar, shooting a glare at Chat Noir as he desperately tried to keep the bus under control.

"I've mastered every car and racetrack in Extreme Racing 3, but there are no buses in that game." Chat Noir bashfully replied, his usual confidence wavering as he looked back over his shoulder at Ladybug with a sheepish grin.

But after taking a deep breath to center himself, Chat Noir readjusted his grip on the wheel and stepped on the gas, making the bus lurch forward with renewed speed and outrun the kissing zombies. Now far ahead of the zombies and the roar of the engine drowning out their groans, the rest of the students in the back of the bus took the time to process what they just went through. Unknown to them, there was trouble brewing at the farthest end of the bus... particularly with the shaken-up Rose being comforted by a concerned Juleka.

"So, what now?" the feline asked Ladybug while keeping his eyes on the road, his confidence in controlling the bus growing the more he drove.

"Let's take Chloé to the top of the Eiffel Tower. There'll be fewer zombies up there, and fewer places for all of Zombizou's disciples to run to." Ladybug suggested, looking determinedly at the road ahead and taking note of the lack of zombies in the bus's path.

"Less places for us to hide, too." Chat Noir countered, knowing that while the idea was good it was also a double-edged sword for them before leaning closer towards Ladybug. "What about Stone Arc? We can at least get the others to safety there while we take care of the akuma." the feline quietly supplied, hoping to get his classmates to safety before heading out to defeat the akuma... even if the Trolls would be hesitant to welcome more humans in their home.

"It's too risky. We can't expose the Trolls to anyone else," Ladybug replied in the same volume, deciding it would be too dangerous to execute Chat Noir's idea and would most likely take too long to settle the Trolls's assured unrest.

"Besides, going to the Tower is the only way if we want Zombizou to show up in person—" "AAAAHHH!!" a voice at the back of the bus screamed, causing the heroes and their civilian friends to turn around and see what was the compassion.

Imagine the surprise on their face when they saw it was Juleka who had cried out, her eyes wide with horror as she clapped a hand over her mouth and stared at Rose standing in front of her. At first, it wasn't clear why Juleka was so scared... until the girl in pink turned around and faced the others, her eyes glowing the telltale magenta while her once-innocent face was now twisted into a creepily wide smile. While panic erupted within the bus, Ladybug quickly scanned Rose to see where she was marked, quickly seeing the clear sign of her infection with the prominent black kiss mark on her leg.

Immediately, a wide-eyed Chloé bolted to the front of the bus in a desperate to try and escape Rose's advancing presence after she set her sights on the heiress. Rose quickly followed after Chloé, her movements jerky but determined before Alix attempted to stop her in a rush of bravery, soon being enveloped by Rose's relentless approach as a result. Even though it killed her to do it, Ladybug used Alix's sacrifice and swung her yo-yo at the space behind the skater girl, the indestructible wire creating a blockade to protect the rest of the passengers. However, it didn't stop Rose from being able to further trap Alix in her embrace, taking the opportunity of the girl being trapped with her to her advantage.