Shadowteer

Chapter 8

The Puppeteer stood up and dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "Ugh. Tears. Poor kid." She threw it into the dustbin and flew out of the stalls. She opened the door and flew out of the school with a ready grin.

Shadow stood up and rubbed his eyes with a yawn. He stretched and looked around, smiling at the darkness. "Ah... Paris. Home sweet home." He teleported into the shadows of a little girl and smiled at her scream before teleporting out of the school completely.

He searched the shadows of Paris for his partner, not wanting to take a physical form yet until he found her shadow. He gasped. He searched the streets until he found what he was looking for. One of those in case of love at first, break glass boxes. He  broke the glass and took out the rose from inside it. He teleported back to her shadow and smiled, taking physical form.

She jumped. Standing before her was a figure in a midnight black cloak. She couldn't see a single part of his body or face but his grin. Black wisps surrounded him. He seemed almost ghost like to her, floating about like Death himself. She staggered back, holding in her scream and cocked her head to the side when he held out a single rose to her.

"Pale in comparison to you partner." She rose an eyebrow.

"Uh... no thanks." He shrugged and turned it black, pushing it into his black cloak. "I've never liked the colour red. Or any colour other than black. Maybe... grey? Hmm. Well, this intro is off to a rocky start."

"Sorry. It's just... kind of weird to offer your partner a blood red rose when you just met. A daisy maybe?" He shrugged. "Anyway, I'm the Puppeteer. You are..."

"Shadow. The most powerful akumatised villain in Paris."

"You? The most powerful? I highly doubt it. It was definitely me."

"Well, if I only had my weapon, I would show you."

"Right. I have to get mine too. I had a magic wand. I've always loved magic.  Yours?"

"Um... It was... nothing." He argued within himself. "I'll go get it. We'll meet up at the Eiffel Tower?"

"Hmm... yeah, sure. Why not." He smiled.

"Great. Race ya!" He disappeared. She flew as quickly as she could to her house. Freaky guy. She assumed he would be some sort of depressed creep but he seemed pretty... not depressed. He was still creepy though. Eh. Life. She entered her empty home to get the wand, Manon actually glad to see her mom wasn't at home. She never was anyway. She didn't know why she was worried in the first place.

Shadow teleported to get his weapon. It was actually a broken flashlight but it looked brand new thanks to the akuma. Chris got to the Eiffel Tower before her, staring at his weapon. A wave of pain settled on his features.

She landed on the Eiffel Tower with a triumphant grin which was replaced by a scowl when she noticed he had gotten there first.

"You beat me... uh... Shadow? Are you okay?"

"Wh... what?"

"Chris, what-" they both blinked in confusion.

"What was that?"

"Ugh. They just tried to break out I guess." Shadow tossed the flashlight into the air and caught it with ease.

"What took you so long? I wonder what his story is. Seems deep." She shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. We have work to do."

"I will. But you have to show me your powers." She froze and groaned.

"Ugh. I need puppets first." He  rolled his eyes.

"Wow. Aren't you just the most powerful akumatised villain ever?" She glared at him before smiling sweetly.

"You know, only moments ago you were offering this villain a rose from one of those in case of love at first sight-"

"I did it because you were beautiful doll. Love at first sight is overrated."

"That's not how I saw it..."

"I'm a shadow. I'm incapable of feeling any emotion, especially that one."

"Ooh, sounds like someone's afraid of love!"

"I'm not afraid of it. That's an emotion. I detest it. Where on earth are your stupid dolls?" She glared at him.

"Puppets. So I look like a Dollteer to you?" He glanced at her.

"Not one bit."

"So... yeah. The do- the puppets are with this woman, Marinette Agreste."

"As in, world famous fashion designer Agreste?"

"Yep."

"You know her?"

"Manon does. And it seems she's in Paris right now so we don't have to travel half way across the world. She's... in her family home near her parents' bakery. The puppets are probably up in the attic so-"

"Attic? Darkness? Yes!" He eagerly teleported them there, smiling widely. The Puppeteer coughed and hacked.

"Attic. Dust. Yuck. Let's get this overwith." They searched the whole attic but they couldn't find it. She scowled. "Actually, they're in Manon's house. Stupid liar." Chris rolled his eyes.

"She isn't stupid- hey. Just saying." Shadow scowled and pushed Chris back into his mind before grabbing her hand. "Let's go-"

"Guys, I think they're up here!"

"Wh-"

"Don't move or speak." A blue haired boy rushed up the stairs.

"Hurry up Hugo!"

"Ugh. Attics." She shot him a triumphant grin. Thank you Hugo! They teleported back to the streets. She sneezed.

"Cute. So, her attic then?"

"More like my room! What are you nuts? Puppets are life!"

"Puppets are childish you baby." She said nothing but waited till they got to the house. He whistled. "Nice place. Pretty empty though." She shrugged.

"Make yourself at home dude. Her mom is barely ever here." She went up to her room and dragged the box of puppets out from under her bed. She walked to the staircase, watching him laugh at her puppet based powers with a smirk.

"She plays with little stuffed dummies and I'm supposed to believe she's more powerful than me. Oh plea-" Antibug crashed through the window and wrapped her yoyo around him tight, holding her lucky charm- a dagger- to his neck.

"Who you calling dummy, dummy?"

"Uh... would you like a rose?"