Tales of the Bug and Cat: Book 2

Chapter 9: Akuma

Monday, July 24th

Marinette and Alya went up the stairs to the living room after having their yummy sushi brunch. Sabine and Tom were downstairs in the bakery. Tikki flew out from Marinette's purse as soon as they were out of sight.

"I'm going to kill that nerd." Alya complained. "Everytime I see him my brain see knifes, but my heart sees...oh.. Mari. I'm sorry. I can't believe I was rambled about Nino when you and Adrien are apart."

"It's alright. I've made my peace with what happened." Marinette sighed. "I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"But you are meant to be. You haven't even told me what happened!"

"It's too emotional!" Tikki said, patting Marinette's shoulder.

"Fine. I'll stop bothering you on it." Alya put her hands up and sat down. Marinette sighed, but jumped when Alya spoke once more. "It's just you spent a year fawning over him and then out of no where it ends."

"It wasn't meant to be." Marinette repeated harshly. 

Alya felt like there was something else, but Marinette wasn't budging. "But..whatever."

Tikki took the silent moment to change the topic. "So...we're going to Shanghai at the end of the summer." Tikki hesitated. 

"Oh, your parents agreed to it?" Alya smiled. 

"Yep. A bit over a week, we're leaving. I can't wait to see my cousin." Marinette said. She grabbed the tv remote and turned it on; Then she switched the channel to their favorite news channel.

"Next Up: Solar Eclipse will be fully visible in some parts of North America, what percentage of the eclipse will Parisians see?" The blonde host said. 

"A solar eclipse?" Tikki asked.

"I remember hearing about this." Marinette recalled. "We'll barely get any view of the eclipse."

Alya looked up 'solar eclipses france.' "I think we're getting  full lunar esclipse next summer. I don't know about solar eclipse." She was going to place her phone down, but it started buzzing. The tv changed from its normal news it's akuma attack central.

"Hello, it's Nadja Chamack, bringing you up to date on your akuma news. I'm heading towards the Grand Paris hotel now, where an adult has been akumatized. More info on the way!"

"I guess that's your cue." Alya said. She grabbed her purse and phone."I gotta go film the fight anyway. Later, or I guess afterwards, I'm supposed to take my sisters to the zoo."

"Okay." Marinette said, giving Alya a hug before she left. She turned to Tikki afterwards. "So, I have to fight this akuma..., without Chat. Without Adrien." She realized.

"But, you can handle it when Hawkmoth controls Chat during a few past akumas." Tikki reasoned. Marinette remembered the seldom times where Chat was controlled and she handled it. This time wouldn't be any different, right?

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette cried. Ladybug ran onto the roof and yo-yoed through the town, and ran from rooftop to rooftop to get to the akuma battle. Luckily, it wasn't to far away. A waitress from the Grand Paris hotel messed up an important meal order for some important people, but it actually wasn't her fault. Sick of getting blamed for problems she didn't cause, Michelle turned into Server, who will 'serve you what you deserve'. Half of the guests in the restaurant were already turned into raccoons before Ladybug could get there.

"Server, you can't turn people into animals just because you were blamed for a problem that you didn't cause." Ladybug argued.

"Fine." Server threw a plate at the guests. After a second  of smoke, Ladybug saw that the animals were now all chairs.

"Chairs aren't any better." Ladybug frowned, getting ready to encircle Server with her yoyo.

"Why don't I get a cage for this spoiled bug." Server smiled as she threw another plate from her handbag, trying to hit Ladybug. Ladybug cartwheeled to her left, then looked behind her to see the person who was hit with the plate was now trapped in a cage. Ladybug flew like a ladybug over to the akuma victim and tried to grab the handbag with her spare hand. Server easily avoided it and flung a plate that hit Ladybug. Looking down, Ladybug realized she was stuck in some type of gelatin. Her legs and arms stuck in place.  "I'll be back for you soon Ladybug, but first I have to deal with the people responsible for firing me, Andre Bourgeois and Marlena Césaire!" Server ran towards the elevators.

"NO!" Ladybug screamed. A minute later, she was still trapped. One tear rolled from her eye. She was alone. "Chat, I need him. I can't do this without him." She mumbled aloud.

"Why?" A girl asked from the kitchen, she came to the light. 

Alya?" Ladybug asked. Sure enough, it was. 

"Why can't you do this without Chat, Mari?" Alya asked as she proceeded to grab a steak knife and cut through the gelation, which was much harder then gelatin normally is. "You handle problems without him all the time. Besides you two are apart."

Ladybug sighed. "..But I still need Chat. For Akuma battles! Just akumas! It's just...he makes me stronger. I can't do this without my partner, his help, his support. Even Chat's  jokes, it just makes it all easier, happier. Chat always watched out for me. I was so insecure when we started being superheroes, Chat was the one who told me I could do it."

Alya had gotten Ladybug's arms freed, and moved on to her feet. "Okay, I understnad, just because you guys are broken up doesn't mean you don't still need Chat. You guys are a duo!" Alya laughed. "Don't worry, Ladybug. Besides, you have me to help you for today!" She freed Ladybug's legs and Ladybug spirited towards the elevator. Ladybug ran into the elevator to the lobby, Alya following behind. On the way down, Ladybug got her lucky charm, a long silver baton, like Chat's(Only it didn't extend). 

In the lobby, Server had the Mayor and the Head Chef tied up, surrounded by fireworks. She threw a plate on the ground, picking up the remains, a match box appeared. "Get ready to be fired...up." Server chuckled.

"Not on my watch!" Ladybug screamed. She got into a heated battle as she blocked each item Server threw at her. Alya would try to grab Server's bag, but mostly would be forced to run off unless she'd be trapped. Finally, Ladybug tossed Alya the baton to grab the bag from a distance while she distracted Server. It might have taken longer than any other Akuma battle. Marinette detransformed the moment after she de-evilized the akuma, she threw a table cloth over her before anyone could see, Alya lead her safely out a back exit.

"That was amazing!" Alya laughed. "Fighting akumas face to face like that, it's such a rush! I like filming the battles better, butit's just as much fun!"

"I guess." Marinette said quietly. Alya raised her eyebrows. "Sorry i'm usually pumped after a fight, but today...I just miss Chat."

Alya nodded. "As soon as Adrien gets back from wherever he is, you are fiing whatever happened. Okay,  no buts!" 

Before Marinette could comment, Alya's mom started calling for Alya. She had to meet their sisters at the zoo. Marinette took a quiet route home to talk with Tikki.

"That was a close one." Tikki chimed.

"Yes, and it just proved what I've always known, but some people don't."

"What's that, Marinette?"

"Some love Chat for his personality, but doubt his role as Paris' savoir. I wouldn't have survived toady without help, and I don't know what I'd do without him." Marinette smiled.

"Meant to be." Tikki teased.

"Sure." Marinette blushed. 

They continued their quiet walk home.