The Miraculous Underground AU

Chapter 4

AN: Hello! I would like to apologize for leaving this story for so long. I really have no excuse, other than anxiety and procrastination. I definitely feel like I have improved as an author since I last updated, and I'm excited about where this story is going. I have some fun things in mind that I think you guys will really enjoy. Thank you for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

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*THE NEXT DAY...*

~~Adrien's P.O.V~~

I walked into the Underground, letting the neon lights blind me. Unfortunately, yesterday I wasn't able to join the Undergrounders as they ran down the streets of Paris because of a ballet performance. Even in the short amount of time I had been away, I was starting to go stir crazy. It felt beyond wonderful to be back.

I wasted no time and made my way to the stage immediately, rather than lingering for quite a long time like I usually did. There was a queue of people waiting to battle since I wasn't here yesterday, and I honestly don't like wasting people's time pointlessly.

I waited as Lady Wifi introduced me before hopping up onto the stage. She announced my first challenger and I beat them with a kind of practiced ease, then the person after that, and so on. It felt good to back, even though I had only been away for a day. Soon, I had beat all opposing challengers.

"Do we have anyone brave enough to battle the champ, Chat Noir?" Lady Wifi asked the crowd when no new contenders stepped up to the stage.

The mob was quiet before suddenly someone jumped up onto the stage. They whispered something in her ear, then jumped off again, disappearing into the crowd as nothing more than a black blur. Lady Wifi's expression brightened and she started to announce the next challenger.

"As many of you know, the next challenger is a special one! Yesterday she beat all opposing challengers, making her way to the top ranks of the Underground at record speed!"

It took me a second to register what she had said. Now, this was going to be interesting. "Give it up for LADYBUG!" The crowd cheered louder than it had for anyone else that night. The dancer must have put on quite a show, and I was excited to meet someone who had earned the hard-earned respect of the Underground's masses.

A figure jumped up on the stage and I looked on in curiosity. I was expecting some person in black, maybe a seasoned dancer, but my challenger was nothing like I expected.

Before me, stood a girl dressed in ladybug-themed dance clothes, standing out from the dark themes of the underground. Her navy hair was pulled back into pigtails, and her bluebell eyes sparkled with laughter and mirth from under her hat as she stood confidently on the stage.

Well, whatever I was anticipating, it was certainly not someone like this. Finally, a dancer who could beat me. I didn't need to see her dance to see she had a chance. It sounds absurd, but I've seen so many people challenge me, that at some point, they all just started to blend together. But the person before me was fresh blood. She moved with grace as she laughed at the crowd's cheers, and I could tell that she was by far the happiest person I've ever met at the moment. She was here to have fun. That's what set her apart. That's what gave her a chance. She wasn't looking to prove herself, and she wasn't looking to be the very best. She was looking for a good dance-off and to have a good time.

I gave her a genuine smile and laughed with her. For a second she seemed a little surprised, but then she pulled her hat farther down to cover her eyes and smirked. I signaled to Bubbler, and the music started up, leaving me face to face with no one else but the music and a girl calling herself Ladybug.