Chapter Text
As he got home, the artist shot a quick text at his boyfriend, telling him that he got back safely and wishing him a good evening. The ravenet sent him a heart in reply. ‘Thank you for letting me know! I hope you have a good evening as well!’ It made the older boy chuckle to see such formal language used in texting. Of course, Marc would send grammatically correct text messages. He was a writer.
Nathaniel’s family owned a wash-dryer, a washing machine with a drying function that could be programmed. So, the redhead only had to put his dirty laundry in the machine and when the program finished, he could just take out his freshly washed, dry clothes.
After stuffing his clothes into the machine, the artist wandered into the kitchen to throw something together for dinner. He ended up making fried rice, since it was quick and easy.
Eating his dinner on the couch, Nathaniel watched the news report of the most recent villain attack. It included a couple of recordings, showing Mightylustrator trying to pick up the fake-kitten, Volpina and Ladybug scuffling over the detonator with the Dark Owl and their chase of the villain across the city on the way to the school.
“Once again, the traces of the villain-attack were cleared away by a cloud of magical sparks. We suspect that it is the doing of our new hero. All of Paris is curious who their new protector is. We hope to see more of him in the future.” Nadja Shamack concluded her report, and the weather forecast started.
Apparently, the night would bring cold temperatures and clear skies. Hopefully, Ladybug’s hero suit protected him from the frosty temperatures as well as Mgithylustrator’s did. Though, if it didn’t, the artist hero would be more than happy to draw the other some warm inlays for his costume.
Shutting the television off, Nathaniel went to wash his dishes, then headed upstairs to his room. His homework sat on his desk untouched and he felt very tempted to just ignore it. Unfortunately, his grades were bad enough as it was. He couldn’t afford to slack off anymore.
With a groan, the redhead sat down and started with the worksheet Mrs. Bustier had handed out in the end of class.
At a quarter to ten, the artist got up and stretched. He went downstairs to grab a quick snack from the kitchen, then, transformed into his hero suit and made his way to the park.
Ladybug was already there when Mightylustrator arrived at the Place Des Vosques. He sat at the edge of an empty fountain, waiting.
“Hi, there!” The redhead greeted cheerfully. “Did you have a good evening?”
Turning his head towards him, Ladybug greeted the other hero with a smile, a warm look in his green eyes. “It was alright. Nothing much happened.” He replied evenly, rising to his feet.
“Yeah, same.” The artist hero agreed.
“You said you’d help me train. What did you have in mind?” The spotted hero inquired, taking the yoyo from inside an invisible pocket in his costume.
To be honest, Mightylustrator hadn’t really come up with a plan for their training session. So, he had to take a moment to think. He considered what he’d seen in the other universes, watching the female Ladybug.
“There are a lot of things you could do with your yoyo.” The redhead started. “The obvious ones being tying other people up and using to yoyo to swing across rooftops, sort of like spiderman.” He mused.
“I never thought to compare my yoyo to Spiderman’s abilities, but you’re right. It is similar.” The ravenet agreed thoughtfully. “Except the yoyo isn’t just a string attached to something, it also has a pull of its own, which I don’t know exactly how to use. For example, during the fight today when I tried tying up the Dark Owl and suddenly the yoyo pulled me towards him. Why did that happen? How do I avoid this?”
“I don’t know, but I am sure we will find out more if you practice.” Mightylustrator said. “How about you tie me up with your yoyo and see how it goes?” He offered.
The other hero nodded. He took a few steps back and swung his yoyo at the redhead. Automatically, the string tied itself around its target, tying Mightylustrator’s arms to his body. Ladybug gave a tug on the string and suddenly he was being hauled towards the other.
Shortly before the ravenet crashed into the artist, the yoyo untied itself and rolled itself up. Both heroes went tumbling onto the ground. The next moment, Mightylustrator found himself on his back, blinking up at the other hero, who had his arms braced on both sides of his head, staring down at him with wide eyes, cheeks red.
And Mightylustrator’s brain promptly short-circuited, heart hammering in his chest.
“Oh no! I am sososo sorry!” Ladybug rushed out, scrambling off the other. His cheeks were redder than Nathaniel’s hair. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“It’s alright.” The artist soothed, his own cheeks burning as he sat up. “We can try again.”
“Maybe don’t tug at the string this time.” Mightylustrator instructed as he and Ladybug stood facing each other once more.
Again, the spotted hero tied the redhead up. As asked, he did not tug on the string this time, instead just held it firmly. Nothing happened. They just stood there.
“What now?” Ladybug asked. “This would probably be pointless in a fight. After all, the villains would struggle against the restraints.” He pointed out.
“You’re right. How about you try pulling me towards yourself?” The artist suggested. Tentatively, the other hero puled at the string and Mightylustrator felt himself being dragged forward.
“This is working!” Ladybug cheered and tugged on the string a bit harder. Once again, the string pulled him forward and he crashed into the redhead a second time. “Sorry! I’m so sorry!” He uttered, cheeks aflame with embarrassment.
Both heores sat up. “I guess I got over enthusiastic.” The ravenet conceded with a sigh.
“Don’t worry about it!” Mightylustrator assured. “You’ll get the hang of it eventually!” He got to his feet and offered a hand to his fellow hero. Ladybug took it with a gentle smile.
They repeated the same task over and over. In the end, Ladybug could pull Mightylustrator around with his yoyo, keep a firm grip, even if the artist struggled against the restraints and untie him at will, too.
Next, they practiced grasping smaller object with the yoyo. The spotted hero improved astonishingly fast. Soon, he would understand the workings of his weapon completely. He really was a fast learner.
“You can also use your yoyo as a shield.” Mightylustrator informed to the other hero.
“But it’s a string. How would that work?” Ladybug questioned, examining the small round weapon in his hand.
“Well, the string is unbreakable. So if you swing it around really fast, nothing can get past.” The redhead explained. He’d seen the other Ladybug do this during her fight against the Puppeteer.
With a thoughtful expression, the ravenet spun his yoyo around faster and faster until only a circular red blur was visible. Experimentally, Mightylustrator threw his pen at the make-shift- shield. Red sparks erupted upon impact, then the pen was hurled back at the artist.
“That’s certainly handy.” Ladybug commented, rolling up his yoyo. “Thanks for the tip!”
“You’re welcome!” The artist hero said with a broad smile on his face. “How do you feel about swinging across rooftops Spiderman-style?” He asked the other playfully.
“I think, I’m ready!” The spotted hero announced, green eyes glittering determinedly. Courage was such a good look on his face! Mightylustrator could have swooned.
Throwing his yoyo at a tall building, the ravenet tugged at the string and he was pulled into the air. Instead of crashing into the chimney, the hero pulled the weapon back shortly before reaching the structure, and threw it at a more distant building, letting the yoyo pull him into a different direction. His swinging technique looked a lot smoother than before, Mightylustrator noted proudly.
Spreading his wings, the redhead followed his teammate into the air, flying fast to catch up.
“You’re doing wonderfully!” The artist praised as he’d finally reached the other.
“Really? You think so?” The other inquired excitedly, turning to beam at him, green eyes shining so bright, the pride and joy in them were almost blinding. MIghtylustrator felt his heart stutter in his chest, and he had to swerve to the right to avoid crashing into a billboard.
They made it all the way to the Eiffel Tower, landing at the top platform. It was empty at this time of night. A little out of breath, the redhead sat down on the floor of the platform. Gracefully, the other hero settled next to him.
“Thank you, for doing this with me! I feel a lot more confident in my abilities now.” The ravenet uttered quietly, smiling at Mightylustrator with a shy blush on his face. He looked breathtakingly pretty.
“It-It… was no problem at all!” The artist managed to choke out, his throat felt awfully dry all of the sudden. “I-I-I’m glad I could help!”
For a moment, they were both quiet, looking out at the lights illuminating Paris, bleeding into the clear starry sky. Cold winter air brushed along Mightylustrator’s cheeks, but he felt warm inside.
“The view from up here is truly beautiful.” Ladybug uttered. He was gazing at the peaceful city in wonder. His light pink lips were slightly parted, clear greens reflected the stars twinkling in the sky.
“You’re quite beautiful yourself!” The redhead whispered without thinking.
The other hero started at the comment, turning to his companion with wide eyes and red in the face. “A-are you flirting with me?” He questioned in shocked disbelief.
Mightylustrator flinched, then. “No, definitely not!” He negated instantly, perhaps a little too loud. He wasn’t flirting with Ladybug! He couldn’t be flirting with Ladybug. He had a boyfriend!
“So, if you’re not flirting, are you just like this to everyone?” Ladybug asked, hurt and disappointed and uncertainty ringing in his voice.
“No!” The artist hero asserted, feeling guilt and shame rise within him. He remembered what Marc had thought when he’d visited him as Mightylustrator in the end of winter holidays. Perhaps Marc had been right and Mightylustrator was a presumptuous flirt!
But, the hero didn’t treat everybody like this. He’d never flirt with Volpina, for example.
No, this wasn’t who he was. Ladybug was just different from everybody else. Different how?
“I guess, I just like you a lot?” Mightylustrator admitted tentatively. Ladybug was different from everybody else in almost the same way that Marc was. The realization felt like a punch to the gut.
“Oh, I like you a lot too!” The spotted hero replied, shyly. But the artist barely heard him. Too heavy was the fear and guilt weighing on him at the illumination he’d just had. He felt like he was betraying Marc.
Marc, his sweet, beloved boyfriend! He couldn’t do this to him!
“I think I’m going home.” Mightylustrator announced, voice sounding hollow and distant. Without another word he jumped over the rail of the platform and flew off.
---
The next morning, Nathaniel still felt awful. It was like the guilt clung to him like a leech, sucking all his energy. He couldn’t get down a bite of his breakfast. Even the coffee tasted like acid in his mouth.
One thing was certain: The redhead had to tell his boyfriend what had happened.
For the first time ever since they had met, the artist arrived at school before Marc. Nauseous from anxiety, he waited for the other boy. When he showed up, it was with dark circles under his eyes, face bare of make-up. He gave a smile, but it was nowhere near as brilliant as usual. It lookd forced.
Now, Nathaniel felt even more guilty than before. Apparently, the ravenet was already having a bad day and he was going to make it even worse. He wished he could just smile at the other and comfort him.
“Hey, Marc. Can we talk somewhere private?” The redhead asked without prelude.
“You want to talk?” Marc repeated, sounding spooked, eyes wide.
“There is something I have to tell you!” The artist confirmed.
A worried creased edged itself onto the ravenet’s forehead. He didn’t say anything. It seemed like he dreaded what Nathaniel had to say. The redhead could only understand too well. He, too, was dreading this conversation, so much so that he felt as though he could puke at any moment.
Silently, they went up to the art room. Carefully, the artist checked if it was empty, then led the other into the corner furthest from the door.
“I have a confession to make.” Nathaniel began quietly. He took a deep breath. “I met Ladybug last night and I sort of ended up flirting with him!” He rushed out. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to, but the thing is, I think I might have a crush on him. I wish I didn’t because I really really like you and I don’t want to lose you, but I thought you needed to know!” He spilled, without taking a moment to breathe in between. Even now, he didn’t dare breathe, waiting anxiously for his boyfriend’s verdict.
At first, Marc merely nodded. He took everything in with surprising stoicism. It almost seemed like his worry decreased after hearing everything.
“Thank you for telling me!” He finally said.
Nathaniel’s stomach churned. The statement did not give him any clue of Marc’s feelings about the situation.
“Are you upset?” The redhead asked tentatively, hugging his arms to his chest.
“I don’t know?” Marc replied uncertainly, biting his lip. “What does this mean for us?” He searched Nathaniel’s face, his expression almost sheepish. But none of this was his fault! Why would he feel bad?
“Am I...” The ravenet began hesitantly. “Am I still the one you want?” He inquired anxiously.
“Yes, of course!” The artist assured immediately. He had no doubt in his mind that he was telling the truth.
Relief washed over the ravenet’s face and he threw his arms around Nathaniel. “I’m so glad to hear that.” He sighed softly, holding the other boy tightly.
“I’m sorry I made you doubt.” Nathaniel uttered regretfully. Tentatively, he hugged his boyfriend back.
The school bell rang and the two boys let go of one another. But the redhead didn’t feel like he could leave just yet.
“Are we ok?” The shorter boy asked timidly.
“Yes, we’re ok!” Marc answered decisively. “Now, please give me a kiss!”
Only too happy to oblige, Nathaniel closed the distance between them.
---
During one of the short breaks between lessons, the redhead checked his phone and was surprised to find a message from his mother: 'Our flight was rescheduled, so we will arrive later than expected, around seven pm.'
Wait, his parents were coming home?
Vaguely, Nathaniel remembered them mentioning that they were going to visit this weekend. So much had happened lately, that he’d completely forgotten about it.
Feeling like the news had taken him off guard, the redhead considered the state of the house. He hadn’t taken the time to put away the clean laundry yet, dust had started to collect on the furniture and the empty macaron box was still on the living room table.
Before seven today, the artist had to clean the house. His parents would probably be exhausted after the flight. Perhaps he should prepare some dinner, too.
---
Thankfully, Hawkmoth decided to give Paris’ heroes a break for that day and Nathaniel got through cleaning without any akuma-induced interruptions. After mopping the floors, he went out to stock up on groceries. He’d found a recipe for kosher lasagna on the internet and hoped that the supermarket would have all the necessary ingredients.
While the lasagna was baking in the oven, the redhead busied himself washing all the pots, pans and dishes he’s used. He’d just finished putting everything away when he heard the front door unlock.
Straight away, the artist’s shoulders stiffened. He always felt a little more on edge when his parents were around. Hopefully, he hadn’t overlooked anything during cleaning. His mother would surely spot the smallest imperfections with her keen eyes.
“Hello.” Nathaniel greeted quietly, when he met up with his parents in the hallway. Shirel Kurzberg turned to her son from where she’d just put away her coat.
“Nathaniel, your hair has grown again. You really need to go to the hairdresser as soon as possible!” The redheaded woman noted after casting her judgemental gaze over the boy in front of her. Nathaniel hunched his shoulders, ducking his head.
“Something smells good!” Mr. Kurzberg commented cheerfully, pretending not to notice the stifling atmosphere.
“I made some lasagna. It should be ready in about ten minutes.” Nathaniel announced, giving his father a small smile. He was grateful for the change in topic.
“That’s wonderful.” The older redhead praised.
While Mrs. Kurzberg went to take a shower, Mr. Kurzberg helped his son set the table.
“I didn’t know you liked cooking!” Anton remarked lightly.
“It’s only been a month or two since I started.” Nathaniel explained. He felt a little more relaxed when it was just him and his dad. His father was alright, though he never dared to go against the word of his wife.
“I see. What prompted this new hobby?” The man inquired. It was nice that he seemed genuinely interested.
“Marc doesn’t like eating in the cafeteria, so I started making my own lunch to take to school. That way we could spend lunch together.” The redhead explained, while getting out plates from a drawer and putting them on the kitchen table.
“Who is Marc?” Nathaniel’s father wanted to know curiously, helping his son assemble the cutlery next to the plates.
“You know, my boyfriend.” The boy replied automatically.
“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” The older redhead stated casually.
Indeed, he had not known. Nathaniel froze. He hadn’t meant to mention it.
Of course, the redhead wasn’t keeping his relationship a secret, because he felt ashamed of his boyfriend or his sexuality. At this point, he’d come to turns with being bisexual and if people wanted to be mean about it, then so be it. He wouldn’t let their opinion define him!
The reason the artist hadn’t talked about Marc with his parents was his mother’s tendency to make others feel insufficient. Mrs. Kurzberg had ridiculous, impossibly high standards for everything and everyone around her. It was the reason her employers valued her so much.
However, in the privacy of their home, it was the characteristic that made Nathaniel’s life miserable. The redhead always fell short of his mother’s expectations, which displeased and disappointed her.
Consequently, the artist felt like a failure most of the time. It had gotten better recently, perhaps because of his mother’s obvious absence in his life.
Thus, Nathaniel knew well enough what it felt like to be deemed lacking by Shirel Kurzberg. The woman was not afraid to point out shortcomings. As perfect as Marc was to Nathaniel, he knew that his mother would find fault in him for sure. She never failed to pick up on things to criticize.
There was no way the redhead would let his mother tear his boyfriend apart with her awful judgemental gaze and hurtful words. She didn’t have the right to make Marc feel like he wasn’t good enough. As long as he could, Nathaniel would protect the ravenet from her wrath.
But now, Mr. Kurzberg knew his son’s secret. Usually, Nathaniel’s father was kind enough. Hopefully things would be ok.
“I guess, it never came up.” Nathaniel uttered, pretending that he hadn’t been actively keeping this information from his parents.
Fortunately, the older redhead didn’t seem bothered by his son’s secrecy. “Does he make you happy?” He asked softly.
“Yeah. Marc is the best! He’s gentle, caring, supportive, enthusiastic, intelligent and so pretty!” The boy gushed, feeling a blush heat his cheeks. “I can show you a picture.” He offered, swiping his smartphone from the kitchen counter to show his father the lockscreen. The selfie Nathaniel and Marc had taken on the day Reflecta attacked adorned the background.
“You two do look happy together.” Mr. Kurzberg mused, a smile on his face and Nathaniel grinned.
That moment, the phone in his hand vibrated. It was the timer for the lasagna.
---
To Nathaniel’s relief, the Lasagna had turned out well. His abilities in the kitchen weren’t that advanced yet, so he’d been a little worried.
“I can take you to the hairdresser tomorrow.” Mrs. Kurzberg offered. Apparently, she had not forgotten her previous complaint.
“Actually, I already have plans for tomorrow.” Nathaniel was glad to have an excuse.
“Is that so?” The woman asked sceptically.
“Yes, tomorrow is Gabriel Agrese’s fashion show and my class has been invited since the show will also feature the design of the winning contestant in our school’s fashion contest.” Nathaniel explained.
“Right, that fashion contest. Did you win?” Nathaniel’s mother asked with sudden interest.
“Mom, I didn’t take part.” The younger redhead was quick to inform, defensive.
“Why didn’t you compete? I’m certain you would have done very well.” Shirel Kurzberg responded and Nathaniel was surprised that she expressed such confidence in his abilities.
“Fashion design isn’t really my thing.” Nathaniel uttered, feeling awkward.
“Well, then it is all the more important you pay close attention tomorrow.” The redheaded woman concluded. “Gabriel Agreste is a renowned designer. Perhaps you can learn a thing or two about aesthetics from him.”
Once more, Nathaniel wanted to point out that fashion wasn’t his focus of interest. After all, he wasn’t intending on becoming a designer. He wanted to make comics. Then again, comics required character design and people in his comics needed clothes that fit their personality.
Perhaps the artist could learn something from that fashion show.
“I’ll give it my best tomorrow.” The redhead replied and his mother nodded, satisfied with the response.
---
That evening, Nathaniel was in bed with his phone. Though it was before his usual bedtime, he’d already changed into pyjamas and brushed his teeth. Still, the evenings events replayed in his mind.
Opening his chat with Marc, Nathaniel typed a message.
N: Hey, Marc.
N: Do you think my hair is too long?
Thankfully, Marc’s reply came quickly.
M: No.
M: Why do you ask?
N: My mom insists that I should cut it.
M: Do you want to cut your hair?
N: Not really. I like it the way it is.
M: I like it, too. It suits you well.
Nathaniel smiled as he read the message. He was glad to know that Marc like his hairstyle. It made him feel a bit less insecure about himself.
N: Thank you. It means a lot.
N: I really like your hair, too. It’s so cute.
M: Thank you.
N: Have sweet dreams my darling! <3
M: You, too! (:
Putting his phone aside, the redhead let his head fall onto the pillow. He felt exhausted. The two consecutive nights of barely sleeping had certainly taken their toll. Thankfully, it was Saturday tomorrow and he could sleep in.
---
When Nathaniel arrived at the venue of the fashion show, he ran into Marinette, who was standing on the sidewalk not too far from the entrance.
“Oh no! It’s Audrey Bourgeois! The harshest fashion critic in the entire world! I didn’t know she was coming!” The bluette uttered, her voice sounding panicked as she regarded the complete Bourgeois family standing in front of the red carpet.
Nathaniel glanced over, too.
“Why isn’t the red carpet made out of marble like I said? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” The blond woman in the sleek white and black pantsuit complained loudly. Mayor Bourgeois looked chastised, while Chloé gazed at her mother adoringly, who didn’t spare her a single glance.
Expecting the red carpet to be made of marble? What kind of request was that? Marble didn’t come in the rich scarlet the red carpet was usually made of. There was something called red marble, but that was a brownish-red at best.
To say Nathaniel’s own mother had impossibly high standards had been an overstatement. After all, the redheaded woman only expected things that were in the realm of possibility and could be achieved, if an extremely talented person, who had diligently honed their skills to the absolute maximum was tasked with them.
Where Shirel Kurzberg was competent, Audrey Bourgeois seemed to be absurd in her demands. She expected the impossible and was surprised and also vastly offended when it couldn’t be done.
The redhead almost felt bad for Chloé, but the way the blonde imitated her mother, expressing the same haughty demeanour and disinterest in others made his sympathy wither.
“She’s going to hate my hat for sure!” Marinette whimpered, looking down at the pink box in her arms.
“Don’t throw the towel just yet!” Nathaniel assured his classmate. She looked to him uncertainly. “Gabriel Agreste liked your design. Why shouldn’t she?”
Still, Marinette did not look convinced.
“Besides, you’re still learning. You’re allowed to not be perfect.” The redhead added. “It’s going to be fine!”
First Marinette nodded, then she jumped. “It won’t be fine if I’m late. I got to run!” She announced, hurrying towards a side-entrance of the building.
It was quite late already. Nathaniel usually didn’t arrive overly early, so the show would be starting soon. He, too hastened to get inside.
The seats of Mrs. Bustier’s class were in the front row. In all honestly, the redhead found it strange. Surely, these seats would be reserved for more important people.
Perhaps, Mr. Agreste wanted to offer the young generation an opportunity to learn, so he’d favoured them.
Marinette had even been allowed to bring her parents.
Falling into the seat next to Alix, the redhead swept his gaze over the crowded room. The catwalk was in the middle, surrounded by rows upon rows of seats, which were mostly full. A lot of photographers and journalists were running around everywhere and not too far, Nathaniel noticed Audrey Bourgeois again.
Actually, the haughty woman was coming right towards them.
“How dilapidated is this place? And I have to share the front row with a horde of brats? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” The blonde scoffed, taking the seat next to Alya.
“Sorry, but that seat is reserved for Marinette.” Alya pointed out politely.
“Do you know who my mother is? She’s Mrs. Style Queen, the most powerful woman in the world of fashion. This show is for her, so get lost!” Chloé bellowed, trying to dissuade Alya.
That moment, however, Nathalie Sancoer, Mr. Agrestes assistant arrived with Marinette in tow.
“Mrs. Bourgeois, Mr. Agreste has reserved a seat for you.” The dark-haired woman announced.
“Finally!” Audrey said, condescendingly.
“In the second row.” Mrs. Sancoer added evenly.
“What?” The fashion queen cried in outrage.
“My mother always sits in the front row.” Chloé informed with a pout on her face.
“This is unacceptable. Gabriel cannot do this to me. I am the one who discovered him. Without me, he would still be drawing his unworldly designs in his dismal grand studio.” Audrey Bourgeois ranted angrily.
However, Mr. Agreste’s assistant remained unperturbed by her fury. “I can offer your seat to somebody else if you don’t want it.” The woman replied stoically.
“How dare you? You’re fired!” Mrs. Bourgeois proclaims indignantly.
“I don’t work for you.” Nathaniel Sancoer responded calmly, though she seemed dismayed by the behaviour of the woman in front of her.
Unfortunately, Audrey Bourgeois’ attempt to get Mrs. Sancoer fired was unsuccessful and, declaring that she would not view a fashion show from the second row, the woman left, allowing Marinette to take her reserved seat.
“Good riddance.” Alix grumbled next to the redhead and he could only agree.
Soon after, the fashion show started and then Adrien appeared at the end of the catwalk. He was wearing a dark grey that was almost black, a suit with a black shirt, the suit-jacket open. The hat Marinette had designed made for an excellent finishing touch to the outfit.
Just when the blond model had walked to the end of the catwalk, a cloud of gold dust suddenly exploded in the middle of the catwalk.
Was this part of the show?
The surprise on Adrien’s face gave Nathaniel the impression that this had not been planned.
The cloud of gold cleared and revealed a woman, entirely covered in gold glitter. She sparkled and gleamed in the light. A strange sort-of crown was attached to her head. It reminded Nathaniel vaguely of the Statue of Liberty. Judging by her figure, the woman was most likely Audrey Bourgeois.
Obviously, the woman had been akumatized. They ought to have expected that. She’d been very angry, after all.
“A fashion show without the queen of style? Unacceptable!” The villainess declared. “Where is Gabriel Agreste? I demand that he kneels before me!”
“My father isn’t here!” Adrien stated and Nathaniel was impressed by his courage. Standing up to a villain like that was certainly brave.
“If he isn’t here, I just have to settle for Agreste Junior!” The golden woman shouted and readied an attack.
Suddenly Marinette was on her feet with incredible agility and speed jumped onto the catwalk, standing before Adrien to shield him from the blast of glitter the villainess shot at him from her staff. Upon impact, the pigtailed girl was turned into a statue of gold, glittering just like Style Queen.
“Marinette!” Tom Dupain-Cheng called out in horror, shooting up from his seat and stepping up to the catwalk. “Return my daughter to normal immediately!”
Style Queen scoffed and turned him into a gold statue, too.
That was the tipping point where mayhem broke loose. People scrambled up from their seats in hopes of escaping the new akumatized terror. They ran to the exits, some of them getting blasted on their way out.
Using the general chaos, Nathaniel found a secluded place and transformed into Mightylustrator.
Meanwhile, the villainess continued to target Adrien, who had managed evade her attacks so far, cowering behind a row of seats.
Luck seemed to be running out for the model when Mightylustrator arrived at the scene. Audrey Bourgeois had leapt onto the backrest of the seat and towered over the cowering model. Triumphantly, the villainess aimed her staff at the boy and the close-range blast of glitter surely would have reached Adrien, but Mightylustrator drew a shield in front of him at the last moment.
Just to be safe, the redhead drew a shield for himself, too. It wasn’t one of his usual transparent ones, though. No, this time he drew a round shield, like the one Captain America used, but he left it a plain silver. The shield was attached to his left arm.
“Hey, Style Queen. I think your get-up is boring!” Mightylustrator declared loudly, hoping to distract the woman from her current target. “It lacks contrast.”
“How dare you, you walking fashion heathen!” The woman cried in outrage as she whipped around to face the hero.
“You’re fired!” She shouted and blasted the redhead with her gold dust. The blow was stopped by Mightylustrator’s shield, which promptly started to glitter.
The most obvious place for the akuma was the staff. As Nathaniel recalled, the woman did not have anything similar with her earlier, so he wasn’t entirely sure, though.
Hoping to find out more about the villain’s abilities, Mightylustrator drew a large punching glove into existence, which went flying at the golden woman. It passed right through, hitting the wall.
Interesting. It seemed like the villainess wasn’t covered in glitter, she consisted entirely of glitter. Did that mean, the redhead could just cut off the hand that held the staff? That would make it easier to get his hands on the weapon.
The question was, where was Audrey Bourgeois’ spirit in her akumatized form? If it happened to be in the staff, then the rest of her body should crumple to the floor and her main body would regrow from the severed hand instead of merely regrowing the hand to the main body.
This was trickier than expected!
“You cannot defeat me!” Style Queen boasted, attempting to blast Mightylustrator again with the same results as before.
“We’ll see about that!” The hero commented, drawing a leaf-blower. “Let’s test how well that body of yours holds together!” He put the leaf blower onto full-power and aimed the blast at her.
Nothing happened. Style Queen stood firm. So, the glitter held together quite well, it seemed.
“A little wind won’t phase me!” The villainess proclaimed cockily. Then she knocked her staff onto the ground and she disappeared.
“You’re fired!” Style Queen’s voice rang from behind Mightylustrator. He’d forgotten she could do that teleportation thing.
Whipping his head around, the redhead was faced with the villainess’ staff pointing directly at his face, gold dust shooting towards him.
Out of the blue, the redhead was being yanked to the side by a string, wrapped around his waist. The golden blast misses him and he came to a stand right in front of Ladybug.
Beaming at Mightylustrator, the spotted hero said „Hey, there!“ and deflected another shot of gold with his spinning yoyo. He hadn‘t even taken his eyes off the artist hero.
„Hello.“ The redhead greeted awkwardly, remembering well their previous parting. Had he given the other hero false hope by admitting that he liked him?
It seemed like Style Queen did not appreciate being ignored, so she teleported once more to stand right next to them. This time, Mighylustrator deflected the following blow with his shield.
With the villainess this close, the redhead tried to hack at the staff with his shield. Instead of breaking, the staff let the metal pass through, just like it would pass through the rest of Style Queen‘s body. Ugh, the staff was made of glitter too! Where in the world was the akuma?
Was there anything solid on that woman?
Above Style Queen, Mightylustrator drew a net into existence. If there was anything on her that wasn’t made of glitter, it would catch.
As it materialized, the net began falling right through the villainess. At first, it seemed like it was catching on nothing, but then, as the net fell at her feet, there was something inside. A rose, golden and glittering as the rest of Style Queen’s body lay on the floor, entangled in the net. It must have been hidden somewhere within her body.
With an angry frown, the woman made to grab the rose, passing her glitter hand through the net, but the rose wouldn’t go through. It was solid.
“Jackpot!” Mightylustrator grinned and pulled the net towards him.
“No you don’t!” Style Queen bellowed, blasting her glitter at him again, but Ladybug protected him with his spinning yoyo.
Quickly erasing the net, the redhead stomped on the rose and it snapped.
“Noo!” The villainess wailed and she fell to her knees as the akuma emerged from the broken object.
Style Queen turned back to Audrey Bourgeois as Ladybug captured the akuma and purified it. Irritated, the woman looked around the room.
“What’s this mess? This fashion show is an absolute disaster!” Audrey complained disdainfully. Mightylustrator rolled his eyes. This lady certainly was unpleasant company.
That moment, the door to the room banged open. In the entrance stood Volpina, ready for action. Her gaze hopped around the room. She took note of Ladybug and Mightylustrator, then of Audrey on the ground.
“Seriously? I bothered coming all the way here and now you’re already done?” The fox heroine exclaimed in exasperation.
“It’s alright.” Mightylustrator gave his friend a sympathetic smile. “Thanks for coming anyways. I appreciate you wanting to help.”
“You obviously didn’t need my help.” The brunette pointed out disgruntled. “I’m out of here!” She turned on her heel and stomped off.
What was up with her? Wasn’t it a good thing that they had managed to defeat such a powerful villain so quickly? It meant the city was safe and sound, for now.
Confused, Mightylustrator shook his head and turned to Ladybug. “Can you fix everything now?” He asked kindly.
“Actually, I am not sure…” The ravenet admitted sheepishly. “I can only use that power if I summoned my Lucky Charm. This time we did not need my Lucky Charm, so I xont know if the Miraculous Ladybug will work.”
“Oh.” The redhead uttered in surprise. He hadn’t known there were limitations to Ladybug’s power.
“Sorry.” The spotted hero apologized, seeming contrite as he hunched his shoulders.
“Don’t worry about it!” Mightylustrator assured with a smile. “I can clean up the old-fashioned way.” He gave the other a wink. “At least I won’t be getting out of shape any time soon.”
Ladybug blushed crimson and gave a shy smile.
It wasn’t all that much work in the end. Since Style Queen hadn’t left the event venue, the chaos was rather limited. Mightylustrator just had to revert a few statues back into people, while Ladybug helped rearranging chairs that had been turned over. They were finished quickly.
“I’m very grateful for your help. Thank you for sticking around.” The redhead said to Ladybug as they stood together in front of the venue, ready to depart.
“Anytime! Whatever you’ll need, I will be there!” The other assured, a sweet smile on his lips.
That was quite the promise, Nathaniel thought, pretty romantic, too. He felt himself swoon a little on the inside. Then he immediately felt bad for it.
“Ladybug, there is something I should tell you.” The artist hero spoke up seriously.
“What is it?” Ladybug inquired worriedly, turning so they were facing each other.
“I know I said that I like you…” Mightylustrator began, finding himself avoiding eye-contact. “But despite that, there is never going to be anything between us.” He continued, feeling guilty at having to reject the kind, beautiful boy in front of him.
Brows drawn together in a sad frown, the ravenet waited for the other to continue. Hopefully, he wasn’t too disappointed.
“You see, I already have a boyfriend.” The artist explained after taking a moment to ground himself. “He means everything to me and I really want to be a loyal parter to him.” He said firmly.
“I understand.” Ladybug uttered after a moment, turning away from Mightylustrator, so the redhead couldn’t see his face anymore. “He must be very lucky to have you.” The spotted hero mused quietly.
“I don’t know about that.” The artist replied. Flirting with other people wasn’t exactly a good trait in a boyfriend.
“In any case,” Mightylustrator voiced after another moment. “I was hoping we could still be friends.”
At that, Ladybug turned to him again, a bright smile on his face. “Yes, of course!”
“That’s good. I’m glad!” The redhead sighed in relief and returned the smile.
“I’ll see you next time!” The spotted hero promised with a wave.
“Yeah, see you!” Mightylustrator waved back and then the other was swinging away.
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