Chapter Text
So, Juleka was a big girl. As such, she was able to admit when she was getting her ass kicked.
“Die, hero scum!” The akuma, a short, red, green, and orange striped woman named Dimensia, was shooting multi-colored beams at both her and Ladybug as they battled it out in the courtyard of François Dupont. She looked like a tiny technicolor Medusa, as her hair was moving back and forth like snakes made of fiber optic cables. It was changing colors in waves as it moved.
“Once this is over, see if your lucky charm will give you some duct tape,” Panthera Noire called out.
“What for?” Ladybug asked as she flipped out of the way of a blast. The tree that was hit disappeared in a flash of light.
“I’m gonna duct tape Chloé to the fucking ceiling!” Panthera yelled. She ducked a blast that made a shrub vanish.
“Panthera, no!” Ladybug said.
“Panthera, yes!” Panthera countered. “Seriously! This whole thing is her fault! Look, I’m not greedy. You can help! Hell, I’ll let you do her mouth!”
Ladybug paused. “How did you know that? About Chloé?”
Panthera froze as she realized her slip. “Um, erm, well… Hey, look! The akuma made Adrien’s clothes disappear?”
Ladybug’s head whipped around to look.
‘Oh, thank God,’ Juleka thought. ‘Emergency Plan Naked Adrien worked.’
Juleka’s smile vanished as she realized Dimensia was also taking advantage of the distraction. She had her sights set on Ladybug.
“Well now!” Dimensia cried out as she lunged forward and caught Ladybug by the throat.
“Panthera!” Ladybug screamed. She tried to pry herself free, but the akuma’s grip was like iron. “Get… Get her…”
“Nope!” Dimensia said. She pointed at a support column for the school and fired a blast. It disappeared in a flash of light.
Panthera charged and put her staff where the column had been. The kids looking over the balcony above cried out in terror.
“Save the kids!” Ladybug cried.
Panthera watched as Dimensia slammed Ladybug against a pillar. “Give me your miraculous!” She growled.
“Never!” Ladybug said.
Dimensia slapped her. Hard.
The smack could be heard across the courtyard. Panthera’s stomach turned as she remembered how strong an akuma could get.
“Give it to me!” Dimensia said again.
She slapped Ladybug again, this time backhanded.
“I’m coming!” Panthera said, still holding up the balcony. “Hold on!”
“Save the kids, first!” Ladybug yelled. She punched and clawed at Dimensia, who proceeded to hit her again. And again. And again.
Panthera looked up at the balcony and roared, “MOVE YOUR ASSES!”
The kids on the balcony snapped out of their fear paralysis and started running. Panthera waited until they were all gone before she let the balcony fall. She didn’t waste a second as she charged for the akuma and her partner, whose face was now a purple mess.
Dimensia threw Ladybug against a wall and took aim.
“Bye bye, little nuisance,” the akuma sneered.
“Partner!” Juleka screamed.
She dove in front of the blast.
***
Let’s back up a bit.
So, from what both girls could gather, the source of all this drama was, as per usual, Chloé.
Chloé had been bullying Mylène throughout the morning. Again. This time, as per the akuma’s special abilities and appearance, it was about her hair.
“Seriously, you look like you haven’t washed that in months,” Chloé said with a sneer. They were on transition, and Ms. Bustier had ducked back to her office for some copies, a quick refill on her cocoa, and to answer a text. Apparently, her date for the evening was having second thoughts, but of course, this was only after she had made reservations at LaDonna’s.
Some things are a constant no matter the dimension.
“Stop it, Chloé!” Marinette snapped.
“Not cool, dude,” Nino agreed.
“Seriously, Chloé.” Adrien said. He put a hand on her shoulder. “This is a bit far, don’t you think?”
“Hey, back off, Chloé.” Ivan stood up for Mylène, as in physically stood up in class, and positioned himself between Mylène and the blonde. “There’s nothing wrong with her hair. I think it looks really nice.”
Mylène looked up at him and blushed. “Ivan,” she murmured.
“Please,” Chloé scoffed. “She looks like a rat curled up and died right on her head.” Chloé leaned to the side to make eye contact with Mylène. “If I looked like you? I’d wish for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I’d wish to get sucked into another dimension. One where your head looks good if it’s covered in garbage.”
“That’s enough,” Ivan growled. He took a step forward and glared down at Chloé. “You’re not gonna bully her anymore.”
Chloé glanced up at him. “Or what?”
“I don’t like being mean,” Ivan said. “But I’m not gonna let you do this.”
Chloé finally registered the look on Ivan’s face. She also noticed his proximity, and that he was very, very big. “Oh, um, well. Fine. Whatever.” She shooed him away. “Just go back to your seat with your little girlfriend. I don’t need Ms. Bustier getting on me when she comes in. Honestly, you’re both ridiculous!”
Ivan turned to comfort Mylène, but she was already gone.
“Mylène?” Ivan called. He saw the door to the classroom closing.
“Shit,” Marinette and Juleka both swore under their breaths.
Marinette immediately slipped out to try to catch Mylène, and failing that, to head to the restroom for a quick change.
Juleka watched her go and counted to ten before she moved to stand up. She stopped when a hand gently fell on her own.
“Hey,” Rose asked. “You okay, Jules?”
Juleka looked down at Rose and turned beet red from the physical contact. “Pretty. Um, I mean, Pretty good. I’m pretty good. Um, how are you?”
Rose squeezed her hand and looked at her with concern in her eyes. “You’ve got that look again. The one you get whenever…” Rose glanced to the door. “Whenever things happen.”
“No, I don’t,” Juleka said, still red. “Um, I just have to, um, I have to go. That’s all.” She offered a nervous grin. “Be right back?”
Rose smiled at her, but her eyes were still laced with worry. “Please come back soon.” She squeezed Juleka’s hand again before letting her go. She watched as Juleka bolted out of the room.
“Huh,” Alix said. “I swear, every time Marinette takes off, Juleka follows right after. I wonder what those two are up to?”
"Those two?" Rose asked. "What do... You..."
Rose stared at the door as Alix’s comments washed over her.
She thought of all the times they had disappeared together.
She thought of how supportive Juleka was towards Marinette as of late.
She thought about how red Juleka was just now.
Rose’s eyes went wide.
‘Oh,’ she thought.
She stared at the door and then at Marinette’s seat.
‘That…’
Rose frowned.
‘That BITCH.’
***
I think we’re caught up, now.
Juleka screamed as the beam hit her square in the chest. She blinked, and there was a flash of light. Of all the lights, to be more accurate. She found herself being flung through a multicolored, weightless void.
“I’m gonna be sick,” Panthera said as she tumbled through null space. She yelped as something red flew by her at high speed, but then forgot about it as she saw that she was tumbling towards a bright white oval.
“SHIIIIIIIIIIII…!” Was all she got out before falling through and landing… On the roof of the school?
Panthera sat up, dazed. She looked around to confirm that yes, she was on the roof. There was the picnic table, the utility door, someone who looked like Rose dressed as a dominatrix, some pigeons…
Wait.
Back up.
What were pigeons doing there?!
Okay, okay, you’re right. That’s not what got her attention.
“Who…” Juleka asked. Her head was groggy, but she was quickly coming to. In front of her was a platinum blonde girl about Rose’s height, wearing tall black boots, an extremely scandalous leather one-piece that was zipped slightly too low, shiny gloves, and who looked... Um... Hot.
“Oh snap,” Juleka whispered. She felt something running out her nose. She wiped at it to see that it was blood.
“GAAAH!” The other cat girl cried out. She grabbed her staff and twirled it into a defensive position. “Who are you? What did you do with Ju… I mean, with Dame de Sang?”
Juleka blinked. “Dame de Sang? That’s… Damn. That’s a badass name.” She got to her feet and dusted herself off.
“Answer me, stranger!” The cat girl yelled. “So help me, if you’ve hurt her, I’ll tear you limb from limb!”
“Woah!” Juleka put her hands up in front of her. “Calm down, kitty cat. I didn’t do anything to anyone. I just…” She looked around. “Okay, honestly? I’m not sure what just happened.”
“Explain,” the cat girl growled.
Juleka shrugged. “I mean, one minute, I was fighting an akuma with Ladybug, and the next, I got hit with this strange light and, well, yeah. That’s about all I remember.”
“Ladybug?” The cat girl asked, confused. She lowered her staff and looked at the newcomer. “You… You look like a punk Chat Noir.”
Juleka blinked. “And you look like a dominatrix cat woman.” She frantically looked towards the door. “Partner! I have to go! I need to help with the akuma!”
“Like, the chemistry teacher?” The cat girl asked. “Um, we already defeated her.”
“No, I meant Mylène!” Juleka half yelled. “She was slapping the crap out of my partner, and not in the fun way!”
The cat girl blushed and hugged herself. “You said it before I could.”
“Ugh!” Juleka said. She started running for the courtyard. The cat girl followed as Panthera leapt over the rooftop and landed in the middle of the yard, only to see a nice, ordinary, if not boring, landscape job.
“Where did they go?” Juleka asked, confused.
“More to the point, where’s my Ladybug?” The cat girl asked as she looked at Panthera.
Juleka looked back to her. “So, okay. I think…" She looked over at the cat girl again. "I’ve read enough comics to figure out what’s probably happened, but first, tell me what you saw.”
“Well,” the cat girl said, thinking about it. “We had just defeated Romantica and we were, um, celebrating together," The cat girl coughed a little. "When she was ripped out of my arms and into a portal. A second later, you showed up.”
Juleka eyed her. “Celebrating?”
The cat girl blushed and unconsciously zipped the front of her outfit up a smidge.
Juleka shook her head. “Never mind. Okay, so we were fighting someone called Dimensia. Everything she shot was disappearing.”
Rose nodded. “Okay. Well, let me think.” She thought back to the questions Queen Bee and Marinette had asked during the fight with Romantica. “What caused the akumatization? Did you see?”
“Oh yeah,” Juleka said. “Chloé was being a total bitch to Mylène about her hair. She even told her she’d be better off if she fell into… Another… DimensionnnnssSHIT!” She looked to the cat girl. “This isn’t my dimension.”
“Huh,” the cat girl said. “Honestly, I know I should be freaking out more, but that's not the weirdest thing that's happened here today. So, why did Dame de Sang get yanked away? And how do I get her back?”
Juleka shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe, maybe we traded places?”
The cat girl blinked. “But why would you…” She looked at Panthera Noire closely. She saw the hair, the look on her face. She saw the curve of her jaw.
Rose stared at Panthera in shock. She whispered, “Jules?”
Panthera looked to her. “Um… Beg pardon?”
The cat girl put her hands to her mouth. “OHMYGOD. Okay. Okay, I think… Okay. Plagg, claws in.”
There was a flash of green light. Panthera almost fell over at the sight of a slightly older Rose staring at her in concern.
“Holy shit,” Juleka said. “Um, yeah. Okay. I guess we're doing this? Um, wow. Plagg, claws in.”
A flash of light later, and Juleka was standing across from her.
“Oh Jules,” Rose said, tearing up. She stumbled forward and embraced the surprised goth. “You’re, um, shorter? Like, you’re still tall, but not as tall?”
“Hey,” Juleka said, “You, um, you okay?” She did her best attempt at hugging her back without overloading her senses.
“It’s you,” Rose said, holding her close. “It even smells like you!” She pulled back slightly.
“Hey,” Juleka said, slightly embarrassed. ‘She’s so close oh my God she feels nice what is happening?’ Juleka thought, her brain spiraling into a gay panic. “So, we should probably talk to someone who…”
She was cut off by Rose cupping her face and kissing her.
‘ASDLFJHSFHASFLLHASFLHSD!’ Jukela thought.
“WOAH!” Juleka said, her face purple. She gently pushed Rose away. “Um, wait a second! I, um, woah. Wow.”
Rose blinked in confusion. “Sorry? I… Oh Gosh, you’re, I guess… Sorry, that wasn't fair, was it? I just got caught up. Are we not together in your, um, world?”
Juleka, still beet red, shook her head. “Um, no? I mean, Not that I, um, I wouldn’t mind, but uh, no.” She hugged herself. “I don’t think you’re, um, interested. In me. In my world.”
Rose stared at her. “Well, that’s some bullshit,” she said. “You’re awesome! And smart! And you’re hot! Why wouldn’t I be into you?”
Juleka blinked. “Really?”
Rose beamed. “Really.”
As they spoke, the two Plaggs floated to one another.
“Sup,” Plagg said.
“Sup,” the other Plagg greeted back. “So, like, this is familiar. Are you the one that had Selene for a kitten?”
The other Plagg let out a relieved sigh. “1687, baby! Oh, thank God. I was hoping it was you. Okay.” They turned to the two girls. “So, yeah. We’ve been through this before. Couple times, actually.”
“Okay,” Rose said. “Well, how did you fix it?”
Both Plaggs shrugged. “I dunno,” one of them said. “Tikki usually just fixed it for us.”
“Who’s Tikki?” Rose asked, confused.
The Plaggs stared. “Um, Ladybug’s kwami?” One of them said.
Juleka groaned. “Ladybug? As in, the me that was just yeeted out of here?”
“…Shit.” both Plaggs said.