Work Text:
Things have been running quite smoothly in Anti-Paris since they managed to put together the council and get most of the Akumas roped in. Timebreaker still remembers the void and the infinite feeling of falling. She couldn’t skate or even really speak to her friends. Just stuck falling, forever. Then came their little Miracle which Timebreaker has to admit that they are a bit overprotective and possessive but can you blame them, none of them wanted to return to the void.
However, none of that matters as Timebreaker skates along the sidewalk; moving as fast as she can go. She hasn’t been tracking the time and her dumb brother left without her. So, now she’s running late to some random meeting that Lady Wifi had called.
There’s some irony in there somewhere; not that she has the time to look for it right now.
The Akuma smoothly jumps over a bench, giving a wave to Horrificator, before coming to a stop in front of the assigned meeting grounds: City Hall. Not the same as it is in Paris since this one only has a front lobby with one room down a very short hallway but it’s still a very important building here in Anti-Paris. The very first thing that appeared here after their little Miracle showed up.
Timebreaker wonders if she can paint the outside of it. Bubbler would totally let her do it. Lady Wifi would be annoyed at first before moving on to another, more important, topic. Forever the reporter she is. Always has to be up to date about everything. Someone has to be.
“You’re late.”
The Akuma looks over to see Evillustrator sitting on the first steps of City Hall. He looks up from his drawing pad with a smirk. It’s strange to see the artist chilling out here while Lady Wifi and Bubbler are inside. Normally, the trio are never far from one another. Though Evillustrator has been saying that he felt smothered lately by the council.
“I’m not that late – oh…” Timebreaker cut herself off when she pulls her pocket watch out. Sure enough, she’s about ten minutes behind. She laughs to herself while pocketing her watch once more. “You know Stoneheart takes at least fifteen minutes to get through his report.”
“He asks for the same thing every time. I don’t know why none of you have directed him my way.” Evillustrator just shakes his head and went to his drawing. “It’s not like it’s hard to make.”
“Who knows?” She knows. No one wants to be the one to tell him. “See ya around, Ev.”
When Timebreaker walks past, she took a moment to look down to see what Evillustrator had been working on. A clock town. ‘Ha, ha. Real funny, Ev.’ She picks the pace up and heads on inside.
…
The meeting had already begun but Timebreaker manages to take her normal seat next to Pharaoh just as she and Lady Wifi lock eyes. Their leader gives a look that says that they’ll be talking later before forcing back on Stoneheart.
There’s not a lot of headroom in here so Stoneheart is bent as he stands. “…And that’s my idea for a floating garden,” he said, finishing his speech aka giving another try at getting a garden. Everyone knows that kind of stuff has to go through Evillustrator (because he has to create) but hey she isn’t going to be the one to break it to Stoneheart.
Stoneheart takes his seat once more and shuffles his papers to put them back neatly.
“Thank you for that lovely report, Stoneheart,” Lady Wifi said as she takes a stand from her seat. “Now, I like to take a moment to talk about what this meeting is actually about.”
The Akuma held her phone out and slide an image off so it can sit on the table. A lousy drawing of Hawkmoth stares back at the group while evilly spinning, almost mocking them. Things happen very quickly after that.
Timebreaker grabs the table while her brother slams his chair back and it hits the floor with a loud bang.
A girlish scream came from Mr. Pigeon as a few of his pigeons tries to attack the fake Hawkmoth. Dark Cupid has an arrow nock with Rogercop whipping out his handcuffs like that’s going to do anything. Stoneheart smacked into the wall behind him, which now has to be repaired for the ninth time.
A small thunder cloud appeared in the room as Stormy Weather is spinning her umbrella around and glared at the drawing. Copycat had hissed and ducked under the table; knocking his head in the process.
Frankly, the only ones that aren’t freaking out are Bubbler and Lady Wifi. The two are lazily looking at one another and then turning their attention back on everyone else. They waited for everyone to be somewhat calmed before Lady Wifi continue.
“A few hours earlier, Hawkmoth managed to get in contact with me.” Lady Wifi turns her phone off, getting rid of the image. “He wants every Akuma to be ready to attack Paris when he figures out how to break through to here.”
“I must say,” Copycat rests his arms on the table while continuing to chew on the sugar stick, “Hawkmoth must be stupid to think we’ll work with him again.”
Slowly, the other Akumas came back to their seats. The pigeons thankfully settle back to eating the bread that Mr. Pigeon has given them at the start of every meeting.
Lady Wifi hums in agreement. “The reason I wanted to tell you guys because I know that a few of our newest members haven’t been treated as fairly by Hawkmoth like us.” Their leader motion to the group, making sure that they are okay.
“That’s why. If Hawkmoth does figure out how to break us free, we need to protect ourselves,” said Bubbler.
Normally, the party-loving Akuma always has something to say but Timebreaker barely notice him when she entered.
Pharaoh was about to say something when everything starts shaking. Timebreaker grabs her brother’s arm to keep her from falling. She barely notices Copycat and Mr. Pigeon going down again.
“What–?”
“Dark Blade! The Lord of Paris!”
Dark Cupid ran over to the window and move the curtain to see what’s going on. He frowns for a second before leaning back a bit to talk to them. “A new Akuma here. He seems to be a knight or a king? I don’t know but he’s trying to take over Anti-Paris.”
‘Again?’ and ‘seriously’ rings out in the room as everyone grabs their weapons. Dark Cupid is the only one to jump out the window and take off to deal with their newest addition.
Timebreaker skates out behind Pharaoh as her brother summons Horus to the fight.
…
“Well, that could’ve gone better.” Lady Wifi sighs as she took a seat. She set her phone on the table. “I mean at least they know about Hawkmoth.”
“Yep…”
“Are you paying attention?”
Lady Wifi scowls seeing Bubbler paying more attention to the fight outside than the problems in the room. She gets why since there’s a new Akuma but that shouldn’t matter. With the rate that Hawkmoth is going, there's going to be a new Akuma every week.
“Did he just grab Evillustrator!?” Bubbler shouts as he knocks his chair over.
Wifi spins her chair around. Dark Blade has a few knights around him that are fighting off a few of her Akumas. However, one knight stood out since it’s holding onto Evillustrator. The artist doesn’t even have his drawing pad with him. Now that was cause for concern.
“Oh no, he didn’t!”
…
Evillustrator rubbed at his wrist which are a little sore since he was tied up. Though no matter how much he says that he's fine, no one is listening to him. Bubbler has a hand on his shoulder while glaring darkly at Dark Blade, who’s going on house arrest thanks to Rogercop. Well, once Evillustrator draws up an apartment for the knight. So the Akuma has to bunk with Rogercop until further notice.
Dark Cupid is reading Dark Blade’s rights while Timebreaker glares darkly at the man. The others of the First Ten are hanging around but keeping a close eye on Dark Blade.
“You okay?” Bubbler asks, his hold tightening. “Dark Blade didn’t hurt you or anything.”
Evillustrator shrugs the Akuma’s hand off while stepping away. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He went over and picks up his sketchbook. A few of the pages are torn but thankfully it’s mostly covered in dust. He doesn’t know what would happen if it was destroyed.
“Just making sure, Ev. We–” Bubbler cut himself off from the glare that Evillustrator gives him. He sighs and decided to finish what he was saying anyways. “We can’t afford to lose you that all.”
“I know, I know…”
Evillustrator was the one to make this world for them. The land they walk on, the homes they live in, everything was drawn by Evillustrator. So if anything does happen to the Akuma then they’ll be back in the void and falling forever. None of them want to do that again. He remembers how each of time spoke of their time in the void, always quiet and when none of the others are around. Sadly, none of them noticed the distance that had been building between the group and Evillustrator.
Bubbler watches the Akuma leave before turning his attention back to the chaos instead of their own downfall.