Chapter Text
She stares at the screen in front of her. A green orb like a shell-ter floats in front of the Eifel Tower and inside it a ring of different coloured balls, each with an animal associated to a miraculous on it.
She grabs her bag and runs, she may not be a hero yet. But if any moment requires her to act it is now. Hawk Moth can try and take down the people of Paris, try and knock the heroes down but they won't fall.
Not if Alix has anything to say about it.
She has been promised a future where she gets a part in ensuring the world stays safe, and she has no intention of letting that change. Time is wobbly and a single act can change it, though she will work for the future she knows.
The crowds of people in her way however as she tries to make her way to the Eifel Tower makes it near impossible to get through. Until she realises that the crowd is moving in the same direction as her, chanting and cheering as they go. What else can she do but join in? Showing the peoples strength and trust in the heroes is a good way to make Hawk Moth crumble.
"No more Hawk Moth!" She shouts, the crowd echoing this with their own statements. If Hawk Moth thinks we're going to cower and hide he's got another thing coming.
This is the future Bunnyx in the making, and nothing's going to stop her.
~~~~~~~
The first flaw in her plan however is the lack of a miraculous. Though surely one can work without one.
Instead perhaps she should offer her services to the heroes, someone to be their backup. Hawk Moth doesn’t know about her, who's to say she couldn’t act as the guy in the chair. She's going to know everything one day, perhaps the heroes would like to start using that now.
Contacting the heroes though will be a problem. Both Ladybug and Cat Noir will be very defensive at the moment, trying to navigate the new situation, the chances that she will be able to just approach them is pretty slim. So she'll have to find a way around that.
All of this while acting like any other civilian, otherwise that would set of suspicions and who knows how much Hawk Moth is watching.
~~~~~~~
"Honestly she had this coming. If I had my miraculous none of this would have happened. She such a disgrace to heroes, utterly disgraceful."
"Chloe, she tried her best and that’s what matters. Not what tricks Hawk Moth pulled to get the other miraculous." Alya states, venom in her eyes as she looks at Chloe, hand protectively on Marinette's shoulder despite Marinette not being the target of Chloe's remarks.
"How about we all just calm down, this is school after all. We can handle this after school, what do you say dudes?" Nino responds, as calmly as possible for such a tense situation though a pointed look is given in Alya's direction.
A clap at the front of the class draws everyone's attention.
"I know that everything going on right now is quite scary. However this is school and we still need to do work, so it would be best as Nino says, to save these conversations for after class."
Alya sits down with a huff as the class grabs their tablets out of their bags. Alix reaches into her bag, only to not find her tablet there. She pulls it up onto the table to look properly only to see that it's not there. I must have been too busy with the hero situation this morning.
She raises her hand, and is met with a nod from Miss Bustier.
"Miss, I don’t have my tablet, I think I left it at home."
"Oh, I see. Marinette if you wouldn’t mind could you go to the library and get a Alix a spare to borrow for today?" Miss Bustier asks sweetly.
"Of course Miss." Marinette rises out of her seat, a faint smile towards Miss Bustier that only made the bags under her eyes more evident as she walks out the door.
A loud bang from outside the classroom causes most of the students to fall out their chairs. They all take refuge under their desks, bar Adrien who gets up and shouts, "I left something in my locker I'll be right back" as he runs out the door.
A shout for the ladybug miraculous can be heard, alerting those remaining in the classroom that the noise was caused by an akuma. Alya jumps up and runs out the door phone in hand, just as Alix realises that is as good a chance as any to get in touch with the heroes so follows her out. Much to the protests of the teacher and classmates.
Alix has been around enough akumas to know that running into the danger is both a dangerous idea for her and a distraction for the heroes, unlike Alya who seems to have no fear as she tries to get the best camera angle. As Alix watches however, it becomes apparent that it's only an akuma, no sentimonster, no evidence of any other miraculous being used.
Despite that the heroes seem to be having problems. Ladybug is sluggish and slow, and the silent teamwork that usually exists between the two seems to be failing. Quite possibly due to not having to function as a duo in so long.
The villain, a repeat of Stormy Weather, has made an absolute mess of the street outside the school. A car stuck in the window of the Dupan-Cheng bakery, the worst of the damage.
Alix moves quickly into a nearby alley, a better angle of the fight while still remaining out of the way and safe. At least until she has to duck as a flying Ladybug comes her way. Ladybug lands on the ground behind her, she turns expecting to see Ladybug get back up immediately.
Yet, Ladybug doesn’t and instead moves into a tense sitting position, breathing fast and shallow. Glancing back out the alley Alix sees Cat Noir holding off Stormy Weather on his own and so she moves towards Ladybug, sits in front of her and grabs her hand.
"Can you breathe with me?"
"In."
"Out."
"You can do that can't you? Just focus on your breathing and nothing else around you."
Silence passes between the two, the only noise the sound of unnatural gusts of wind and lightning strikes.
"Thank you, Alix" Ladybug says as she pulls herself off the ground, "But I need to be going now, Cat Noir needs me."
Alix reaches for Ladybug's wrist, "He also needs you to be able to fight. Which I don’t think you can do right now. Wait a few minutes then go, you're important too."
Ladybug looks her in the eyes, mouth slightly agape, "You don't hate me?"
"Why would I hate you? You’ve done so much for us."
"But I messed up. I lost the miraculous to Hawk Moth of all people! I was deceived by a look-a-like of someone I care about! I lied to the holders! Put them in danger!" She wails, tears pooling under her eyes, "And I lied to Cat Noir! Pushed him away because I wanted to prove myself! Pushed him away because I wasn’t ready to accept the help I needed."
Alix takes Ladybug's hands and squeezes them, offering a simple smile.
"I shouldn't have told you any of that." Ladybug rambles eyes fanatically darting around the alley, "Can you pretend you didn’t hear anything?"
"So long as you get help from someone, and you talk to Cat Noir. He'll be there for you, I don’t think you could get rid of him if you tried." Alix says, turning her eyes back to the fight. "And if you need anything, an ear to listen or a spy, Bunnyx will be here, and I'm ready to help. I don’t think you should go back out there but I don’t exactly have a choice, just be careful."
Ladybug grabs her yoyo off her hip and throws herself back into the fight. It's definitely not the help she intended to be, but with Hawk Moth going around and calling himself 'Monarch' who knows what should be done. All she knows is that she needs to keep her eyes peeled.
There are things to figure out. Like what Monarch seeks and why he is yet to use another miraculous. As well as being an assistance to the team. Even if there is currently only two of them.
There's a future she wants to live to see, and she'll make it happen.
With or without the watch.