Chapter Text
Viperion flinches as the akuma comes close to landing a blow on Ladybug. The superheroine deftly dodges it, crouches, and sweeps her leg across the ground, knocking the akuma off its feet. They both immediately jump back up and continue to spar aggressively.
Please don’t die again, you two, he thinks desperately, watching from afar as Cat Noir joins the battle.
…
“So how did we do?”
Luka looks down into Ladybug’s(Marinette’s) confident blue eyes.
Twenty times, Marinette, he wishes he could say. I watched you and Adrien die twenty times today. Every time I see Ladybug and Cat Noir, I see Marinette and Adrien instead. I’m so scared for you both.
At his silence, she wilts. “That bad?”
Luka takes a shaky breath. If only I had a therapy session for every time you die-
An epiphany strikes him.
“This battle…was kind of traumatic for me…” he says slowly. “Do you mind if I borrow the snake miraculous for a bit? I could use a few loops to calm down.”
Her eyes softens. “Of course, Luka. I trust you to get it back to me.”
He smiles back. “You’ll have it in a few minutes, Ma-Ladybug. Sass, scales slither!”
…
Viperion races across rooftops until he reaches the Couffaines’ houseboat. Activating his Second Chance, he jumps through a window into Juleka’s room below decks.
His twin startles and stares at him. “Viperion?” she asks quietly. “What are you doing here?”
“Jules,” Viperion says. “It’s me. Luka.”
Juleka gapes at him as he sits down next to her on his bed. “I only have five minutes to do this. I need your help,” he continues.
Juleka’s gaze hardens. “What is it?”
“I need your permission to use you for therapy.”
…
“What number loop is this?” Juleka asks.
“Eleventh.”
“Okay. What do you need to tell me?”
Viperion’s done this enough times for the truth to come out easily. “Marinette and Adrien are Ladybug and Cat Noir.”
She gasps.
“I’m worried for them, Jules. Especially Marinette…”
…
“…she seems so stressed because she's the guardian, and I think that’s why she tried to push us away before.”
“That would make sense. I could try to help her-“
“You aren’t going to remember this, Jules.”
“Oh. Well…”
…
“…how do you feel about kidnapping Adrien?”
“Jules, no. Just because you think he’s your cousin-“
“I told you about being Purple Tigress?”
“Yeah. Fifty-third loop. And just because Monsieur Agreste is a jerk doesn’t mean you can kidnap Adrien.”
“What about him and Marinette-“
…
“That’s the worst part of it all! They’re in love with each other and don’t realize it! I have to watch them dance around each other and hurt themselves over and over again!”
Juleka whistles lowly. “That’s…that’s a lot.”
…
By the hundredth loop, Viperion develops a routine.
Jump through the window and automatically go, “Jules, I’m Viperion but also Luka, Marinette’s Ladybug, Adrien’s Cat Noir, and I’m freaking out over all of it and need your help to calm down.”
Wait for Juleka’s shock to wear off(takes about a minute or so).
Rant about Marinette and Adrien and their stupid love dilemma and how much they scare him to his sister until his time runs out.
Reset the Second Chance.
Repeat.
He does it all one more time, and then leaves to return the miraculous to Ladybug.
…
By the time Luka returns to the houseboat, Anarka is bickering with Jagged again on deck, so he chooses to enter through a window. Unconsciously, he enters Juleka's room.
Juleka stares at him. “Luka?”
Without thinking, he blurts out, “Jules, I’m Viperion but also Luka, Marinette’s Ladybug, Adrien’s Cat Noir, and I’m…” He trails off as it dawns on him what he’s just done.
They both gape at each other at the same time.
“Shoot,” Luka breathes. He bolts out of the room and into his own. He slams the door closed and leans against it, panting.
“Marinette’s going to kill me.”
…
Later that night, Luka wakes up to hear people laughing and chatting in the living room. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, he slowly climbs out of bed and goes to see what the commotion’s all about.
What he finds stops him short.
Playing cards and enjoying themselves are Jagged, Penny, Anarka, Juleka, and…
“Adrien?”
The blond-haired boy looks up and smiles sheepishly. “Hey, Luka.”
“Ah, son!” Jagged booms excitedly, throwing an arm around Adrien’s shoulders. “Say hello to the newest member of the Couffaine family!”
Luka freezes, then slowly turns to his twin. “Juleka Couffaine.”
She gives him a devilish grin.