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“So, you're sure this portal is the correct one?”
Chronobug asked with mild scepticism, glancing toward Bunnyx, who gave a weak smile and pointed at the strange, glowing time window.
“I’m, like, 50% sure… I don’t know. It’s my first time dealing with the complete collapse and rebuilding of time.”
Chronobug rolled her eyes and sighed. “I don’t hear you coming up with any better ideas.” She turned away quickly to hide the faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
“Fine,” she muttered. “Let’s just see what’s waiting for us. Hopefully not fire and brimstone.” She stepped through the portal with Bunnyx close behind.
The pair emerged onto a seemingly normal Paris rooftop.
“Well, everything seems normal,” Bunnyx said, looking around and taking a deep breath. “Yep. Smells like the Paris I remember.”
Chronobug raised an eyebrow. “The Burrow has clearly messed you up.” Her dry remark brought a smile to Bunnyx’s face.
“Nah, I was messed up long before I became the hero of time,” Bunnyx countered with a cheeky grin. Both burst into laughter.
“Well,” Bunnyx said, calming down, “I think it’s time I get you home, Chronobug. It’s been a long night.”
Before they could act, the sound of footsteps drew their attention. Two heroes appeared, rushing toward them. Leading them was Scarabella, flanked by an unfamiliar fox-themed hero.
Both Bunnyx and Chronobug froze, taking in the sight of the new fox hero. The sleek orange jumpsuit paired with a white hoodie, fox-tail accents, and large orange ears on the hood made for a striking appearance. Blue-black tufts of hair peeked out, and the hero’s stunning purple eyes gleamed behind their orange-and-white domino mask.
The fox hero leaned into Scarabella and said, “Those are the strangest Akumas I’ve ever seen, Scarabella.”
Scarabella studied the newcomers, hesitating before replying, “I don’t think they’re Akumas, Húsh. Don’t you think the yellow one looks kinda like…” She trailed off, unwilling to finish her thought aloud.
“What, that the yellow one looks just like me?” Húsh declared loudly. Scarabella sighed.
“It’s a good thing you’re cute because you can be such an adorable airhead sometimes,” Scarabella muttered, making Húsh’s ears twitch in confusion.
While this whole conversation has been going on both Bunnyx and Chronobug have been standing there trying to figure out what had gone wrong.
Bunnyx stepped forward, interrupting. “This may sound a bit weird, but we’re heroes from another dimension.”
Scarabella and Húsh exchanged glances, nodding. Húsh responded, “That’s not weird. We’ve dealt with much stranger things. Like that time we fought an army of Adrien clones. Good thing the real one was Chat Noir, or he’d have been banished with the rest of them.” She laughed, but Chronobug froze, eyes widening in shock.
“Wait. Adrien is Chat Noir?”
Húsh blinked. “Really? Me and Alya figured that out ages ago. Alya knew since she defeated Stoneheart. After I… well, failed epically.” She delivered the revelation casually, but for Chronobug, it was life-altering.
“If Adrien is Chat, then… oh my god…” Chronobug’s voice dropped to inaudible mumbling as she processed.
Meanwhile, Húsh turned to Bunnyx. “But you know what’s weird for me? Seeing me with the Ladybug Miraculous. I only used it once, before my injury.” She gave a sad smile. Scarabella squeezed her hand and whispered something that made her smile.
Bunnyx meanwhile just takes in Húsh’s comment as she starts to work everything out.
Bunnyx picked up on the tone and asked gently, “If it’s not too much to ask, what happened during the first battle with Stoneheart?”
Húsh’s expression darkened. “During the battle, Stoneheart grabbed me. I didn’t realize how hard he was squeezing until after it was over. The magic had been masking the pain.”
Both Bunnyx and Chronobug wince at the thought of Stoneheart’s grip.
“It was only after the battle… as I was trying to leave that the magic stopped hiding the pain.”
Húsh looks small in front of the other heroes as she sinks further into recalling the pain she felt as she lay there on the sports field.
Scarabella takes charge of the story, “Luckily I was still there on the field to help Ladybug…”
Scarabella lingers on that name for a few seconds before continuing,
“Long story short, I became the new hero, Marinette was sent to the hospital as a victim of Stoneheart’s first rampage and only I and Chat Noir ever got to meet the hero known as Ladybug.”
But then Húsh comes back into the conversation, “But then a while later a new hero joins the duo…”
Húsh does a little gesture, as Scarabella smiles sweetly at the cutesy fox hero.
“Then another and another and another… the team is like one big family, but that’s a story for another time.” Húsh said as Bunnyx seems to have finished working it all out in her head,
Bunnyx nodded thoughtfully. “Oh, this is an alternate future. Phew. For a second, I thought we’d failed.” She relaxed while Chronobug still looked confused.
“I’ll explain later…” Bunnyx said as her words were drowned out by the sound of more footsteps on the rooftops,
“The others are finally here!” Húsh cheerfully said out loud.
The sight before Chronobug and Bunnyx was once again a strange one, faces they could recognize but with colours that were unfamiliar.
Bunnyx leaned by Chronobug’s ear, “Is that Max with the Pig Miraculous?”
Taking in the sight of the normally natural colour wearing genius, now dressed like an 80’s pop icon.
Chronobug nods as takes in the sight of Juleka with the Mouse and Rose with the Ox, loving holding hands,
“Wow, I guess it is one of those universal constants for those two to be together.”
Chronobug still found the strange juxtaposition to be oddly charming for the pair. But both were left speechless at the final sight before them.
The holders of the Bee and the Bunny were switched,
“Chloé has my Miraculous! And I have her’s?”
Bunnyx cried out, as Chronobug did the best she could to stop her small partner from doing something she might regret.
“Scara, we all got worried when you didn’t check in at the meeting point?” Said the Bunny hero with actual concern in her tone, something that confused both Bunnyx and Chronobug greatly,
“Sorry to have concerned you Reine Lapin, but as you can see we got caught up in what you can see before you.”
Scarabella points towards Bunnyx and Chronobug with a soft smile.
“Oh it’s that day already, I’m deeply sorry my dear Scara…” Reine Lapin said with a pure and apologetic tone,
“I was so caught up enjoying my cute little Beix, that I forgot to inform you about the Space time distortion, hehe”
Reine giggled as she ruffled one of her ears, while the Bee hero next to her visibly rolled her eyes.
“Why do I work with so many airheads?” Scarabella mutters to herself, as Beix quickly comments,
“Sorry I took Reine on my morning run, guess her mind was elsewhere.”
Beix said with a smirk, as Reine seemed to be staring hard at Beix’s abs while visibly drooling.
“Wait… No… No…” Bunnyx seems broken as she kept repeating the same word over and over with increasing fury.
“Is your cute little bunny okay?” Reine asked Chronobug, once again the look of pure innocent concern had Chronobug deeply conflicted.
“Ummmm, I have no clue.” Chronobug answered honestly as the warm glow of Reine Lupin made her feel safe… her mind did a double take.
“Well you two are invited to join us at the hotel, me and Beix are celebrating our 6-month anniversary.”
The smile on both Reine and Beix’s face were both sickeningly sweet and were the final straw in breaking Bunnyx’s sanity
“That’s it… we are leaving now…” Bunnyx gives no time for anyone to think, as she opens a portal and drags Chronobug into it, all within a matter of seconds.
“Oh that’s a shame… we would have told them who Chrysalis was over tea…”
Reine said with a sad pout, Beix quickly grabbed both of their hands,
“Don’t worry my sweet little snowdrop… just means more sweets for us.”
This gets a smile and a giggle from Reine, “Wow those two really are sickeningly sweet…”
Húsh said with a Cheshire smile, but Beix quickly counters back with,
“Said the one who used their powers to create an illusion of yours and Scarabella’s future wedding…”
Beix fires back, as the Húsh goes a very flustered red as she sinks into Scarabella’s arms.
Both Reine and Scarabella lightly tap their partners on the head,
“Play nice… you pair.” Scarabella said while Reine nodded,
“Come everyone, let's have some tea in my room… we don’t want to attract any supervillains on our anniversary.”
All the heroes agreed with Reine's suggestion and started to head towards the hotel.
“I wonder where that strange duo disappeared too?” said Húsh to the void of the rooftop, before she rushed off in the direction of Scarabella.
Meanwhile in the Burrow, “Let’s agree to never mention what we saw to anyone…” Bunnyx bluntly said to Chronobug,
“Agreed… but she was right, Beix’s abs were divine.”
Bunnyx gave Chronobug the death stare,
“Guess this will be the end of Ladybug after all.” Bunnyx said as Chronobug started to run away,
“You’re not swinging your way out of this one, Marinette!”