Chapter Text
Aphelios always hated substitute teachers. It was just another person he had to explain his muteness to, and they usually were skeptical. He had come a little late to class, having helped out moving band equipment to the auditorium for the school bands performance that night, so he didn’t have time to explain himself before class started.
“What’s the derivative of e^2x?” The sub asked.
2e^2x, Aphelios thought.
“You, in the back with the dark hair,” the sub said, pointing at Aphelios.
Panic jolted in him. Aphelios hated being randomly called on to answer questions. Who didn’t really. But then he would have to type out an answer, he much preferred when teachers only called on him when he actually had his hand raised and had an answer pre typed out on his text to speech app.
Aphelios grabbed his phone and turned it on, but before he could even open the app the teacher snatched his phone from his hands.
“You can’t look up the answer, honestly, kids these days.”
“Sir, he’s mute,” Alune said. “Give him his phone back, he’ll type out the answer.”
“Mute? I’ve heard a lot of excuses in my day but mute?” he chuckled. “That’s a new one.”
Alune was seething with rage, gripping her pen tight in her hand. “Unless you know sign, give him his phone back.”
Aphelios signed something quick at Alune along the lines of “I’m ok, you don’t need to do this,” but she was too absorbed in the teacher to notice.”
“He doesn’t look mute. He’s obviously faking to get easy grades in school.”
A little purple butterfly flew in through the open window and landed on Alune’s pen. “I’ll show you, I’ll make you listen. I’ll make them all listen.”
Purple smoke consumed Alune and Silencer emerged as the smoke cleared. She zapped the substitute teacher with her pen turned microphone and as his scream dissolved. He moved his mouth as if to say words but nothing came out. The rest of the class was already running for the door and Silencer followed, zapping people with her microphone.
Ezreal was among the people running from the class, but luckily not one of the ones hit by Silencer.
He managed to slip into the bathroom as people ran for the exit. The bathroom was blissfully empty.
“Tikki, spots on!”
It was always so freeing transforming into Ladybug. Ladybug didn’t have to think about getting his songs to the top of the charts. Ladybug didn’t have to think about every interaction wondering what someone wanted from him. Ladybug was a hero.
Ezreal ran through the halls, trying to catch sight of Silencer. On the way he ran into Cat Noir.
“Hey kitty, so nice of you to drop in! Are you here for me or the Akuma?”
Cat Noir rolled his eyes. “The job, Insect. I’m here for the job.”
“I think the Akuma is in her microphone.”
“And what gave you that brilliant idea?”
Ezreal blanched. He couldn’t exactly admit he’d seen the Akumatization happen, then Cat Noir would know that he was in Alune’s math class. “It’s what she’s zapping people with.”
“No shit Sherlock, of course her Akuma is in her microphone.”
Ezreal blushed. Good to know he and Cat Noir were on the same page.
They finally caught up to Silencer, at the front of the school zapping people as they tried to flee. Usually by now there’d be screams and chaos. There was certainly chaos, but without the screams of terror this time.
“Silencer!” Ladybug said, trying to keep the villain’s attention away from the civilians. “Why don’t you pick on someone who can actually fight back?”
Silencer scowled. “You most of all Ladybug should shut your mouth.” Silencer shot bolts of energy at Ladybug who expertly dodged away.
“I’ll distract her Kitty, you get the microphone,” Ezreal said.
Cat Noir just nodded and started sneaking around to get behind Silencer.
“You don’t listen! No one ever does!” Silencer yelled, shooting more frantically at Ladybug.
“I’m all ears now Silencer,” Ladybug said.
“Catacly—” Cat Noir jumped out of the shadows, lunging for the microphone when Silencer turned her microphone on him. If he couldn’t say cataclysm then he couldn’t use his power. How were they going to get the Acuma now?
“You talk too much! Now I’ll take your Miraculous and Ladybugs and no one will be able to stop me!”
“Fuck,” Ezreal muttered.
As people ran (not screaming) from Silencer Ezreal saw someone running towards them. It was Aphelios, Alune’s sister. He was waving his hands in the air as if to get Silencers attention, but she was far too focused on trying to grab Cat Noir, who was putting up a good fight, but even he—as beautiful and dreamy as he was—wouldn’t be able to hold his own against an akumatized villain for long. But Ezreal couldn’t let this civilian get hurt.
Ezreal swung over with his yo-yo, landing next to Aphelios.
“You can’t be here, this is a hero only zone.”
Aphelios made some rapid movements with his hands. Sign language.
Aphelios quickly stopped signing and took out his phone, typing a message out and pressing play on the text to speech app on his phone.
“This is all my fault. I have to talk her down.”
Ladybug glanced back at Silencer and Cat Noir, still locked in battle.
“Lucky charm!” Ezreal shouted. A Bluetooth speaker fell into his waiting hands. Perfect! With this they could make even Silencer listen.
Ezreal handed the speaker to Aphelios, who quickly got it connected.
“Hey Silencer,” Ezreal shouted. “We have a message we think you should hear!”
Silencer finally turned and saw Aphelios who then pressed play on his message.
“Alune, reject the Akuma, this isn’t you.”
“But I’m doing this for you! They don’t know what it’s like and they don’t even try to understand!”
Now that Aphelios had Alunes attention he switched to sign language.
“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. I don’t want you to hurt people for my sake,” Aphelios sighed.
“But. . . But how else will they understand?”
“With words. . . Or signs, not violence.”
Silencer seemed to deflate. “You’re right, I’m sorry brother. I reject your power! Get out of my head!”
Purple fog surrounded Silencer for a moment as she fell to her knees, and then the Akuma flew away.
“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ezreal shouted, throwing the speaker in the air as magic ladybugs flew around restoring everyone’s voices.
Aphelios rushed forward and hugged Alune.
“I’m so sorry Phel,” Alune said.
“It’s ok Alune. I know you’re just looking out for me. But really, I don’t need you to fight for me. I can handle myself,” Aphelios signed.
“You’re right Phel. Of course you’re right.” She turned towards the heros. “Thank you Ladybug and Cat Noir.”
“Of course, we’re always here to help,” Ezreal said.
Aphelios smiled at the two heros and signed “thank you” as he helped his sister back inside.
“I’d say that was a job well done wouldn’t you Kitty?” Ezreal said.
“I mean, we weren’t really the ones doing the saving.”
Ezreal frowned. “Yeah I guess. . . Do you know them? The one that got Akumatized and her brother?”
“Why? Still trying to find out who I am?” Cat Noir asked.
“No, no, not that. I just. . . It seems hard, you know, to not be able to talk.”
Cat Noir shrugged. “Everyone has to deal with the hand they’re dealt. I bet your life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows outside of being a hero.”
Ezreal shrinks in on himself, because, well, his life is pretty perfect. What kid wouldn’t wish to be a famous pop star? But. . . “I guess you’re right, anyway, I’ll see you around Kitty,” Ezreal says.
“See you around.”
After Ladybug zipped away, about to de-transform (honestly he always cut it way too close) Cat Noir found a secluded ally to de-transform in.
Back to being regular old Kayn.
The first thing he did was send a text to Aphelios. “Heard what happened, hope you and your sis are alright.”
“Lunes tired but she’ll be ok. Hey, at least your chronic habit of skipping school keeps you safe from Akumas :P”
Kayn rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Hey is symph still performing tonight after all that?”
“Dunno y?”
“Was gonna come listen, but if you don’t want me to…”
“No come! It’ll be a miracle to see you anywhere that’s not in a practice room.”
“Now you’re making me not want to come.”
“No! K please! Come!”
Kayn smiled and turned off his phone. It pinged again from inside his pocket but he liked leaving his friend hanging. Phel would be fine, and if Phel was fine then Lunie would be fine. Those two would be fine as long as they had each other.
“I can’t believe you got hit by Silencer!” Plagg said from inside Kayn’s jacket pocket.
“Fighting my best friend’s sister threw me off a bit on,” Kayn said.
“Yeah, your only friend’s sister.”
“Shut up Plagg. I just. . . I wish I could have done something to stop her from being Akumatized in the first place.”
“The only remedy for that is to get Hawkmawths miraculous.”
“You’re right Plagg. I just have to find out who he really is and stop all of this.”
***
In the hidden basement of Kinku Enterprises Hawkmoth cursed. “I almost had them! If only Silencer had hit Ladybug he wouldn’t have been able to use her lucky charm!”
Zed de-transformed and returned to work.