Chapter Text
Ladybug could admit that she was in a bad position. The Akuma's large tail was wrapped around her squeezing hard enough that even transformed as she was she was starting to find it hard to breathe. Suddenly, the black leather costume and messy purple hair of Chat Noir basically materialized by her side, as it always did when she was in trouble. To Ladybug's shock, Chat Noir opened wide and chomped her catlike fangs into the snakelike tail that was gripping her. The vaguely lamia-like Akuma reared back in pain, letting Ladybug loose, and the two Superheroes leapt back to get some space.
"Thanks, Chat," Ladybug said, in genuine appreciation. Then her dark-complexioned face split in a grin and mirth danced in the brown eyes hidden behind her red-and-black mask. "Did you just bite the Akuma?"
Chat Noir, for her part, had a disgusted look on her face. "Yeah. Yeah I did. I can't believe I bit the Akuma. I blame Plagg."
A third Superhero, a young man in red and white tights, a white jacket with a hood, and a plain mask that covered his whole face but did nothing to hide his platinum blond hair, dropped between the other two, a Baseball bat with vaguely runic markings on it slung over his shoulder. "You always blame Plagg for your weirdness," Cardinal said with a clearly heard grin. "Frankly, I don't buy it. We've both seen what you're like outside the mask, remember."
Ladybug chuckled as her partner's face started to turn a bit red (not to the point of nearly-passed-out-there, but definitely enough to show she was miffed) before taking charge like a good team leader. "Okay, guys, I think this is about as close to a safe zone as we're gonna get. Time to do our usual thing." She pointed at the Akuma and announced, "Attack plan Alpha!"
"Oh, come on, there is no Attack plan Alpha," Cardinal grumbled even as he and Chat dashed forward, him pulling up his hood and her unsheathing her claws as they activated their "Quicktime!" and "Cataclysm!" respectively. With a gold flash, Cardinal jumped the several yards between himself and his opponent, where he swung his fire-ignited bat at its head. The Akuma caught the bat with no issue, at which Cardinal teleported out of its reach with a muttered curse. He then teleported again and landed on the Akuma's back, using his bat for a choke hold. "I really don't like Attack plan Alpha!" he called out.
Chat, who was running low to the ground and dragging her Power-enhanced claw on the ground behind her, grinned. "What? It doesn't scratch your itch?" she asked as she finished running the circle around the Akuma, causing the Akuma to fall through the newly-created hole into the underground tunnels that criscrossed beneath Bonesburrough, Cardinal leaping off its back and landing next to her. He waved his free hand in the universal so-so gesture. "I dunno, I think that one was stretching it a little."
"You're just jealous of my purrfect sense of comedic timing."
With an enraged roar the Akuma leapt out of the hole and swiped at the two heroes, who had already lept into the air to dodge the strike. Chat landed a spinning kick to the side of the Akuma's head, keeping it distracted from the pink light that signified Ladybug's "Lucky Charm!"
Ladybug blinked in surprise at the Lucky Item. It was a phone. With a single contact. Ladybug shrugged as she hit the call button. This certainly wasn't the strangest Lucky Item she'd ever gotten.
"Vee?" a vaguely familiar voice desperately said after less than a single ring.
"Oh, you ah, you know Vee?" Ladybug asked, wincing as she watched the Akuma fight her partners.
"Yeah. She's my girlfriend. Or, at least I hope she's still my girlfriend we had a fight and... wait a minute who even is this?"
Ladybug sighed. This likely wouldn't end well. Might as well rip of the band-aid. "Ladybug."
"Ladybug? Why would you be calling me about... oh." The metaphorical shoe dropped as the Akuma roared and sent Chat flying with a yowl.
"Yeah. Oh." Ladybug said, sympathy in her voice. "I think I'm gonna have to... ah... you good with me putting you on speaker?"
Across Town; the Owl House Pawn:
Eda Clawthorne sighed as she gave her little terrier, King, belly rubs at the shop's front desk. The morning had actually been somewhat busy by her standards, but now there were no customers and she'd sent Hooty out to check on the authenticity of some tome or other, so she had a minute to herself and she was going to enjoy it. So of course the door opened and the bell rang and now she had a customer. Putting on her best customer service smile she started, "Welcome to the Owl House! What are you looo...king..." Her welcome died on her lips as she saw who it was who entered her store.
There was no mistaking the red and yellow Hawaiian shirt, big, round glasses, or natural white hair. "Raine?" Eda gasped, her hand subconsciously running through her graying red hair. "The hell are you doing here?"
"Ah, well, er... I mean, I just figured you deserved... uh..." Raine stumbled over their words, hands flailing for a bit before they slumped in apparent defeat. "You know what? It'll just be easier to show you. Wayzz?"
From there a small green creature flew out of the pocket in Raine's shirt, despite no obvious method of flight. It looked like a turtle, or rather a turtle plushie with a single antenna. "Hello, Miss. Clawthorne! Tikki's told me so much about you!"
Eda looked at the turtle creature, then back to Raine, then back to the turtle. Then, with an aggrieved sigh, she plopped down on her stool, her head hidden behind a hand. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess that does explain a few things." She glared at Raine between her fingers. "This why we broke up?'
Raine rubbed the back of their head nervously. "Yes. Yes it is. I've always regretted that, if it means anything."
"Hm," was all she gave in response. Then pointed at Wayzz. "And I don't need any of that 'Miss Clawthrone' stuff from you. I get enough of that from Luz's little friend."
Wayzz grinned. "Fair enough. Miss Eda."
Eda shot the little godling a very unimpressed look before turning her attention back to Raine. "Okay, Rainestorm. What's up? I mean, this is a huge secret to be revealing to me. I mean, this's like, potential end of the world stuff, and... wait." She narrowed her eyes here. "How did you know I'd know anything about this stuff?" Now she stood up, towering over her ex. "Are you the one that got my kid and her little girlfriend involved in all the Supervillain and monster stuff?"
"You know about Amity?: Raine asked, the sentence not even out of their mouth before they realized that may not have been the wisest thing to say. Especially since Eda was making a great show of cracking her knuckles. "Uh... Wayzz?"
Wayzz was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Traitor.
A rooftop in downtown Bonesburrough...
The three heroes watched from a rooftop as Vee and her apparent significant other cuddled and spoke in low tones. Wait, was that the kid from the Museum? How long was Vee hiding this? Ooooh, Luz was going to drill her next time they met up. (Luz... a voice in the back of her head warned. Focus.) Ladybug turned back to her partners. "Time to split up and detransform. Meet you at ground level?" This was when she noticed that Cardinal was standing with a very stiff posture. Well, moreso than usual. "Hey, man. You okay?" she asked.
"Hmm?" he said, clearly startled out of a deep line of thought. "Sure I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" At Ladybug's deadpan stare, he relented. Why could she always do that? It was embarrassing. "It's just. I dunno, taking advantage of a young couple's first argument. Seems kinda messed up, even for Hawk Moth." He didn't miss the significant look Ladybug and Chat shot at each other. "You know what?" he said, his speaking speeding up to about twice it's usual speed. "I'm actually kinda tired tonight going to head on home you kids have fun." And then he was gone.
"Boy, he's got it bad," Chat Noir said with her trademark cat-smile.
Ladybug nodded. "Wish he'd actually listen to us and tell her. He's just torturing himself. And, I think, Willow, too."
Chat laughed at that. "Of course he won't listen to us. We, like, engaged in a delicate ballet around each other for a year." At this, their miraculous started beeping inscessently. "Meet you at ground level?"
"Meet you at ground level." And with that the two heroes separated in a red and black blur respectively.