Chapter Text
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Winter already dealt its strongest strikes in Paris. The wind gusts was now weakened to smaller and less noticeable hits, though still distinctively winter’s. But that didn’t matter to Ladybug, whose red suit could very literally be a screaming target for the late-winter attacks.
The cold breeze pierced into her skin and sent shivers down her spine as she stood on the Eiffel Tower’s top—instead of staying bundled in as many blankets as she could get her hands on in her room, like she liked to do when the weather had it out for her. But today she had to endure this damned cold and, really, could only blame herself for it.
She was supposed to remain collected, be able to keep her cool—hah!—under all circumstances. She was Ladybug, she had to, or else things like this would happen.
It had only been three days, but it felt like weeks. Weeks of panic, stress, and anxiety.
They were having trouble with an akuma and Chat Noir suggested that maybe an illusion would help. And he was right. But Ladybug couldn’t get Rena Rouge. She didn’t trust herself to be anywhere near Alya even under the guise of Ladybug. So she insisted they could deal with the akuma on their own.
They couldn’t.
The akuma dragged them all the way across Paris, jumping from street to street, sucking all the garbage and heavy objects it could find in the giant vacuum cleaner attached to their back and throwing at them. Chat Noir kept arguing they needed Rena Rouge if they wanted to defeat that akuma, getting more impatient by the second—Ladybug couldn’t blame him for getting mad, he was just as tired as she was, but it was hard to remember that through her own anger. She snapped that she’d get a Fox. And she did. Just not Rena Rouge. They just needed a simple illusion and a Fox to do it, so she didn’t bother to be picky—she couldn’t afford it anyway. She wouldn’t be choosing that Fox again so it shouldn’t matter.
Chat Noir was confused with the unfamiliar Fox but didn’t comment on it. Maybe it was because he was tired and wanted the battle to just end already or maybe it was the look on her face. She didn’t care.
The Fox made a pile of trash appear at the center of the street. It was obvious and amateur but it served its purpose. Chat Noir used the distraction to cataclysm the vacuum and Ladybug cleansed the akuma and cast her cure. End of the battle
At least, it should have been the end.
Ladybug grabbed the Fox’s elbow—avoiding Chat Noir’s eyes—and led them to an alleyway where they could detransform safely. Maybe she should’ve explained herself to them. Maybe she should’ve tried to be more friendly with the poor Fox. Maybe she should’ve taken a moment to calm down before taking her yo-yo and started swinging all the way to her house. But she didn’t.
She barely registered what happened when her knee collided on a chimney, leading to tumble after tumble till she was in a lower roof with her limbs twisted in uncomfortable positions and clangs resounding in her skull. Her first reaction was a half-pained, half-enraged scream. Because she just used her Miraculous cure and would have to deal with all those bruises on her own—the suit took most of it, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, but that didn’t stop the tears.
Then it dawned on her that a hexagonal jewelry box wasn’t in her hand.
The rest of that day was a blur of pain and panic that, at the very least, numbed her to the cold air. She searched the entire block and the ones in its proximities for the little black box. Working on adrenaline and the stamina and endurance her Miraculous provided. She just gave up well after dark had fallen, nerves still shaking her bones.
The following two days consisted of constant breath exercises to keep her from attracting an akuma and more searches in every free second she had. Tikki scolded Marinette for skipping meals and neglecting her classes but she couldn’t bring herself to eat or focus on anything else while the Fox necklace wasn’t safe with her. The freaking guardian. The person that should keep the Miraculi safe in the first place!
The third day was a Saturday, and she planned on spending it looking for the necklace—doing some meal’s break at Tikki’s insistence. But another akuma appeared much to her chagrin. She was already stressed beyond limits and a part of her—a very spiteful part—wanted to leave it to Chat Noir and just appear to capture the akuma. But she was Ladybug. And Ladybug couldn’t afford to be lackluster.
She didn’t acknowledge Chat Noir’s attempts at civil conversation and just charged at the ridiculous clown that attacked the children in the park.
It was one of the easier akumas but her worsening mood and Chat Noir’s increasing frustration just served to prolong the battle.
Then the clown turned to a street only to hit face-first into a bookstore’s window. A bookstore that wasn’t there before. Ladybug didn’t hesitate to tie the akuma down with her yo-yo and shouted for Chat Noir to take the cursed object as she looked around for any sign of orange.
She didn’t find any. But after the clown was dealt with she opened her yo-yo in the communication function and there it was, right below Chat Noir’s name, Trickster.
She sent a simple message:
Meet me at the Eiffel Tower at 9 p.m.
OK.
So here she was. On the Eiffel Tower, fourteen minutes to nine o’clock in the night. Shivering and fuming. Tikki tried to appease her by saying how Trickster had helped them and probably didn’t mean to cause so much trouble but she didn’t want to hear it. Marinette spent three days eating and sleeping the bare minimum, be it to use the time to search for the necklace or because her anxiety simply wouldn’t let her and this fox have it for who knows how long and didn’t even think of contacting her!
Tikki pointed out how she didn’t know how to contact Chat Noir at the beginning either but Marinette ignored it in order to have someone other than herself to be angry at.
A white figure dashed through the rooftops in the distance, to the Eiffel Tower’s direction, and Ladybug straightened her posture.
As the figure got closer she could make out blond hair and a white and orange tailcoat flowing in the air as they leaped from building to building.
She had to give it to the Fox’s thief, their movements were graceful and they knew when to use their hands for impulse, something the one-time Fox had trouble with.
They jumped as far as they could onto the tower and climbed the rest of the way to where Ladybug waited with crossed arms and narrowed eyes.
The Fox got up to their full height—taller than her, damnit—and met Ladybug’s glare without flinching.
The white suit and bright orange undershirt stood out against the night sky. A tailcoat that changed from white to a light orange the closer it got to the ankles swayed behind him as he stepped forward; white fox ears perked on alert from his pale blond hair.
She held his electric blue gaze, contrasted by the white tuxedo mask, before lowering her eyes to the foxtail pendant hanging from his collar.
“I need that back.” She crossed her arms, pointing to the necklace with her chin.
Trickster tilted his head. “Not even a ‘thank you’ for earlier?”
Ladybug’s eye twitched. “If you wanted a ‘thank you,’ you would’ve shown up as soon as we defeated the akuma.”
“I don’t see the point of having a superhero whose main power is one of deception when your enemy knows about their existence.”
She didn’t have a response for that so she just made a grab motion for the necklace.
He sighed. “Is there nothing I can do to prove I can be of assistance?”
The sincerity in his eyes made her pause for a moment. She did need help. Now that she couldn’t count on the other temporary heros more than ever. But–
She shook her head. “I can’t give a Miraculous to just anyone.” She motioned for the necklace again but Trickster continued to ignore her hand.
“I noticed you’ve been having troubles with akumas as of recently and how no other heroes—new or otherwise—” Ladybug winced. “—have been called to battle. Having someone in the shadows that will give support when things get rough for you and Chat Noir to handle would be of great help as seen in today’s akuma.”
“I only had trouble today because I was too distracted by a missing necklace,” she hissed.
“I apologize for that; I didn’t know we could use our weapons as communicators.”
Ladybug could feel Tikki’s smugness.
She huffed, letting her hand drop by her side. “Alright, Fox, I’ll give you a chance. If you prove yourself to be of help throughout this week, I’ll let you continue as the Fox holder. But if I find you lacking—for whatever reason—you’ll give the Miraculous back without question.” By the end, she was leaning with crossed arms in his direction. “Understood?”
He grinned. “Of course. Wouldn’t have it any different.”
He bowed with his head before turning on his heel and jumping throughout the night.
She collapsed on the tower’s frigid surface, releasing a tired breath. Observing the white shape disappear under the city’s lights, Ladybug found herself hoping that Trickster would be a helpful addition to the team.
