Chapter Text
*click-click clickitty-click click* Sabrina opened and closed the latches on the new briefcase-her briefcase over and over. She ran her fingers over the fine leather, a shade darker than her hair. The latches looked like gold, and might very well be. It even had her name in calligraphy on a little plate by the handle. "It's so pretty Chloé" she gushed. Then focusing she opened it and began transferring everything from her school bag into the myriad compartments, pouches, and slots inside.
"Yes yes I'm wonderful, I know." Chloe waved off Sabrina, she was watching news of the latest Akuma attack intently, perched on the edge of her giant overstuffed lounge. "Your old bag was simply too painful to look at any more."
Sabrina paused. She laid a hand on the old bag she was going to be retiring. She wondered if Chloe even remembered buying it for her two years ago. It still had plenty of use in it. Sabrina shook the melancholy from her head. She'd keep the bag at home. She had plenty of uses for it, it wouldn't have to feel useless.
Sabrina dipped back into organizing mode. Each thing in a place and everything orderly. Even so deeply focused the words of the news broadcast bubbled through the back of her brain, filtering for keywords. '-new hero in yellow and black has arrived-'
Sabrina tensed. Where was the spare remote? It should be within arms' reach, why hadn't she kept it close? The new case. She'd forgotten. She grabbed her phone, she had the remote app for just such occasions if she could just work fast enough; too late.
Chloe snatched a banana from the bowl beside her and pitched it at the screen,"Stupid Vesperia!" she screamed and pitched another,"Stupid knock off!" her voice rose and cracked; another,"Not even a bee!" Chloe's face was a shockingly bright red. She snatched up the empty bowl and hurled it at the TV hard enough to crack the screen, crazing the picture and creating a sextuple image of Vesperia as the camera zoomed in close.
Sabrina dove for the remote, but Chloe snatched it up, rising,"What do you think YOU are doing?" Chloe rounded on her.
"Oh, um." Sabrina wilted under that blue-in-red glare,"I just thought the news was lame so I'd change the channel." she couldn't look up, couldn't meet Chloe's gaze. She tried to commiserate,"Stupid Vesperia, Queen Bee was better," she mumbled under her breath
"WHAT?" Chloe snapped, unmollified. Sabrina forced herself to look up. Chloe's eyes stared through her, the flush of rage hadn't gone down like it used to.
"Queen Bee was way cooler." she tried again, a little louder.
"QUEEN BEE?" Chloe screamed, still louder yet,"She's a Nobody!" Chloe loomed over the hunched Sabrina. "She doesn't exist!" Chloe threw the remote across the room,"Don't you Ever-"
Chloe froze. The color tried to drain from her face but the persistence of her flush left her complexion spotty. Chloe's head slowly turned, looking back over her shoulder at her own fist, raised and cocked to deliver a blow. Before Sabrina's eyes a massive ball of emotions flared across Chloe's unguarded face. Panic, revulsion, despair, sadness, anger; like a wheel at a fair it was spinning and no way to know which one would end up in control. Chloe unclenched her hand, staring at her fingers as if they belonged to someone else.
Sabrina's stomach knotted hard. This was the absolute worst it had ever been. What scared her wasn't Chloe's anger, it was that she didn't know how to solve this. "Can we watch the shopping channel?" she tried. It was a pathetic offering but her thoughts were scattering in panic.
Chloe's head turned back to Sabrina, those blue eyes still unfocused, unseeing. The irises began to zero in, the wheel slowed and clicked to a stop. Shame. Chloe snapped back from Sabrina and covered her face,"Get out."
Sabrina reached out,"Chloe can we just-"
"OUT!" Chloe screamed, hands turning into fists again, balled up at her sides,"OUT!" Those eyes bored into Sabrina this time, no mistaking her meaning.
Sabrina dashed for the door,"Sorry, chloe- Sorry." she repeated over and over in her scramble.
An inarticulate scream followed her, and then,"And don't come back!" followed by a grunt of exertion, and Sabrina's new briefcase sailing past her, missing by a mile, and exploded against the wall.
Sabrina turned back to look, just catching the flash of Chloe vanishing into her bedroom. Sabrina sank to the floor, sudden fear gone, she picked at the mess of the briefcase. One of the hinges was torn clean off, the other askew. One latch was missing. Her papers were everywhere, the entire weekend's homework. Sabrina scooped up what she could and fled out the door, hunched over lest it all fall apart on her again.
She was out on the sidewalk before the reaction started to set in. She had to find a spot, not in front of the hotel. She dashed across the street and slumped against the wall just inside an alleyway. The trembling started almost immediately. She held onto the ruined case for support, knowing they would pass. Tremors rattled her slight frame, not from any one thing just too much of everything. Sabrina focused on her breathing, that was important. Keep breathing, not too fast, don't hyperventilate.
They weren't going away, they were getting worse. Sabrina whimpered and scooted further into the alley, she didn't want anyone to see. The motion caused her case to shift, the tremors ripped it from her grip and pitched everything to the ground again,"No." she pleaded, her breathing forgotten."No no no no." She sank down to gather the pieces again, there seemed to be fewer than last time. Sabrina hiccuped, and again. Shaking hands rattled the pages. Hiccups turned to panting and anger bubbled up out of nowhere driving itself into her brain to add a new clear layer of tremor to everything else.
Sabrina never saw the butterfly, not that she was in much condition to run.
Sabrina Raincomprix, or should I say Vanisher? I can feel your anger rising once again. Come, let me lend you my aid and you can take revenge on the one who has ground you into the dirt for so long. All I ask for in exchange are the ladybug and cat Miraculouses.
The Booming voice was familiar, "Shadowmoth." Sabrina growled. Her eyes narrowed and the purple halo of the butterfly miraculous flared briefly red,"You want the ladybug and cat? Good. But you're wrong. I'm not Vanisher, I'm Miss Direction. I've got a plan. I'll solve this. I'll get the Bee Miraculous back. There will be only one hero in Paris, and she'll beat you. Then everything will be better."
The act of pushing her will back against the thundering voice in her head was intense. Daring to stand before the pressure sucked the energy out of her but Sabrina held fast. She stared into the emotional abyss of Shadowmoth's power and waited.
A cruel laughter rang in her ears. A bold assertion. Very well Miss Direction. Get all three miraculouses. As for the rest... you are welcome to try. The laughter rose once more and power bubbled out along Sabrina's limbs.
Ladybug and Cat Noir dashed across the rooftops of Paris towards the sounds of commotion. "Awful nice of this Akuma to show up when we're already out on patrol isn't it M'Lady?" Cat quipped
"Yeah, but it could have been a little more punctual so we didn't have to race back across all of Paris." she shot back with a grin.
They both vaulted up onto a chimney to get a better look. The Akuma wasn't hard to spot, nor was it all that impressive honestly. A bespectacled woman with unnaturally red hair pulled back into a bun, dressed in a jet black business suit made of bubbling shadow with matching briefcase sauntered casually down the middle of the street.
Without looking up she raised her voice,"If you're not here by now Ladybug, you're late. You were fighting at Pont de Neuilly. So come now, come out and play. Bring the Bee."
"Bee?" Cat looked sideways at Ladybug,"That doesn't look like Chloe. Not screaming enough either."
Ladybug cupped her chin between thumb and forefinger,"It shouldn't' be her, we gave her a charm." her eyes narrowed,"Could it be-"
"Well, I'll just go down and say hi. That'll give us more info." Cat Noir interrupted,"See you soon bugaboo." he flashed her a smile before jumping down, leaving ladybug's 'Cat Wait!' in his wake.
"Pardon me Miss, but have you filed the appropriate paperwork for this akumatization?" Cat chimed upon landing. "If not, I'm afraid we'll have to fire you, it's a company rule."
"Oh, here's thing two." Miss Direction sneered,"You're not the one I need yet. Ladybug gives out the miraculouses right?" She continued to approach Cat Noir.
"Oh she does, but only if we need to, and so far you're not exactly making my fur stand on end." Cat extended his staff and took up a guard position.
Miss Direction covered the last few steps at a run and swung her briefcase two-handed at Cat. He blocked the unorthodox attack but the akuma grinned at him around her 'weapon'. "If I beat you then I get the boss battle, is what you are saying?"
Cat pushed her back, and spun his staff before delivering a counter thrust,"You don't sound like a disgruntled office worker."
Miss Direction took the shot on the case then knocked the staff aside,"And I don't know any other talking cats. Now come fight me before I have you neutered." She smirked and drew herself up.
"Alright, but I hate to hit a lady." He launched into a series of strikes, none of which came close to landing. Miss Direction stepped, turned, or blocked every attack while reciting,"Lead with a thrust, Right hand strike, Pause, feint low but head shot, sweep the front leg, back into guard, and thrust again." each phrase outlining Cat's next attack even as he launched it.
Cat paused, then gestured with a grin,"Okay, you gotta tell me how you're doing that."
"It's easy kitty cat. I studied. A little preparation goes a long way, see?" Miss Direction clicked open her case and pulled something out, tossing it at Cat Noir.
It was a bag, and Cat knocked it out of the air without effort, but at contact with his staff it exploded into a cloud of powder and flakes. Cat Coughed and rubbed his nose,"Ugh, What kind of attack is th-" He trailed off and his slit pupils dilated.
Cat Noir blinked, and blinked again, then grinned widely,"aheh." his eyes swept over Miss Direction, then he spun around looking right up to Ladybug's hiding place and leaning on his staff,"heyyya bugaboo." Cat giggled and fell over.
Flushed from her hiding spot Ladybug swung down, placing herself defensively between her partner and the akuma,"What did you do to Cat Noir?" she challenged.
Cat Noir perked at her arrival, jumping to his feet and latching onto Ladybug from behind,"Bugabooo, you came!" he nuzzled one of her pigtails.
"Ack!" Ladybug flailed and pried herself loose.
Cat Noir face planted but grinned up at her,"Awww, don't be like that bugaboo, c'mon over here and snuggle." he rolled onto his back and pawed up at her.
"Cat nip." Miss Direction cooed triumphantly,"I'm surprised no one else has tried it, looks like it works quite well. Now, are you going to give me what I want, or do I fish out the can of bug spray next?" she tapped her case meaningfully.
Ladybug looked between the Akuma and her yowling partner, then the briefcase. "Sorry kitty." Ladybug whipped her Yoyo out, wrapping Cat Noir's raised arms then turned and whipped him through the air. By ladybug's estimate he should end up in the river... she hoped.
Ladybug rounded on Miss Direction,"Now it's just the two of us, but it looks like that case is the source of your power."
"And your yo-yo is yours." Miss Direction drawled,"Now that that is out of the way..." the Akuma charged ladybug.
They met in a twisting melee of motion. Miss Direction tried opening her case, but each time Ladybug managed to strike it shut or whip her yoyo around it completely. Misdirection used the same points of contact to clip Ladybug under the chin or check her bodily with the case. The yo-yo's string wound ever more completely around the two combatants until *snip*. The line went slack. Ladybug blinked and pulled. Her yo-yo and half the string clattered to the ground, leaving the rest dangling from her hand.
Miss Direction held up a nasty looking pair of scissors,"You don't think I'd try to do the same thing twice do you? I've had these in my pocket since before you got here." the Akuma kicked Ladybug's snipped yoyo back to her,"Now if you're done playing, go get the bee. It's her miraculous I want first."
Ladybug rolled to grab her Yo-yo, but the Akuma didn't take advantage, didn't move, just watched her. "You're not Chloe. Sabrina?"
That rattled her. Miss Direction scowled,"So what? Just hurry!" She opened her case again and fished out.. A map? "You know, I did a lot of research for plans Hawkmoth could have used, so my fanfiction would be good and accurate. How many substations do you think it would take for Paris' entire power grid to collapse?" She flashed a twisted smile,"I can tell you."
"Sabrina, don't. This won't help Chloe, or you. We can work out whatever happened."
Miss Direction turned, sauntering off down the road, waving over her shoulder,"You only show up when it's already too late, and this is all I could think of. Hurry UP Ladybug."
Ladybug grimaced but wound her truncated Yoyo string around her hand and threw it to the nearest rooftop, launching herself to find her partner.
She found Cat Noir floating on his back in the Seine, staring up at the evening sky,"Feeling any better kitty?"
He looked her way then began backstroking his way over,"If I still have the urge to kiss you bugaboo does that mean the answer is yes, or no?"
Ladybug rolled her eyes,"Get out of there Cat Noir. She got us both pretty good." Ladybug showed off her snipped string.
With a splash and a leap Cat cleared the rail and landed beside Ladybug, shaking the water off much to her dismay,"Well then, maybe we had better see if Lady Luck will smile on us?" he grinned.
"My thoughts exactly." Ladybug flicked some of the water back at Cat then tossed her yo-yo up into the air,"Lucky Charm!"
One polka-dotted model boat later Cat Noir teased,"And I just got OUT of the bath."
Ladybug gave him a gentle elbow,"We know this ship, and I think I know what it means."
Cat Noir extended his staff again,"It means I need to go keep our friend busy for a while longer doesn't it?"
Ladybug smiled,"Read my mind kitty. Just keep your distance."
Cat Noir bowed,"No worries on that account M'Lady. My real love for you is already more than my heart can take. I might not survive another dose of nip and I don't want to find out." he grinned and took off.
Ladybug and Vipereon found Cat Noir observing Miss Direction from a distance. "She hasn't been in any hurry, wherever she is going." he noted.
"Probably waiting for me to return, but she'll be disappointed by who I brought."
"Ouch." Vipereon smiled,"I'm right here."
Cat Grinned,"oh you get used to it."
Ladybug threw up her hands,"Would you two quit it? You need to work together on this."
Cat spun his collapsed staff,"Sounds like we're already in sync M'Lady, What's the plan?"
Ladybug peered down at the Akuma,"She's predicting our movements. So we need to find the limits of her predictions."
Viperion nodded,"You want me to go up against her and immobilize her?"
"Or get the case away from her."
"Then one Cataclysm later." Cat added.
"I have a butterfly to purify." Ladybug finished.
"Alright Vipereon, ready for the boy squad to make it happen?" Cat snapped his staff out.
"Let's do this Cat Noir."
They leapt down and Miss Direction turned, looking surprised for the first time as her eyes fell on Viperion, but he was already setting the snake timer. After that it was surprisingly anticlimactic from Ladybug's point of view. There was no knowing how many times Vipereon had reset the loop, but in the end he rushed directly in and... hugged the Akuma. The move stunned all three of the other combatants, but Cat Noir recovered fast and slapped his charged Cataclysm against the briefcase, powdering it and true to hopes, releasing the corrupt butterfly. Ladybug purified it, restoring Sabrina and called on the Miraculous Cure to fix the minor damage, most importantly to the yo-yo itself.
"Pound it." Cat and Ladybug shared the victory moment, but Ladybug blinked, realizing Vipereon was still down on one knee beside Sabrina. The girl was quietly bawling her eyes out, stifling noise while her tears and nose ran.
Ladybug caught snippets of words between strangled sounds "-ad friend. Can- -right- I- -help- -sorry- "
Sabrina spotted her around Vipereon and scrambled on hands and knees,"La-yb-g, plea-, I'm -orry I'- sor-, b- plea-, -ease, c-n I -ve th- bee?" She flopped at Ladybug's feet.
The heroes exchanged glances. This was one of the worst aftercare situations any of them had encountered, normally people were too burned out after an Akumatization to be so emotional for a little while.
Ladybug Knelt down,"Sabrina, I can't just give away the miraculous. Especially now, it has a new holder. Whatever we try to do, we have to do it on our own." Ladybug reached out, trying to soothe the still weeping Sabrina with a gentle touch, brushing back her hair.
"Ladybug." Vipereon gestured for her attention. Ladybug shared a look with Cat, who swapped places in attempting to console Sabrina and Ladybug joined their third companion. He spoke in a soft voice she knew so well,"Do you trust me?"
There was a loaded question, but one with the same answer nonetheless,"Yes."
"Then, let me keep the snake for a day, or a few hours even. Bring her near where you picked me up. I can transform, pick her up, and get her home without the costume. I don't think heroes are what she really needs right now." Vipereon looked over Ladybug's shoulder,"And being alone is definitely not what she needs either."
Ladybug let the idea play through her mind. She looked back at Sabrina, thought about what and who had sparked this, felt a pang and nodded,"Go now, that'll give you time to get ready. I know where you are when I want the snake back."
"Thank you Ladybug." Vipereon reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze. "I'll go in just a moment." he took a knee again, gathering up the broken pieces of the briefcase, restored by the Ladybugs, but only just as it was before the akumatization.