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graglithans-library · 4 years ago

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Welcome to Paris Fur-ance Ch 16: Ferocious Felines, Falling Facades, and Fickle Fate

Juleka gets to show off her new powers and costume, and the fight continues to rage.

This is so awesome! Juleka thought to herself as she ran across the rooftops, easily keeping up with Ladybug as she swung by. The sun glinted off the shine of her new biker outfit, the jacket, and pants each bearing several purple stripes that looked torn into the fabric. Around her waist was a black and violet chain that trailed off behind her. Her face was obscured by a helmet that even hid her hair. It had a pair of cat ears sticking out of the top, with a violet interior. She’d taken a moment to look at her reflection in the Seine before they’d headed off. She imagined that the display on the outside of her visor was making the digital cat eyes there turn into a pair of arrows pointing up right then.

In her mind, she wondered if the miraculous gave everyone outfits based on their personalities. It also gave her a pair of tonfas, which she was pretty sure she had no idea how to use. Still, something about holding them felt... right. Like they were tailor-made just for her.

Is this how Luka felt? I can’t believe he got to do this! She frowned a bit as a small thought wormed its way into her head. Her brother would probably still do this if it weren’t for Chloé outing the previous hero team’s identities.

Kinda made her want to smack her really hard, just for karma’s sake.

She felt a small twinge at the back of her mind and shook her head. No, I promised no selfishness with the powers. What would Ladybug say if she saw you take out your frustration on a civilian? Of course... said civilian was technically a criminal under house arrest. Juleka knew her mother would have approved, but that’s because of her more anarchistic personality.

Yeah, Ladybug would definitely say no to that plan. Letting her mind go back to an earlier thought, she landed next to Ladybug. More importantly, why did he pick spandex?... is there something I’m not knowing about him that I should be concerned about?

Juleka’s attention was brought back to the present when Ladybug walked a little ways ahead of her and knelt down. That was when the smell of burning metal reached her, and Juleka gagged. “What is-?”

“This is bad.” Ladybug looked over the edge of the roof and grimaced.

Looking around the superheroine, Juleka felt her jaw drop at the black dome engulfing a portion of the road. The surface writhed in place, and people who had gotten curious were starting to try and get closer. They quickly began to back away again when some jaws snapped at them from the mass. “What is that?”

“The sentimonster that got made to help Shadow Moth’s latest Akuma. A kind of shadow monster that can shift forms at will.” Ladybug looked over at one of the buildings next to the dome and tsked under her breath. “The hostages aren’t here... I hope Chat was able to get them free when this happened.”

“Where is Chat Noir anyway?” Juleka asked curiously. The dome flexed for a moment as if something inside had slammed into the barrier before getting pulled back. However, what was cooler was that Juleka could see an outline of Chat in green through her helmet. She focused a bit more, and five more silhouettes showed up, each a different color. So cool.

“We’re going to need to use your power, but that’s going to put you on a time limit.” Ladybug frowned in thought. Juleka nodded, but before she could use her power, Ladybug put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll need to be careful when you get in there. This Akuma has already shown that he’s more than willing to kill people. Even with Chat’s help, you will be in danger.”

“Don’t worry, Ladybug.” Juleka grabbed the tonfas that were resting at her hips and gave them a quick twirl. “This tigress can handle herself.” She paused as she got ready to jump before smiling. “Tigress... I think I’ll stick with that.” She jumped off of the roof and did a flip before diving straight at the shadow of the building they were on. “Shadow Step!” Each stripe on her outfit flashed violet before she slipped into the shadow as if diving into a pool.

Ladybug only looked worried as she stood on the roof, unable to do much to help the two heroes. She glanced down at the edge of the dome and felt a chill run up her spine as she noticed a particular wolf’s severed arm resting there in a pool of blood.

She’d never felt more useless in her life. Be safe, Chat, Tigress.

As she watched, waiting for Chat and Tigress to finish the fight inside the dome, something on the ground caught her eye. She squinted for a moment, trying to figure out what it was. The moment she realized it was the shadow of someone on the other side of the roof from her. She ducked behind an air vent just as a syringe embedded itself into the ground where she’d previously been.

Readying her yo-yo, Ladybug stepped back out and looked to see who it was, expecting the Akuma she’d been unable to catch.

Instead, she saw a woman in a skin-tight suit, designed more like a serpent than a goat. “It seems your luck truly is your most beneficial ability.” She droned as if inconvenienced more than anything else. “Shame I couldn’t further the experiment and remove an obstacle at the same time.”

This... shouldn’t have been possible. The Akuma was currently fighting Chat and Tigress, so how is there another Akuma active? Unless...they’re not an Akuma? Ladybug narrowed her eyes and scowled. “Who are you?”

“I apologize, but that is none of your concern.” The villain loaded another syringe into her weapon and armed it. “What should concern you is your ability to avoid my aim.”

________________________________________________________________

Shirou growled as he could only watch Chat fend for himself against the Akuma. These were meant to be shadows, yet somehow they kept him from unleashing Ginrou and ending the fight.

Worse, his missing arm was still losing blood, and he was starting to feel light-headed. If I could get to my arm, I could stop the bleeding.

“Michiru.” He spoke softly to keep the Akuma’s attention away from them as he looked over at her. When she glanced over, he let out a small breath through his nose. “Can you move at all?” Michiru hung her head and slowly shook it. Sighing to himself, Shirou turned back to the fighting. “Then we’ll have to put our faith in the local heroes.” He glanced in the other direction, seeing Chloé looking down despondently.

He couldn’t help but feel somewhat bad for the girl. In only one day, her entire world shattered and now she was at risk of death a second time. She looked as if she’d given up entirely and was just waiting for one of those strikes to head her way.

Then a helmet poked through the shadows between them.

Shirou growled a bit, but the person quickly held up a finger in a gesture of silence. They took a moment to reach out of the shadows and tapped Chloé on the shoulder, making her look up and jump as much as she could in fear.

“Ladybug m'a envoyé” She whispered before grabbing onto Chloé’s arm and pulling her into the shadows.

Shirou watched as she moved over to where Nazuna and pulled her back next, then Michiru vanished into the shade with a surprised squawk. Soon he felt her hands grabbing onto his sides and pulling him back. For a minute, he felt like he was submerged underwater, until he was suddenly brought into the light.

Kneeling on the ground, he took hold of where she’d brought them and saw they were in a building far down the road from where the dome was. ‘Well, that takes care of us.’ He winced and grabbed the stump of his arm and growled. Now... I just need to get my arm back.

Shirou looked over to Michiru, where she was looking over Chloé in a worried manner. “Michiru.” Said girl perked up as she turned to look at him. “Do you think you can get my arm?”

“On it.” As Michiru started to leave, she paused and glanced back to Chloé. The worry on her face was palpable. Even if she couldn’t understand the language, Michiru could still relate to the girl.

It was something Shirou found endearing about her. “Don’t worry about her. Nazuna and I will take care of it.” Michiru gave him another nod and bolted out of the building. Shirou took that moment to slump against the wall and groan. He peeked over to Chloé again and saw Nazuna was already sitting next to her and offering her company wordlessly.

The lightheadedness was starting to get worse and he grimaced. Good luck, heroes.

________________________________________________________________

This isn’t good.

Chat slid back for a moment after blocking another sword strike, before having to jump forward and dodge the snapping jaws of Wolf Hunter’s shadows. He twisted mid-air and brought his staff down on the Akuma, only to get blocked himself. As he landed, he spun around and swung the staff upward, catching Wolf Hunter off guard and landing a strike in his ribs.

Wolf Hunter growled and swung his sword, sending a beam towards Chat, that he dodged with a roll. “I can keep doing this forever, Cat!”

Grimacing, Chat swung upward and made Wolf Hunter lean back to avoid a hit to the chin before spinning his staff and going for a side strike. When the strike was blocked and a second beam was sent his way, He rolled again and cursed silently.

He’s right. I can’t break that sword unless I get close enough to Cataclysm it. Dodging another beam, he winced as it came too close for comfort, nearly clipping off his toes. And I can’t get close if he keeps sending those beams at me. Catching his breath for a moment, Chat looked at the beastmen who were stuck in the blackened wall behind Wolf Hunter. I can’t even change what side I’m fighting him from without risking him hitting the hostages.

“What’s the matter, cat? Having trouble?” Wolf Hunter cackled and raised his blade overhead, drawing in power and making it glow bright. “Then let me help you take a dirt nap!” Before he could bring the sword down, a pair of clawed hands reached up from his shadows and pulled his feet out from under him.

Chat was momentarily stunned before seeing the same hands reach from the darkness and pull the beastmen out of the arena one by one. Wolf Hunter also noticed, and his eyes went wide. “What!?”

“Hey, I might be new to this,” the two looked over where a girl in a biker jacket and helmet as she walked out of the shadow walls. Twirling a tonfa in one hand and the end of a chain-belt in the other, she strut forward with a confidence Chat normally saw on the catwalk. Letting the chain fall and grabbing a second tonfa from her waist, all of that power moved into a combat stance. “I’m pretty sure you’re fighting dirty.”

“And two on one isn’t?” Wolf Hunter snarled before sending his shadow beasts at her. She didn’t even move, standing with her tonfas ready as the Amok bull rushed her. Her helmet’s visor displayed an unamused set of cat eyes as the shadows just washed over her harmlessly. The beast looked surprised as it turned around and stared between her and Wolf Hunter before shrugging.

Chat could practically feel the smug smirk that accompanied the raised eyebrow her helmet displayed next. “Just returning the favor.” She looked over at Chat and nodded. “Don’t worry about the hostages. All of them are currently out of this guy’s reach.”

“How Claw-ver of you.” Chat smirked as he twirled his staff behind him and crouched. “Are you feline up to a fight?”

The eyes on her helmet narrowed dangerously as she cracked her neck. “After seeing the state that one guy was in, I’m more than ready.”

Without any further hesitation or banter, the two charged.

Wolf Hunter ducked under one of Chat’s swings, only to find a tonfa slamming into his face instead. He pulled his sword to slice at her, only to have the heroine slip down into the shadows below and miss entirely. Chat’s staff came for another strike, and Wolf Hunter blocked it, only to get a kick to his stomach and tumble back.

He growled as he rolled back to his feet and pulled his sword back, only to feel it get caught in something. Looking over, he saw the heroine sticking out of the shadows and using her tonfas to keep him from swinging. Letting go of the blade for a moment, he punched her in the gut. The heroine doubled over for a moment, and Wolf Hunter brought his sword up to cleave into her. As he brought it back down, Chat slipped between the two.

And caught the blade in his right hand.

The metal slashed into Chat’s hand, splitting it down the middle and making him bite back a cry of pain. Wolf Hunter laughed and was about to boast when Chat chuckled himself and looked up with a smirk. “Hey, guess which hand turns things to dust.” Just as Wolf Hunter realized he’d made an error, Chat brought his fingers to the blade in his hand. “Cataclysm.”

The sword in Wolf Hunter’s hand looked as if it had vaporized in an instant, and a purple butterfly started to drift away. Wolf Hunter’s form melted back to his normal self, and Angelos Raptis stood there with a look of annoyance and worry. “Oh whoopie, you took my powers.” Angelos sneered until the panja bracelet on the heroine and Chat’s ring both beeped, one with far more frequency than the other. “One of you is injured, and the other’s a greenhorn. All I need to do is wait-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as a tonfa slammed into the side of his head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. “Man, he was getting annoying.”

Chat chuckled, even as it turned into a wince as he gripped his hand. “Aw, come on now. I wanted to hear his monologue.”

Her helmet displayed an eye-roll before she looked around and hummed. “So, why are the shadows still bending?”

“We still need to find his Amok.” Chat knelt down and started to pat him over, only to wince when he let go of his injured hand.

“I got it.” The heroine sank down into the shadows and stopped when she reached her waist. “Alright... let’s see... not there... wow, this guy has a lot of pockets... Ah!” She came back up from the ground and stuck only her hand in before pulling it back and grinning at what looked like a bobby pin turned home-made lockpick. It wouldn’t have stood out if it weren’t for the inky pulsing aura covering it.

She also may have cheated with her helmet. Being able to find things with their shadows was really cool and nobody could tell her otherwise.

Chat looked up and saw the Akuma fluttering around in the dome, unable to leave. “Yeah, but let’s hope Ladybug’s ready to catch both of them the moment we let this down.” He held the pin between his fingers and looked over at his temporary partner for the fight. “Say, what’s your name?”

“Tigress.” She gave him a small salute with her tonfa before putting both onto her hips. “Go ahead and do your thing. I’m going to let Ladybug know to be ready.” Her panja bracelet beeped louder, and Tigress glanced down at it. “And.... maybe find a nice shadowy spot to sit tight.”

Chat stood for a minute, just thinking as he held the pin in his good hand. Maybe his lady being tired was more believable than he’d thought before. If she felt like he did from this one fight every time they had dealt with an Akuma...

Then he needed to do more to help his lady, without constantly getting injured.

He glanced at his injured hand and groaned. “She’s going to be so mad at me for this.”

#Welcome to Paris Fur-ance #Chapter 16 #BNA #MLB #bna fanfic #mlb fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic

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graglithans-library · 4 years ago

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Welcome to Paris Fur-ance Ch 15: Heroes, Hostages, and Help

With Michiru unexpectedly joining in the fight, the heroes try and handle their most dangerous Akuma yet, with mixed results.

The moment Michiru arrived at the fight, Shirou’s instincts spiked. The sight of her wildly attacking the Akuma was something he never expected to see. It was completely out of character for her. She had helped him before but never had her attacks been so vicious. She must have charged out of the bakery once Nazuna vanished. Shirou snarled and shifted his weight slightly, eyes never leaving the fighting ahead of him. “Ladybug.” The heroine turned her attention to him for a moment. “I’m going to try to get Michiru out of there. She’s not thinking straight.”

“I was actually about to ask that.” Ladybug said as she readied her Yo-Yo. “Try to keep him from destroying too much more of Paris while you do. We’ll try and get to the hostages and move them somewhere safe.” She looked over to Chat and smirked. “Ready?”

Chat twirled his baton and gave her his signature smirk. “As always!”

________________________________________________________________

The growl coming from her throat felt strange, but Michiru barely noticed it. She just kept punching, kicking, and clawing at the Akuma. He had Nazuna. That’s what mattered. She just had to make sure Nazuna was safe. Her gorilla-sized hands clawed through a tree that Wolf Hunter had backed up towards, only to get stuck. She started pulling, making the wood creak in protest and caught a glimpse of the Akuma raising his blade.

Before he could bring it down, a blur shot between the two and caught him by the wrist. With a growl of his own, Shirou threw the Akuma back, where he slammed into the side of a car across the road and dented it. She stared at him in surprise for a moment before Shirou looked over at her angrily. “What do you think you’re doing!?”

“I-” She stammered out as the adrenaline running through her refused to stop.

Shirou stared down at her for a moment before sighing and facing the Akuma once more. “If you’re going to fight, keep your head level. I’m immortal, not you.” He got ready to charge in again and glanced back to Michiru. “I don’t want to see you gone just yet.”

The two turned back to the Wolf Hunter, noticing a flickering symbol over his face, before he reached up and grabbed it, snapping the image to pieces. “Tellement bon de l'avoir hors de ma tête.” He chuckled before getting up and raising his sword. “Maintenant, où en étions-nous?”

Michiru shifted her arm back to normal to free her hand and felt a spike of worry at the look in Wolf Hunter’s eyes. That... couldn’t have been good. Looking to the tree she’d smashed, she grabbed some of the wood and started hurling it. However, before the debris could strike true, Wolf Hunter’s shadow sprung up into the air and absorbed the attack.

That’s when Shirou got an idea. “While I fight him, you keep the shadow busy.”

Giving a determined nod, Michiru shot her arms out and grabbed a few more pieces of rubble. “Right.”

________________________________________________________________

Shadow Moth’s eyes widened as he watched the fight through his Akuma’s sight. These new heroes were proving formidable in their own right. He’d only thought the tanuki girl would act like Chat Noir, a distraction for some clever ploy. Yet, here she was, proving herself more dangerous than he initially thought. These animal shifting capabilities. Just what kind of Miraculous must this girl have to allow her so many uses in rapid succession?

He winced slightly as Wolf Hunter barely dodged a particularly strong punch that had been aimed at his head. He was lucky enough to see her claws had gotten stuck for a moment. Even with the enhanced endurance of my Akuma aiding him, that could have broken bones if not worse. Just what is this girl made of? It was only when the wolf had thrown his Akuma back and into a car that he had a safe moment to talk with him. “Wolf Hunter! The tanuki is proving more of a nuisance than anticipated. Bring me the other two-”

“Oh, shut up.” Shadow Moth jolted slightly. “It’s clear to me that she means something to that bastard if he’s that desperate to stop me from hurting her.”

Snarling, Shadow Moth slammed his cane into the ground. “Your orders were to bring them and their Miraculous to me! I did not order you to kill the two beasts!”

“Sorry, but you aren’t my boss.” A sneer came across Wolf Hunter’s face as he reached up towards the glowing mask on his face. “She’d pay me quite the fortune to have all of their skins. Even that Ladybrat’s.”

There was a sudden snap within the connection, and Shadow Moth was left reeling in surprise as he stumbled back. His eyes widened as he looked out of his lair’s decorative window in shock. The connection was severed!? How!? He snarled and marched back up to the window, holding up his cane and closing his eyes. Concentrating on the Akuma, he tried to find the severed link to pull the power back.

When he felt nothing left, Shadow Moth grimaced. “This may be a problem.”

________________________________________________________________

As Shirou and Michiru were fighting the Akuma, Ladybug and Chat Noir looked up at the mass of shadows. When Chat tried to get close to the windows and doors, wolf jaws would snap at him, nearly taking his hand at one point. “My lady, I don’t see how we’re getting inside. These wolves have more bite than bark.”

She looked around and saw a side entrance into the building that wasn’t being affected by the shadows. “Then we go around.” They rushed for the door, finding it locked. “Think you can break it down?”

“Right away, my Lady.” Chat reached up into the air and drew his arm back. “Cata-!”

“No!” Ladybug quickly slapped her hand over his mouth and shook her head. “We can’t waste your power yet. I have a feeling we’ll need it later with Wolf Hunter.”

Chat nodded before lowering his arm back down and grabbing his baton. With a strong swing, he managed to dent in the door, but it still stood. “This is going smashingly, don’t you agree?”

Ladybug took a moment to look at the hole before scratching her chin. “Just a little more, and I’ll be able to slip through.” A growl came from the door, and she jumped back, barely dodging the swipe of claws digging through the metal door. The metal gave way with a screech, and all that remained was a black void a centimeter in from the door frame. “Or... that.”

“I think we’re going to need a lucky charm for this.” Chat kept his distance from the shades, almost losing his baton to the snap of some jaws from the dark.

Keeping her distance, Ladybug threw her yo-yo up into the air. “Lucky Charm!” The flash of pink magic overhead hit the shadows, and there was a slight hiss from the creatures. Ladybug almost missed the charm she’d made as it fell down into her waiting hands. “Wait, what?” She stared at the small compact for a moment before realizing it looked like one she’d seen before.

Flicking open the wrist mirror to confirm her suspicions, she looked to Chat with a smile. “I have a plan, but we’re going to need some new help for this one.” She spun her yo-yo and got ready to leap. “Think you can help Oogami keep the Akuma busy till I recharge and get back?”

“No problem, my Lady.” Chat rushed back to the street where the fighting was going on, and Ladybug swung her way through Paris. As he went to help Shirou, however, Chat paused a bit in thought. “Where have I seen that mirror before?”

With Ladybug off to get help with the fight, Chat returned to the main battle and readied his baton. Shirou was in the middle of holding back one of Wolf Hunter’s swings, the blade caught in one hand and digging into his palm. Michiru was in the middle of throwing debris from the battle back at him, but Wolf Hunter’s shadow kept catching everything she threw. Chat rushed over and swung his baton, making Wolf Hunter lean back from the blow and jump away to avoid a second strike.

Shirou looked at him for a moment with narrowed eyes. “I thought you were handling the hostages.”

Chat gave a quick shake of his head. “Had a problem getting to them. Ladybug’s off getting a Miraculous that should help.” His attention went back to Wolf Hunter. “Any idea where his Akuma or Amok are?”

“It’s in the item that looks out of place, right?” Shirou dodged a slice that split the road between them and kept his eyes on Wolf Hunter.

Narrowing his eyes, Chat tried to pick out the objects that didn’t fit with the outfit. “It’s probably in the gold ring I see on his hood.”

Shirou ducked under another strike and growled as it slashed through a building. “And the other?”

Chat sidestepped as a beam carved through where he’d been standing. “The sword.”

“Then we just break them and be done with this.” Shirou got ready to charge in again, only to have a shadow beast try and bite him when he got too close. “Damn.”

“We can’t break the object until Ladybug gets here.” Another shadow creature forced Chat to jump, landing on a light pole starting to precariously lean. “Besides, this guy’s not giving us a shadow of a chance to get close.”

Michiru was still throwing debris towards the fight, but as she reached for another rock, one of the shadows started to climb up her arms. Shirou saw her start to struggle and growled. “Michiru!” Shirou ran forward, only for Wolf Hunter to jump between them and bring his sword up for a strike. Shirou landed a punch against Wolf Hunter’s sword, only to get thrown back and flip to land on his feet. Seeing the shadow wolf forming behind Michiru and putting her into a headlock, Shirou snarled. “Don’t you have something you could use like she does?”

Grimacing, Chat looked at his claws for a moment. “Technically, but It’d be Clawful.” Jumping to a different pole as a shadow consumed the one he’d been on, Chat readied his staff. “If I try to get rid of the Akuma, then all the damage can’t be fixed.” He lunged overhead and brought his staff down towards Wolf Hunter, where the Akuma blocked him and made him slide back with the force of the counter. He spared a moment to glance at Shirou, unintentionally letting his guard fall. “And I’m paw-sitively against that idea.”

Wolf Hunter noticed Chat’s attention had faltered and quickly brought his sword down towards him. The beam carved through the concrete between the two of them as it soared. Chat didn’t have time to react as he turned and saw the strike heading for him, eyes wide in shock.

Until he was shoved to the side, and a fountain of blood filled the air.

As he landed on the ground, Chat was vaguely aware of something resting at his feet. He looked down and paled at the sight of the grey-furred arm that was lying there. He felt as if the blood pooling wasn’t coming from the limb, but his own veins with how fast it was leaving his face.

Michiru had been fighting the shadow holding onto her but froze for a moment as she watched in horror. “Otōsan!”

Chat sat there, his eyes moving to watch the blood pour from the severed stump on Shirou’s shoulder. The girl had said Otōsan. That was Japanese for... father, right? Did that make him her father? If that was the case, then that would mean she just watched her father get his arm cut off. All because he didn’t pay attention. Because he had to get pushed out of the way of an attack. The information led to the realization, and shortly after, Chat felt something start to well up inside of him. It made him wonder if this was how Ladybug felt when he got hurt.

He didn’t like the feeling.

“You should pay more attention.” Wolf Hunter started to walk closer, sneering as he lazily twirled his sword. “You’ll live long-”

Shirou bolted forward, and with his remaining arm, landed a solid punch to Wolf Hunter’s face. “You talk too much.” He stopped for a second attack but stumbled as he tried to raise his foot. Looking down, Shirou saw the shadows clawing their way up to his legs and rooting him in place.

“Sorry there, but I figured you had some fight in you still,” Wolf Hunter laughed as he got up off the ground while rubbing his jaw. He snapped his fingers, and the shadows grabbing onto Shirou quickly began to spread over his body. “And I’m not about to let you do any of that. Now, I think it’d be fun to make these girls here suffer right in front of you.” He started to walk back towards the rapidly immobilized Shirou, and Michiru was slowly being pulled behind him.

Before he could get far, however, Chat’s baton slammed down into the concrete where he was about to step. Wolf Hunter looked mildly annoyed at the hero as he righted the grip on his blade. “You know, it’s pretty stupid to get between a hunter and their prey.”

Chat grimaced, baton held in front of himself defensively as he watched Wolf Hunter walk closer. Just what was Shadow Moth waiting for? Even his worst Akumas never went this far. When they had even come close, that damn mask would form, and he’d give them new orders to redirect them, so why wasn’t he here? Was he really willing to kill all of Paris for some magic jewelry?

Seeing the look in Chat Noir’s eyes, Wolf Hunter laughed. “Want to know something? I don’t think Shadow Moth realized just how much power he was giving me.” He tapped the ground with his foot, and all the shadows started to converge underneath him, except for the four holding the beastman in place. “He gave me the power to exact my vengeance on the wolf-man over there, his words, but he’s far stronger than he looks. I made sure to keep that little tidbit to myself once I realized it. It made breaking from Shadow Moth’s control that much easier.”

Chat’s eyes widened ever so slightly. If what he said was true, then he wasn’t currently under Shadow Moth’s control? This man was willingly doing all of this?

Disbelief slowly started to bubble into a new emotion. Chat hissed under his breath as his baton trembled in his grasp. “Shirou’s right.” He suddenly extended his baton straight at Wolf Hunter, making the Akuma lean to the side to dodge. Twisting his body, Chat sent the baton straight into the side of Wolf Hunter’s head, stunning him momentarily, before swinging it back around and knocking Wolf Hunter’s feet out from under him. Glaring at the Akuma, Chat’s eyes were filled with an unsetting coldness. “You talk too much.”

Wolf Hunter got a glint in his eye as he stood back up. “Now this is getting FUN!” Slamming his foot into the ground, the shadows spread out around the two and forced them into a makeshift arena. All four beastmen were held in place, embedded into the mass, and unable to move on the sides. “Come on, you worthless stray! Let’s see you try and best a professional!”

________________________________________________________________

On the Liberty, Juleka was sighing as she sat on the deck, looking out over the Seine sadly. Her mind refused to let go of what had happened the day prior with Lila and Rose. It was amazing how much she realized was wrong when she stopped to think about what she’d been seeing and hearing. “How could Lila insinuate something like that? It’s like she wanted Marinette to get in trouble.” But that was just it, wasn’t it? Maybe she did want Marinette in trouble. But why then? Marinette is nothing but nice to everyone. Except for Lila. But everyone loves Lila. Except for Alya and Marinette. Juleka’s eyes widened as she came to a realization. “The only kind of person Marinette hates is liars... and... Lila lied, didn’t she.” She felt cold as the thought sank in. Marinette was right. God, I’ve been a horrible friend and- Oh god, Rose. She doesn't know yet. But how can I tell anyone? Everyone glares at Marinette and Alya now. They’re treated almost like... like how we treated Chloé all the time. I don't want to think badly of them, but... the possibility of that happening to Rose or me.

Groaning, Juleka got up and rubbed her face. “I need something to get my head out of this mess.”

“Then, perhaps I can help?”

Juleka jumped and spun around, seeing Ladybug landing on the Liberty with a smile. “L-Ladybug? What are you doing here?”

“There’s an Akuma near city hall that has two hostages. I need help to get them out.” Ladybug pulled her yo-yo from her hip before flipping open side and pulling a small spotted pod out. She held it out to Juleka and smiled. “Juleka Couffaine, this is the Miraculous of the Tiger, which grants the power of Subversion. You will use this power for the greater good. Upon the completion of your mission, you will return the Miraculous to me.”

Reaching out for the miraculous for a moment, Juleka hesitated just as her hand got close. “Are... are you sure I’m the right one for this job? Nobody even noticed me until a friend helped me. And... and I already let that friend down recently, just because I was scared of being unseen again.”

Ladybug’s smile warmed as she placed a hand on Juleka’s shoulder. “If there is anyone who could turn their fears into their strengths, I have no doubt it’s you. Once we’re done, I suggest talking to your friend. They might be more understanding than you think.”

Juleka looked shocked for a moment before a determined glint entered her eyes. Taking the pod from Ladybug, she pressed on the dot and watched it unfurl, and a purple ball of light spring forth.

When the light diminished, the Tiger Kwami hovered over the panja bracelet sitting in the pod. “My name is Roaar, and I’m your Kwami!”

Juleka held back a squeal that would have been more appropriate from her girlfriend before holding her hands out and watching Roaar land in them. “So, what do you do?”

“I help you transform into a superhero! Just say the words ‘Roaar, Stalk the Shadows’ to transform and ‘Leave the Shade’ to de-transform. Your special power is called ‘Shadow Step.’ It lets you move through the shadows freely for five minutes.” Roaar flew up and poked Juleka between the eyes, making her flinch, “and you better not do anything selfish with my powers. Got it?”

Nodding, Juleka slipped the miraculous onto her hand. “I promise.” She took a deep breath before holding her hand out. “Roaar, Stalk the Shadows!”

#Welcome to Paris Fur-ance #MLB #BNA #miraculous ladybug #brand new animal #Fanfic #Fanfiction #mlb fanfic #bna fanfic #gore warning #chapter 15

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graglithans-library · 4 years ago

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Welcome to Paris Fur-ance Ch 14: The Hurt, The Hunter, and The Hunted

... I have no real excuse besides holidays.

Shirou explains the situation to the Dupain-Cheng parents, The Akuma does some damage, and the Heroes get ready for a fight.

Shirou, once downstairs, found a seat at one of the tables and waited patiently. Tom, for his part, looked surprised at the sight of a tall white-haired man coming down the stairs, but quickly shifted to an angry frown when he noticed how serious his wife looked.

It was one of those few moments that he was thankful that his bakery was empty for the time being.

Once they were all seated, Sabine steepled her fingers in a way that made Shirou think of Barbara. “So, would you care to introduce yourself?”

“Shirou Oogami.” He gave her a polite nod before continuing. “I work for the Mayor of Anima City.”

Tom frowned as he crossed his arms. “I’ve never heard of a place called A-”

Michiru rushed down the stairs and took a moment to catch her breath before sitting next to him. Shirou had to take a moment to stare at her with a raised eyebrow before she shrugged. “Nani? Nani ga okotte iru no kamo shiritai nodesu.”

Sighing, Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose. “Watashi wa nochini anata o kinyū shimasu” Looking back at Tom, Shirou continued. “As I was saying.”

For the next few minutes, Shirou filled Sabine and Tom in on what he saw, watching as their faces morphed from anger to shock, and finally horror. Michiru’s expression was similar as she was told in kind.

Sabine was holding onto Tom’s hand with a terrifying grip. “How... how could she? In front of her own daughter?”

Tom took a breath to steady himself before looking to Shirou. “Is this the reason you brought her here?”

Shirou gave a small nod. “From what I can tell, Mlle. Bourgeois is going to need somewhere she can hide. When I asked her who she could trust, she brought us here to your home.” He looked over at the baking supplies that littered the kitchen and frowned. “I know this will likely cause you problems due to the reasons she can’t be seen in public. One of which in particular may affect your business regardless if she’s discovered or not.”

Tom and Sabine shared a glance with each other. “What do you mean?”

Shirou looked at Michiru and nodded. “Hitsuyōniōjite shifuto dekimasu. Setsumei ni yakudachimasu.”

Michiru perked up a bit and shifted back to her tanuki form. “Ā〜 sore wa totemo kibungaīdesu!”

Turning back to the Dupain-Chengs, Shirou hid a smirk at their shocked expressions. “As with most people from Anima City, Michiru and I are beastmen. We have the ability to shift between our natural forms and a human disguise at will.”

“What?” Sabine reached over and hesitated before Michiru let her feel her hand. “It’s real...” Michiru blushed a bit and gently pulled her hand away, giving an awkward smile.

Shirou’s face darkened slightly more after he gave Michiru a nod, and she shifted back to her human form with a whine. “However, Michiru was once human, like you and your husband. It was after an incident that she and Nazuna accidentally were turned into beastmen.”

Sharing a look with her husband, Sabine frowned. “Why are you telling us this?”

Sighing for a moment, Shirou paused before looking to the stairs. “The reason this applies to the situation with Mlle. Bourgeois, is that the individual that brought us here managed to purposefully cause the same changes that accidentally occurred to Michiru and Nazuna.”

Sabine gasped as she put her hands to her mouth. “You mean that she’s-!?” Shirou nodded solemnly, and she turned to Tom. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know.” He grimaced and looked around in thought. “The guest room?”

“We can’t let her stay here. There’s the risk of the food getting hair in it,” Sabine bit her lip slightly and worriedly looked towards the stairs. “But she needs help too.”

Shirou stood up and got their attention. “If it comes to it, I can bring her with me to the residence that we are being allowed to stay in.”

Both Tom and Sabine looked concerned as they thought over the situation. “Will they be alright with that?”

“If not, I’ll figure something-” An explosion rang out across the city, making Shirou’s head snap towards the windows.

Sharing a glance, the two bakers ran to the back of the counter and reached underneath. Tom slammed his hand down on a button, making metal shutters slide down over the windows.

Shirou gave the defenses a once over. They weren’t much, but it was at least something. He looked at Michiru and knew his next words would be ignored. “Michiru, koko ni ite.”

Michiru let out an indignant huff, reaching an arm out to grab on to him. “Daga-!” Before he let her finish, he was out the door and out of sight. Michiru let her arm fall, and her face did the same. “Watashi wa tasukeru koto ga dekiru...”

_______________________________________________________________

The police cruisers were scattered in the street from the force of the explosion. The one that had been destroyed rested in the center of the road, flames dancing as they entirely consumed the vehicle. From the flames' depths, a shadowy silhouette could be seen standing before it jumped into the air and out of the flames. When they landed, a man with red skin, dressed like a Viking berserker, landed with enough force to shatter the concrete below.

Slowly, he stood up and cracked his neck and adjusted the wolfskin cloak that rested on his shoulders. Pulling the hood over his head again, shadows hid the upper half of his face. There was a gold piercing in the wolf head’s ear that glittered in the light. Looking at the sword he now held in his hand, he chuckled and looked down the road, where he could see more police headed his way. “Aw, the calvary. It’s an honor to have them called for little old me.”

He raised his blade and brought it down in a blinding swing, sending a shockwave that rushed down the road, slicing one of the cruisers in half. The remains of the vehicle crashed to either side of him, and a severed hand landed at his feet. “Damn, missed.” The officer's screams could be heard from one half of the cruiser until they suddenly came to a gurgling halt. “That’s better.”

The other officers hid behind riot shields and their car doors. “Stay right where you are!”

Wolf Hunter shrugged and smiled. “I’m not the one you should be worried about.” The officer looked confused for a moment before dark jaws snapped down over his arm and pulled him into the shadowy depths of his cruiser. More officers were grabbed and pulled into the shadows that unnaturally filled their vehicles until nothing was left. Wolf Hunter looked down at his side as his shadow slunk back over to him and returned to where it was meant to be. “Enjoy your meal?” The shadow turned and twisted to show a fanged grin and glowing eyes. “Good boy.”

The shadow stretched up from his feet, forming a large shadow of a werewolf. “Now, let’s go find us a wolf, eh? Maybe some rare jewelry while we’re at it.”

_______________________________________________________________

The explosion that rang through the city rattled the walls. Marinette jumped to her feet as soon as the shaking stopped and looked at Chloé, “An Akuma? Now!?” Chloé just looked confused for a moment as Marinette started to run for the door. “Where are you going?”

“I, uh,” Marinette stammered for a moment before smiling awkwardly. “I need to go take care of a last-minute assignment! You remember how Mme. Mendeleiev gets.” Looking confused more than anything, Chloé just stared at her for a moment before noticing how Marinette’s hand was about to pull the door closed. “So, I’m just going to let you have your privacy.”

Standing up, Chloé started to march for the door. “Dupain-Cheng, don’t you dare-!” Before the door could shut, a shadowy mass rose from the floor and loomed over Chloé. Marinette’s grip on the door was lost as she and Chloé fell back, staring in shock. Chloé tried to shuffle away, even as the shadow loomed closer. Taking a tentative sniff of the girl, the shadow growled a bit before it lunged forward, and Chloé screamed.

“Chloé!” Marinette reached out for her, only for the shadow to vanish back into the floor, leaving the room empty. “No...” Another scream behind her made Marinette turn around and see Nazuna getting grabbed by claws coming from the darkness under her coffee table. Grabbing a chair, Marinette hefted it over her head and slammed it down on the table, making the shadow screech and retract.

Nazuna looked thankful before her eyes moved to something behind Marinette. Quickly, she shoved Marinette away, only to be tackled to the ground by another shadow. It grabbed her by the arms and was pinned her to the floor before snarling in Nazuna’s face. Scowling, Nazuna began to spark with pink light as she shifted back into her fox form. Pulling one arm free, it grew into a gorilla fist as she punched the shadow in the face as hard as she could.

Only for her fist to sink into the shadow, as a twisted smile formed on it’s partially disturbed face. Nazuna let out a surprised scream as she was pulled inside, disappearing entirely.

Marinette stood there, frozen for a moment as the shadow looked at her curiously before turning away and diving into the shadows. Not a moment later, Michiru and her parents burst into the room from the stairs, looking around before their eyes landed on Marinette.

Sabine rushed over and hugged her daughter. “What happened?”

Michiru looked around before seeing one of Nazuna’s shoes on the ground. Slowly she picked it up and looked at Marinette. “Nazuna wa doko?”

Sabine shared a glance between the two before putting her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “Marinette, where did Nazuna go?”

“It... it took them.” Michiru suddenly ran upstairs, bolting up into Marinette’s room. Marinette started going after her shortly after her. “Michiru, Wait!” When she got up into her room, she spotted Michiru standing on the balcony. There was a flash of blue light, and Marinette’s jaw dropped as her arms were replaced with bird wings.

“Marinette!” She spun around and saw her mother coming in after her. Sabine quickly pulled Marinette into a hug. “Please, promise me you’ll stay in your room.” Panic rushed through Marinette for a moment. If she stayed, then Paris would still be in danger. “I know you’re probably scared for your friends, but we can’t rush out as they did. We don’t have superpowers to keep ourselves safe.”

Guilt crept up Marinette’s spine as she hugged her mother back. “Okay.”

As soon as her mother and father went back downstairs, Marinette turned to the window, eyes narrowed into a determined glare. “Tikki, Spots on.”

_______________________________________________________________

Shirou ran down the street, shifting into his wolf form for more speed. He skids around a corner and saw some cars piled in a traffic jam before using one of them to vault himself up to the rooftops and keep going.

A black figure started to catch up to him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Chat Noir hot on his trail. “Shouldn’t you be investigating or something?”

“I was.” Shirou and Chat leaped over a gap between two buildings. “These Akumas are only going to get in the way if I’m going to help find Hawkmoth.” He snarled as a thought came to mind. “And with what happened earlier, I have a fairly certain idea of who got Akumatized.”

“Oh, care to share?” Chat vaulted over a chimney to keep up.

“One of the men who were arrested at City Hall earlier today.”

Chat’s face fell into a confused frown. “What?”

“I take it you haven’t seen the news.” Shirou hopped down from the roofs, Chat following him until they came to a street corner. There were two halves of a police cruiser resting against a light post, and Shirou scowled as he inhaled. “He’s close.”

Chat looked down the road at the trail of destruction. “I’ve never seen an Akuma be this destructive before.” He looked down in thought and grimaced. “The closest I can think of is Stormy Weather, but she was quite the force of nature.”

Shirou walked closer to one of the destroyed cruisers and knelt down to examine the interior. His eyes went wide for a moment before he snarled. “Now isn’t the time for jokes.”

A growl got his attention before Shirou had to quickly lean back to avoid a pair of jaws snapping down on his neck. He rolled away and quickly sprung to his feet, where the shadow creature pulled itself from the interior of the vehicle and stalked forward.

Chat narrowed his eyes and readied his staff. “A Sentimonster too?”

It looked up for a moment before leaping out of the way of Ladybug’s yo-yo slamming into the ground where it had been. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Just in time, Bugaboo.” Chat smirked before turning to the Sentimonster with a grin. “Now, let’s put this puppy to bed.”

Shirou put an arm in front of Chat, earning a glare. “Hold it, something’s not right.”

“Clever wolf.” The three turned around and saw Wolf Hunter clapping his hands as he walked up to them, sword at his hip. “I expected nothing less from the man who took down some of the world’s most wanted single-handedly.” He looked over at Chat and smiled wider. “And you brought the cat too! This just made my hunt all the easier.”

“Hey, no need to get your fur ruffled.” Chat taunted as he redirected his stance to Wolf Hunter. “Now, why don’t you be a good boy and hand over the Akuma and Amok.”

Wolf Hunter raised a finger and tutted. “Now, there’s no need to be hasty. After all,” he waved his hand, and two more shadow beasts rose from the ground before Nazuna and Chloé were pushed out of their depths. “I’ve got a few little friends of yours-” Wolf Hunter’s monologue was cut short when he looked over and saw Chloé. His attention snapped to the shadow that had released her, and he snarled. “You idiot! You were supposed to get the Tanuki girl!” The shadow whimpered and reeled back a touch before Wolf Hunter looked at Chloé with a slowly forming smile. When Chloé tried to run, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. “Though, with you, I could keep in my boss’s good graces.”

Chat’s jaw had dropped at the sight of Chloé. “Is that...?”

Ladybug nodded solemnly. “It is.”

Shirou's eyes narrowed for a moment. How would she know that? The only location that I brought here was-

Wolf Hunter tossed Chloé back to the shadow and frowned. “Put her in the Tanuki’s place for now.” The shadows both nodded and moved to a broken storefront, placing themselves over the window and enveloping the interior in darkness.

Shirou growled and stood straighter. “What do you want?”

Wolf Hunter shrugged and grabbed his sword, idly swinging it in his hand. “Oh, you know, the usual spiel. Give me your miraculous, I’ll let you fulfill your desires, yada yada yada.” He raised his blade towards Shirou and had a manic glee in his eyes. “That second part being my desire to put your head on a pike.” Taking a moment to shrug, he rolled his eyes. “Shadowmoth also wants your little beast-girl duo for some reason. Guess he’s mad they made a fool of him last time he did anything.”

“Shadowmoth?” Ladybug whispered to herself before gasping and looking at Chat. “Hawkmoth must have unified the Butterfly and Peacock.”

Chat grimaced and risked a glance at her. “I don’t suppose you have any spares on you by chance?”

“Unfortunately not.” Ladybug readied her yo-yo and narrowed her eyes. The shadows that had Nazuna and Chloé trapped were writhing in her peripheral, and a look of determination formed on her face. “We’ll have to figure out how to get those two out of there first.”

Before much else could happen, a scream of rage pierced through the air. Wolf Hunter looked up and quickly jumped back, and Michiru dive-bombed where he’d been standing. Her gorilla fist was embedded into the concrete as she stared daggers at the Wolf Hunter. “Kanojo wa doko?”

Ladybug could already tell this was going to be a long fight.

_______________________________________________________________

Spinning in his chair, a scientist was idly humming. He kept it up until the doors behind him opened, and a woman clad in a suit walked in. “So, how did it go?”

She gave him a slight bow before looking at a clipboard in her hand. “The experiment was a success, sir. The viral accelerant we created proved entirely capable of shortening the Beast Factor's time to integrate into the subject’s DNA. The samples taken from the zoo helped stabilize the final results as well. As of now, Chloé Bourgeois is a Mink Beastman.”

He paused and blinked a bit before shooting up from his seat. “Wait, it worked already!?” The woman nodded, and he started to pace. “That’s actually a lot faster than I thought. I was expecting, I don’t know, a week? I mean, really, the information we could scrounge together said it took months for the Kagemori girl and her friend to become beastmen. Yet with just a little push, we shortened it down to only...” Checking his watch with a raised eyebrow, he let out a surprised hum. “12 hours? I really have to give it to myself. My expertise is truly astounding!”

The woman put the clipboard under her arm again and nodded. “Technically, the formula worked just under ten hours, sir.” A deeper frown crossed her face as she turned to face where he’d moved to in his ranting. “There is one problem, however.”

He raised an eyebrow as he turned his head to her. “Hm?”

A hiss moved through the air as she glared down at the floor. “Due to Oogami’s interference, the subject has escaped termination.”

With a disinterested wave, the scientist just sat back down in his chair. “Eh, don’t bother.”

The woman was surprised for a moment, looking at him in confusion. “Sir?”

He shrugged and went back to spinning in his chair. “No point, really. The experiment’s over, and I got the information I wanted. With a personality like hers, I have no doubts she’ll be crawling into a hole to hide anyways. No status, no money, and now no humanity? Why wouldn’t she?” He laughed a bit and stopped his chair to face his computer. “I mean, we did set up the situation, but WOW, I did not expect Audrey to plan on skinning her.”

Eyes narrowing dangerously, the woman’s grip on the clipboard tightened. “If you knew already, why have me-”

“By the way, how’s the lion doing?” The scientist interrupted without care.

The woman let out a long-suffering sigh before adjusting her suit’s lapel. “The professor is fine, physically speaking. He has been rather... agitated since the fiasco that moved the Kagemori girl and her friend into Paris.”

Rolling his eyes, the scientist just shrugged. “Oh, pfft. His little toy broke, big whoop. He already has spares.”

A cruel smirk grew onto the woman’s face as she nodded. “Very well. I will be sure to inform him of your opinion, sir.” She pulled out the clipboard again and glanced down at it. “The second event of note, the gambling ring, is likely to end up collapsing soon.”

The scientist was silent for a moment before sighing. “Well damn, there goes a time killer. Eh, that just means I can start on a second test.” He started punching in some numbers, and the machinery around him came to life. “To verify the data and all that.”

The woman’s smirk widened as handed him the clipboard. “Then, my final piece of news may be of interest to you.”

“Oh?” He looked over the notes, and his eyebrows slowly rose.

Moving to the door, the woman’s smile slowly showed the fangs she had hidden under her lips. “Oogami and Kagemori are currently fighting an Akuma, alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. On top of that, Hiwatashi and the Bourgeois girl are both being held, hostage.”

“You’re right, that is interesting.” He tossed the clipboard over his shoulder, where the woman caught it with ease. The machinery around him whirled, and a syringe was ejected for him to pick up. “And a wonderful opportunity at that.”

#Welcome to Paris Fur-ance #Chapter 14 #miraculous ladybug #MLB #BNA #brand new animal #fanfiction #fanfic #mlb fanfic #bna fanfic

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graglithans-library · 4 years ago

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Welcome to Paris, Fur-ance Ch 14: The Hurt, the Hunter, and the Hunted