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runawaycatwalker · 1 month

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Part 26. Asynchronous Expectations (Oni-Chan 2.0, part C)

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Description below the cut

Astrocat wings pattern from here.

Ladybug leaps through the air, swinging her yo-yo towards the Agreste mansion.

Ladybug: Those ribbons were coming from Adrien's place. Now where's the villain...?

Cut to Gabriel’s atelier, where Oni-Chan is throwing up her hands (one hand holding her sword upwards) in exasperation while looking at a sentimonster—the Unpublisher—as he holds up a single finger.

The Unpublisher: It looks like you want to know what my powers are. Would you like help?

Oni-Chan: Yes! I just said that!

The Unpublisher has an uncanny smile and holds up a hand in helpful explanation. (The Unpublisher is an unsettling inversion of Adrien Agreste—blue hair, dark blue skin, a black overshirt with a white undershirt, hair parted on the other side, and all line art with white lines instead of black.)

The Unpublisher: To delete a picture of Adrien Agreste: Hold my amok and order me to delete a picture of Adrien Agreste.

Oni-Chan picks up a photonegative that was left on the corner of the central platform of Gabriel’s atelier.

Oni-Chan: Is this it?

The Unpublisher: That is the amok belonging to the Unpublisher. Helpful tip: the Unpublisher is me! This amok can be used to control the actions of the Un—

Oni-Chan: I get it.

Oni-Chan holds the photonegative and points towards Gabriel’s computer. The Unpublisher looks at her with a large grin.

Oni-Chan: Look through that computer for Adrien Agreste photos. Delete all of them from existence.

The Unpublisher: Got it. Please be patient while I take care of that for you.

Ladybug throws the door open and leaps into the room, wielding her yo-yo. A couple black ribbons are starting to weave their way into the world.

Ladybug: Not if I have anyth—

Ladybug is abruptly swarmed by a dense slurry of the magical ribbons conjured by the Unpublisher as he deletes every image of Adrien that Gabriel owns.

Ladybug: —Mmph!

Cut to Rena Furtive looking through her telescope at Oni-Chan teleporting across the rooftops as the ribbons fan out across the world.

Ladybug (over comm): I can't get past these ribbons!

Rena Furtive: You might not have to. Oni-Chan’s mass-teleporting again. She’s holding something new—I assume it's an amok?

Ladybug (over comm): Then I’ll have to bring her to me...

Cut to Nathalie’s bedroom, where Nathalie sits on the edge of her bed as she speaks to Ladybug. Her room is largely untouched by the ribbons (though a few can be seen flowing past her windows). Note that Nathalie has a large map of the world on her wall.

Ladybug: Ms. Sancouer, I need your help. Do you have a picture of Adrien that Mr. Agreste doesn’t have copies of?

Nathalie: I believe so.

Nathalie (internally): As much as I want to find Adrien, I can't risk an akuma like Oni-Chan leading Gabriel to him first. If Gabriel asks, I’ll just say I couldn’t refuse Ladybug without rousing suspicion.

A closeup of Nathalie holding her tablet, on which is a picture of Adrien as he stole the grimoire. He has yet to be deleted.

Nathalie: Here.

Ladybug: Wait, don't look yet—

Oni-Chan teleports in and hits Nathalie (and her tablet with the offending image) with her sword, petrifying her. Oni-Chan looks towards Ladybug and waves an angry fist (which holds the photonegative amok).

Oni-Chan: Again, Ladybug? Why must you keep getting in my way?

Oni-Chan swings her sword towards Ladybug, who manages to deflect it with her yo-yo as she leaps back.

Oni-Chan: I just want to find Adrien! Don't you want that too?

Ladybug: Not like this! I won't let you hurt everyone just to get to him!

Close-up of Oni-Chan’s unyielding eyes.

Oni-Chan: Then perish!

Ladybug, on pure instinct, yells and throws her yo-yo.

Ladybug: Chat Noir, now!

Ladybug clenches her eyes shut, berating herself.

Ladybug (internally): Stupid reflex!

Ladybug yanks her yo-yo back before it makes contact with Oni-Chan.

Ladybug (internally): He's not here!

Ladybug uses her yo-yo to flee as Oni-Chan lunges towards her. But behind Oni-Chan, Catwalker has backflipped into the room behind her, his finger touching the amok with his Cataclysm.

Ladybug (internally): I have to fall back and try something els—

Catwalker: Cataclysm!

A closeup of Oni-Chan as she teleports away as the feather starts to emerge from the amok.

Cut to a closeup of the Unpublisher as he begins to dissolve, his mouth forming an ‘O’ as his final ribbon fails as it comes out his finger.

Cut back to Nathalie’s bedroom (she’s still petrified), where Ladybug raises a hesitant hand towards Catwalker.

Ladybug: C-Catwalker? Where’s the amok?

Catwalker: Oni-Chan took it with her when she teleported away.

Ladybug, face in panicked shock, clenches her fists.

Ladybug: No! That means I can’t heal the sentimonster’s damage!

Catwalker holds out an appeasing hand.

Catwalker: But it was only destroying Adrien Agreste’s modeling photos, right? No one got hurt. And I don't think Adrien would mind losing all that exposure.

Ladybug holds up her hands in infuriation.

Ladybug: Not mind??? Those pictures are incredibly important to Adrien and everyone who still cares about him! They were all anyone had left of him!

Catwalker slumps and touches the back of his neck.

Catwalker: I'm sorry.

Ladybug: What were you even thinking?

Catwalker: I thought... I thought I was following your orders...

Ladybug points her finger in accusation.

Ladybug: The only order I've given you is to stay out of my way. And you can't even do that! I am this close to taking that ring and giving it to someone else, screw what Mayura promised!

Catwalker backs up against the bedroom door, shamefaced, holding his baton in both hands in front of him.

Catwalker: You called for Chat Noir. Since he couldn't answer you, I just... did what I thought he would have done.

Ladybug shoves Catwalker through the doors, bursting them open. Catwalker loses grip on his baton as he tumbles backwards.

Ladybug: Don't you dare put the blame on him! You aren't Chat Noir! And me calling for him out of old instincts does not give you the right to act like you could ever fill his shoes!

Ladybug slams the doors shut.

Ladybug: Here's your new orders: Go home! You've put in your mandatory appearance, now leave me alone!

Cut to a conciliatory Rena Furtive calling over her comm, split screen with Ladybug as she answers over her comm, trying to get a grip on herself.

Rena Furtive: I'm sorry. I know how important Adrien's pictures have been for you.

Ladybug: I can't worry about what's been lost. I need to figure out my next move.

Rena Furtive: All the other heroes have been frozen by Oni-Chan. We're running out of allies. If we can't use Catwalker, I might have to expose myself and join in the battle.

Cut to Catwalker as he sits sadly on the floor on the other side of the door, hugging his knees and eavesdropping on Ladybug.

Ladybug (voiceover): I can handle this all on my own. I just need a...

Cut to the creation of a Lucky Charm. It’s a pair of gloves holding hands, one red covered in black spots with Ladybug’s emblem on the wrist, the other solid black with a red paw print on its wrist.

Ladybug: ...Lucky Charm!

Rena Furtive (over comm): What did you get?

Ladybug: A red glove glued to a black glove... holding... hands?

Ladybug looks frazzled and in deep denial as she lifts one of the fingers from the red glove and making it point somewhere.

Rena Furtive (over comm): I hate to say it, but that sounds like you do need to ask for help this time.

Ladybug: No! This can't mean that I have to use him! It's obviously just pointing towards...

Ladybug holds a pencil in the air, about to throw it, as she starts to cover her eyes with her other hand, one eye peeking as she takes aim.

Ladybug: ...This pencil! And if I close my eyes and throw this pencil at this map, it'll show me where Adrien is!

Rena Furtive (over comm): Uh... I don't think your Lucky Charm works like that...

A close-up of the map, where the pencil has embedded itself. Ladybug takes a picture of it with her yo-yo.

Ladybug: I've got the coordinates! Now I just have to follow them! Power up!

Catwalker watches Cosmobug flying through the sky via the window. In one hand, he uses his baton to take a picture of the map; in the other, he holds a purple piece of cheese to his mouth.

Catwalker (internally): I'm sorry, but I think I have to disobey you once more, m'Lady...

Catwalker (aloud): Power up!

A closeup of a pair of cuffed black gloves in front of magical green wings. He holds his baton in one hand and points at the picture of the map on its screen with the other.

Astrocat (internally): If I take a path curved away from the equator... I can get there before Ladybug does and—

Pull back to show Astrocat—the powered-up form of Chat Noir, not Catwalker—looking at himself in panic.

Astrocat (internally): Oh no. I powered up as Astrocat without thinking!

Adrien hides himself behind a wall and detransforms. Adrien closes his eyes and tries to focus. Plagg, meanwhile, helps himself to another piece of purple cheese.

Adrien: Claws in!

Adrien (internally): Focus! You're Catwalker. Perfect... Controlled... No more cat puns under any circumstances...

Adrien (aloud): Plagg, claws out!

Astrowalker—now in his proper form—resumes his flight to the location Cosmobug thinks she’ll find Adrien.

Astrowalker (internally): I really hope that no one saw that...

Cut to Rena Furtive, who Saw That.

Rena Furtive: Chat Noir...?

Below is the same image as above, only without text:

#runaway catwalker #ladybug #catwalker #astrocat #astrowalker #rena furtive #oni-chan #nathalie sancouer #spanner in the works nathalie #akuma #sentimonster #thanks to masilvi for creating the astrochat seamless pattern!#it made my life SO MUCH easier when coloring astrocat/astrowalker's wings #i think this page has the most panels since the maternal instinct fight #there's just too much stuff to cram into one page during these battles #but when you've got a final panel in mind you find a way to make it work :)

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