#skateboard trick inspired by something a friend wanted to do at a piano recital

[waltzofthewifi]

Kota Chapter 28: Allez!

(No links because Tumblr is still being difficult)

Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow

Riposte's saber collided with Chat Noir's baton, and every muscle in Chat Noir's body screamed. Everything hurt. He had been at saber-point three times during the fight, each with more consulted ways to escape, and was now on the fifth or sixth rematch with Riposte.

Ladybug, where are you?

Riposte landed another hit, sending Chat Noir back several feet. This time, he landed on his feet, and was able to spring back into the fight.

Chat Noir dodged and blocked, his muscles reacting as if he was moving mountains every time. He landed a hit - finally! - and nearly knocked Riposte off balance. He moved to take advantage, but someone beat him to it.

The yo-yo wrapped around Riposte and yanked her back, smacking her into a wall. Above her, Ladybug retracted her yo-yo. She swung down to the road, Roi Singe and Viperion landing next to her.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir called. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"You look tired, kitty," Ladybug replied.

"Not too tired to finish this."

Riposte snarled and charged.

Roi Singe used his staff to vault over Riposte as Ladybug, Viperion, and Chat Noir dodged. Roi Singe swiped at Riposte's legs.

Riposte turned and blocked, and Ladybug threw her yo-yo. It smacked Riposte in the face. Riposte floundered backwards.

She reached out with a hand and grabbed the yoyo's string, and yanked, knocking Ladybug off balance. Roi Singe swung with his staff, forcing Riposte to let go of the yo-yo and block.

The fighting continued. Ladybug and Roi Singe combined were a force to be reckoned with, and Riposte was barely able to keep up. Chat Noir watched, wanting to help, but the three of them moved too fast for him. Viperion tracked the fight with his eyes, and when Riposte got a lucky stab in and sent Ladybug flying, he moved instantly.

Riposte's saber was caught between the strings of Viperion's lyre. Viperion twisted his lyre, breaking the saber in half.

It grew back.

Riposte swung, and Viperion blocked with his lyre.

Ladybug landed on the pavement next to Chat Noir.

"Any idea where the akuma is?" Ladybug asked.

Chat Noir frowned. He tried to remember Kagami's outfit at the cafe - what had she been wearing that she still had?

"The armor on her shoulder," Ladybug said. "They're not symmetrical. I bet one of those is the akuma!"

Viperion and Roi Singe moved simultaneously. Viperion swung at Riposte's head as Roi Singe swept at her feet. Riposte ducked, but the staff hit her legs and she fell onto the pavement.

Roi Singe and Viperion moved to block her from getting up.

"Ladybug?" Viperion asked.

"Her shoulder guards!" Ladybug replied.

She and Chat Noir ran up to Riposte.

"Which one?" Viperion questioned.

"Just destroy them both!"

Roi Singe smacked one with his staff, and Viperion pried at the other with his fingers.

"It's not breaking," Roi Singe said.

"We might have to cataclysm it," Viperion suggested.

"But we only get one chance," Ladybug said. "Unless - Viperion!"

Viperion raised a hand to activate his power, and Riposte shifted and knocked him off of her saber-arm. She swung with the saber, forcing Roi Singe to back off.

"Second chance!"

.

Viperion pushed himself off the pavement just as Chat Noir activated his cataclysm.

Riposte swung at Chat Noir, forcing him to back up. Roi Singe attacked, and his staff clashed with Riposte's saber. The two parried for a moment.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo, wrapping it around Riposte's legs, and yanked. Riposte hit the pavement with a thud, and reached out and yanked on the yo-yo string.

Ladybug recalled her yo-yo, and it whacked into Riposte's hand with a smack.

Roi Singe moved to attack, swinging his staff just as Riposte stood again.

Ladybug grimaced. "Lucky charm!"

A skateboard fell into her arms, and she looked at it with bewilderment.

Riposte ducked a swing from Roi Singe and continued to push forward. Chat Noir watched, cataclysm at the ready, and Ladybug was backing up.

Ladybug sprinted. Riposte looked up and aimed her saber. At the last moment, Ladybug dropped down and slid forward on the skateboard, going under Riposte's arm.

She wrapped her yo-yo around Riposte's upper arm, and yanked.

Riposte's arm was pulled wide, leaving her open. Roi Singe swung his staff, smacking her in the torso, and she topple.

Viperion and Roi Singe moved to hold her down, as Chat Noir jogged over.

He raised his hand and smacked it on the shoulder, and the armor dissolved.

"Wrong one," he muttered.

"Second chance!"

.

"It's in her right shoulder!" Viperion called, pushing himself off the ground.

"Got it. Cataclysm!"

Riposte swung at Chat Noir, forcing him to back up. Roi Singe attacked, and his staff clashed with Riposte's saber.

Viperion watched the fight play out, same as last time.

Ladybug attacked and withdrew, grimacing as she recalled her yo-yo.

"Lucky charm!"

A skateboard fell into her arms, and she looked at it with bewilderment.

Roi Singe and Riposte continued to parry, and Chat Noir waited for his opening.

Ladybug pulled off the same skateboard trick, and Roi Singe sent Riposte down to the ground. Viperion moved to help hold her down.

Chat Noir jogged over and smacked his hand onto Riposte's shoulder.

The wrong shoulder.

Viperion mentally facepalmed. "Wrong shoulder!"

"You said her right shoulder!"

"Her other right."

"You mean her left?"

Viperion sighed. "Second chance."

.

"Cataclysm the smaller shoulder," Viperion called, pushing himself off the ground.

"Got it. Cataclysm!"

The fight played out the same. Riposte swung at Chat Noir, forcing him to back up, and parried with Roi Singe.

Ladybug attacked and withdrew, grimacing as she recalled her yo-yo.

"Lucky charm!"

A skateboard fell into her arms, and she looked at it with bewilderment.

Roi Singe continued to attack Riposte, neither gaining any ground.

Ladybug pulled off the same skateboard trick, and Roi Singe sent Riposte down to the ground. Viperion moved to help hold her down.

Chat Noir jogged over and smacked his hand onto Riposte's shoulder.

A butterfly flew out. Ladybug captured it and purified it.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The magical ladybug swarm flew over the street, repairing the damage the buildings around had taken. Riposte disappeared, leaving Kagami in her place.

Chat Noir walked over to Kagami. "Are you okay?"

Kagami looked up at him. "I'm fine, thank you." She stood up and sharply brushed off her skirt.

"Roi Singe, do you think you can escort her home?" Ladybug asked. "I'll collect your miraculous soon, but I have to recharge first."

"No problem, Ladybug," Roi Singe replied, giving her a thumbs up.

Ladybug turned to Viperion. "Let's go."

.

Hawkmoth scowled.

"You may have defeated me this time, Ladybug," he said. "But there will be another match!"

His voice echoed in the room. Someone else might find it sad, talking to an empty room like this, but he always thought it kept him focused.

Also, he could pun. Respectable men like Gabriel Agreste did not pun, but villains like Hawkmoth could.

"Nooroo, dark wings, fall."

Gabriel strutted to the elevator, Nooroo following wordlessly. Riposte might have been another failure, but that didn't affect what he had learned.

The superheroes were definitely getting tired.

.

Roi Singe dropped Kagami off down the block from where she lived.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Kagami fixed her skirt and nodded. "I'm fine. I just had a lot of pent up anger, and without fencing practice to work it out-"

"I know what you mean," Roi Singe admitted. "I get antsy without practice too."

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "You fence?"

"Swim," Roi Singe corrected. "I've been doing it since I was little. It's a great way to work our stress - especially when I get to do it with my girlfriend."

"Having a friend to practice with does make it more enjoyable," Kagami admitted. Even if he still remains a friend. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did you ask your girlfriend out?"

"I didn't," Roi Singe replied. "I didn't even realize she was interested in me until - well, that's personal, you know, secret identities and all. But basically, I was so wrapped up with who I thought I should be with, I completely overlooked her."

"What do you mean, who you thought you should be with?" Kagami questioned.

"Well, I'm kinda the jock at my school," Roi Singe explained. "And there's this girl, who's the typical mean girl. And anyone, I thought I needed a girlfriend - and the jock and the mean girl always get together. I managed to convince myself I actually liked her. But it didn't work out, and I'm glad, because I'm happier in my relationship than ever."

"Interesting," Kagami said. "I have a good friend I've been pursuing romantically. I know he's not interested, but he's one of the only friends I'm allowed to have, and everyone is always saying that romantic relationships are the most important. My mother has been especially pushy. I was starting to think he'd be my only option to finding a potential partner."

Roi Singe scoffed. "Trust me, you'll meet tons of guys you can have a relationship with - or girls. Besides, friendships are where it's at. I like my girlfriend, but I also have a best friend I wouldn't give up for anything."

"My mother doesn't believe in friendships," Kagami admitted."

"Well your mother is wrong," Roi Singe said.

"I hope so."

.

Nora knocked softly on the door. On the other side, she could hear her sister talking on the phone, but she couldn't hear who was on the other end.

"Alya? May I come in?"

"Sure." Alya responded with a flat tone, which was unlike her. Even in a good mood, Alya didn't like Nora coming into her room.

Something was wrong.

Nora creaked open the door slowly as Alya hung up the phone.

Alya was curled up on her bed, head in her knees. She was still dressed, shoes still on, and her face was emotionless as Nora sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Alya shrugged. "Sure."

"Alya?"

Alya sighed. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Nora insisted. "I'm your older sister, I know when somethings wrong."

Alya muttered something under her breath, turning her head away from Nora.

"I'm just worried," Nora continued.

Alya sighed again. "You want to know what happened? Fine. I got kicked off of the school blog."

"What? Why? Who do I need to punch?"

Alya chuckled softly. "No one. Well... no, no punching." She said that last part mostly to herself. "Someone accused me of spreading rumors."

"Someone? Is it that Lila girl?" Nora had heard that name in negative contexts before, including from Alya herself.

"Yeah. I guess she's mad I helped give her detention. But she was bullying my friends, I could just leave it alone-"

"Of course not," Nora agreed. "Someone needs to stand up to bullies like her. What's that superhero quote you like? All that it takes for evil to win-"

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing," Alya quoted.

"Well you were a good person who did something," Nora said. "And sometimes that gives you enemies."

"I know." Alya sighed. "I don't want enemies though. I still - despite all that she's done, I can't help but think that Lila must be so lonely. If lying's the only way she knows how to make friends, if she never allows people to truly know her - I guess I just wish we could have been friends."

"You did the best you could," Nora said. "But friendship is a two way street. It was her choice, in the end."

"Yeah."

"Come on, no more moping. Let's get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," Alya argued.

"Too bad," Nora said. "Mom called and said she's stuck at work, so I'm cooking."

That got Alya to move. "No way am I eating something you cooked!"

She slipped her shoes off and raced to the kitchen.

"I can cook just fine!" Nora yelled, staying right behind Alya.

"You nearly burned down the kitchen last time!"

"That's an exaggeration. There was only a little fire."